In the studio, Greensky sounds just as you would imagine — a tightly harmonized, virtuosic string band — but they add tangible flavor with their use of dobro, a steel-string lap guitar that gives the sound its completeness. Sticking to the road most traveled is always fun, and produces results more than worthy of an audience, but it’s sharp left turns into the realms of eerie, rockin’ fun that make Greensky one of the most daring and unique bluegrass outfits around.
Oh yeah, and bring a sound recorder, they encourage all-access recording of their shows so that the word may be spread!
Two days later, Eugene’s own Walnut Collective will hit the Oak St. Speakeasy to throw down their latest garage-haze madness. When I sat down to take a listen, I said to myself: “So what does Walnut Collective have to offer?”
Well, the guitars were fuzzy, the vocals were outrageous and the only words I could find to describe it all were “non-stop-sloppy-pop-rock fun,” which rhymed too many times to be dignified.
At times their new CD, Sea Rose, sounds like Bends-era Radiohead, other times it’s “What’s The Frequency Kenneth?” REM, and even after that there’s the Sonic Youth noise jams, the sex-minded ‘80s lyrics and the fuzzy, modern alternative sound to look forward to.
So what does Walnut Collective have to offer? Fucking anything you want. Enough said.
Greensky Bluegrass celebrate their CD release at 9 pm, Thursday, March 10, at Sam Bond’s; $10. Walnut Collective’s CD release is at 10 pm, Saturday, March 12, at Oak St. Speakeasy; FREE.
EW 3/10
