recent studies show that bluegrass makes 1 out of 1 subject ridiculously happy

So. I recently found something thing of which I am uncharacteristically fond.

Subject: The Avett Brothers

Anyone who knows me even in passing knows that I despise country music. What they don't usually know is that I have a love/hate relationship with Country's older, spiritual, and more humorous cousin Bluegrass. I have grown up listening to Alison Krauss, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Scaggs, and Bela Fleck, but over 20+ years it starts to lose its twangy fun themes and fun riffs. I compromise by listening to it a lot at home and every Sunday morning (Bluegrass Junction ftw), and of course overdosing on it every time I go home to Indiana. However, it's not exactly my cup of tea. No strats, drum solos, horn lines, or any odd combination of the above (think Nigel Tufnel).

One day at work, my coworker and I were flipping through NPR's Bonnaroo Archive and came across The Avett Brothers. I had never heard of them, and as we'd already listened to all the bands we already knew, we figured "Why not?" and turned them. Brett went, "Meh.". I went "ZOMG.". I downloaded every free live concert I could find from All Songs Considered (Tx, Mr. Boilen) and remained plugged in for the next week. Upon buying my favorite songs and listening, I accidentally clicked on the 'Buy Album' button and synced them to my iPhone.

Their music is, in a word, uplifting. While it has occasionally repetitive melodies and recurring themes, it is calming, simple, and enjoyable. The live concerts have an energy and improvising quality that their studio work lacks. However, the studio material is solid, refined, and well thought out. Mixing bluegrass and punk/rock is risky, as you're trying to appeal to a very localized population with a specific age group (I can't imagine any 16 year-olds or 28+ peeps rocking out to "Kick Drum Heart"), but they clearly have a devoted fanbase in their hometown and in people my age from the midwest. . . or south/ish USA (they're from NC). I forget how many people there are who come from musical histories like mine - parents who love rock and roll but grew up with gospel. It's comforting to know there are other kids who were put through a similar tormenting juvenile period of "BLUEGRASS ISN'T COOL, DAD!" but grew up to love it as conditionally as I do.

After listening to their music for about a month now, I still find them moving and comforting. I think they repeat themselves after a while, but if I go back and listen to their first few albums such as Mignonette, I can enjoy the texture they've created over their ten years of work. If I listen to each album individually they sound similar. On the other hand if I put all six albums I eventually bought on 'Shuffle' I find them extremely upbeat, fun, and overall an excellently well-rounded band. I won't say that I like their early work better (metallica rulz), simply that I like them as a whole.

I think they're worth a listen.