While it might not be crackly, dusty and hillbilly enough for hardcore traditionalists like Joe Bussard, Ironto, Va.’s Black Twig Pickers are creating some of the best old-timey music around. When they’re not gigging overseas—the trio of Isak Howell, Nathan Bowles and Mike Gangloff are just off a U.K. tour—they have a monthly gig picking tunes at a community-wide bluegrass dance held at the local Floyd Country Store—and occasionally in old moonshine cellars deep in the mountains of Blacksburg. Following their stellar 2009 collaboration with late guitar master Jack Rose, the Black Twig Pickers have just released Ironto Special (Thrill Jockey). “Don’t Drink Nothing But Corn,” the first single from the album (which features 13 renditions of traditional Appalachian songs and two original pieces), is a whooping, grain-alcohol-fueled banjo, guitar and fiddle stomp that’ll make you want to immediately hop a freight down to the Floyd Country Store.
“Don’t Drink Nothing But Corn” (download):
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
