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Yonder Mountain String Band
The one-minute-plus instrumental "Fastball," a cooking song of banjo, mandolin and guitar, would make Weissberg and Mandel of "Dueling Banjos" proud. YMSB stays true to its foundation in bluegrass, with songs like "Troubled Mind" and "Midwest Gospel Radio," but the album has potential to crossover to mainstream radio because of its pop and country sounds in "Angel" and "Classic Situation." Yonder Mountain String Band has a strong following on the Front Range and with jam band audiences, enough so to have played at Bonnaroo in both 2003 and 2004. If they keep recording with a drummer and studio effects, they could see more fans outside of bluegrass circles. —Aaron Rogers Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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When you hear Yonder Mountain String Band's harmonic vocals,
one can't help but to think of the most unlikely comparison: They Might Be
Giants. YMSB is a full-tilt bluegrass band with jam band qualities, but on
their first self-titled release for Vanguard Records, they tow the rock-folk
line with a drummer and a wall of studio sound behind them like in the opening
song "Sidewalk Stars."
