There are times, late at night, when the burnt sienna pigments cut adrift from old jugs of corn liquor take to the wind. Their warm summons trip the unwary as easily as they ferry the willing. So it was, on such a night, at some abandoned roadhouse, that five sylvan avowed to form a band. [...]
Read More americana, music![Cahalen Morrison & Eli West [promo photo]](http://primitivestate.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Cahalen-Eli.png)
Kickstarter campaign aims to bring a beautiful dream to fruition. When Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel burst onto the music scene with “The Sound of Silence” in 1965, America was spiraling into the grips of a protracted war in Southeast Asia, leaving those at home to shake off the dross of Pat Boone’s happy-go-lucky, Chevrolet-and-apple [...]
Read More americana, folk music![Danielle Ate The Sandwich [used with permission]](http://primitivestate.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/DanielleAteTheSandwich.jpg)
In the skirmish of modern life, where even the gray and wrinkled stare quizzically down at their hands, thumbing through their “e”mails on “i”Phones, it is rare to find souls who walk with eyes ahead, hearts open and minds alert. Rarer still are those who share themselves without contrivance or ego. So, it was serendipitous [...]
Read More folk music![New-Siberia [Still from video by Asia Kepka]](http://primitivestate.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/New-Siberia.jpg)
The number of songs, nay bands and songwriters in the iTunes library that Rags and I share is staggering–now approaching 13,000 songs. Yet, we always have our ears open for new additions, especially artists that we’ve never heard of before. When Rag’s found Antje Duvekot a couple of weeks ago after looking up the details [...]
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Sometimes you stumble across a little bit of bliss amidst all of the blather on the internet. This video is one such blissful interlude, brought to you by Dehlia Low, one of our favorite bands from back East (we truly wish they’d just up-and-move to Colorado!). Although Rags is convinced that I have a crush on Anya Hinckle, the [...]
Read More americana, music![TV[Matt Niemi, Flickr]](http://primitivestate.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/TVMatt-Niemi.jpg)
The first I ever heard of Michael Franti was when this song showed up on a compilation disc for some indigenous rights cause in the early 1990s. America was just wrapping up its first successfully televised war in the Persian Gulf, and the homeland’s economy was circling the drain. The lyrics immediately caught my attention. [...]
Read More culture, music, television
This video, released earlier this year by Martha Scanlan as part of her Tongue River Stories project is a great example of why Martha is right up there with the Be Good Tanyas and Cowboy Junkies in terms of weaving the acoustic tapestry of our lives here at Primitive State. Pure, unadulterated and soulful to the point of virtue.
Read More americana, martha scanlan
Cahalen Morrison and Eli West are not your typical stars of the stage—but they command respect, admiration and a growing fan base wherever they go. At first glance, one might not take these two as serious singer/songwriters. Hell, you might be surprised to know they play multiple instruments with finesse. Who are these two? Farmhands? [...]
Read More folk music, songwritersThe latest release by Gillian Welsh may not be everybody’s cup o’tea, especially those who are fans of hard-driving, maniacal mandolin musicality. For the rest of you, go buy this album, right now! From beginning-to-end, The Harrow & the Harvest fills the room with sweet notes and smoky melody. Gems include Scarlet Town, Hard Times [...]
Read More folk music, gillian welch
The band did a brief tour in the lower 48 during the summer of 2011, and we here at Primitive State were ALL OVER those tickets! Here’s a video from the original album that turned us on, back in the day. Enjoy!
Read More americana, be good tanyas, folk music