The music we typically cover on this blog is of the following; local, buzzing around the blogosphere, or an older project that allows us to jog our musical memories. I have identified these three elements to be my menu when catering to our readers’ musical appetites. Whether I saw I it live in person, downloaded it from a fellow blog, or dove into Ben’s dust, we write about this music because it excites us to share it with all of you. It is my goal to be both unconventional and unpredictable while remaining consistent with the qualitymy coverage. The best opportunities for me to keep this formula is the gather input and collaborate with our readers. After a recommendation from a friend I would like to take you off the tracks, deep into the woods of Decatur County, Indiana. There you will find Those Lazy Cabineers, an antique tribute that pulls from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway and Django Reinhardt (In the Dust 5). I would imagine that loyal supporters of Ben’s “In the Dust” column would quickly throw some logs on the fire and get comfortable with Those Lazy Cabineers.
Those Lazy Cabineers are a modest, old-timey group started by Jeff Smerdel (guitar) and Kevin Sturenberg (vocals, guitar, and mandolin) that plays traditional Americana. The rest of their band is a revolving door of talent. A network of musical friends builds the backbone for Those Lazy Cabineers making their vintage sound fresh. They are a microcosm of the Broken Social Scene formula. They adopt the expanded band model where borders are eliminated by sound. Their rich take on classics resurrects a special spot on my musical map.
Those Lazy Cabineers shine during their cover of Ella Fitzgerald track “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” which features singer Carolyn Flood. She brings Nashville confidence in her pipes and comfortably covers a legend. Her sweet, soulful voice backed by Those Lazy Cabineers impresses me more with each successive spin. The purity of tone in this track proves soul exists even in the depths of rural Indiana.
The county coverage of rustic music is something that I did not expect when I opened myself to this blog 6 months ago. It is these stories that hide deep in woods of Indiana that make me appreciate this job more and more. The log cabin has been the humble origin of some of America’s most prominent individuals. Once again, the cabin is giving life to new American voices worth sharing. Listen to their take on the traditional “I Saw Stars,” a song made famous by Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.
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Written by Brett McGrath
