Gangstagrass. "Lightning on the Strings, Thunder on the Mic," produced by Rench and featuring famed Bronx rapper T.O.N.E-z is now released! Stream all the tracks here.
Mp3s from amazon
The Weal and Woe
We play vintage songs of love and loss, drinkin' and cheatin', and old-timey religion. Two songs recorded in Mark's living room: "I'm S-A-V-E-D" "We must have been out of our minds"
The Cobble Hillbillies [EP] (2005)
As Brooklyn as bluegrass gets without leaving the tradition. Listen to a podcast with "F Train" here. The discs are currently sold out, but you can always download a digital copy from itunes or MSN Music
Hooverville "Follow That Trail of Dust Back Home" (2005)
Original roots-oriented american music from my friends in NC. I got to play on most of the tracks and we play together live about once a year. This CD, like their first one, is awesome. Listen to "jefferson davis blues"
and pick one up here
"Muskrat Lovely" (2005) is a documentary film by Amy Nicholson about a town where a muskrat-skinning contest and a beauty contest occur on the same stage in the same weekend each year. A couple of us Cobble Hillbillies played 2 songs for this film, one of which was my banjo debut. Look for it at a festival near you and check the website here
Rench "Life in Mean Season" (2006)
Featuring many talents from the NYC underground country music scene, this is socially conscious and bumpin' country hip-hop. I play on 4 tracks, and the 20-song CD also features the rockin fiddle of Michi Wiancko and many guest vocalists. Check it out here
Jonathan Byrd & Dromedary "The Sea & The Sky" (2004)
Also featuring the fiddle work of Rex McGhee, this moving product of a powerful collaboration between americana song-writer Jonathan Byrd and world-music duo Dromedary can be purchased here.
Jonathan Byrd "The Waitress" (2002)
Not quite bluegrass, not quite country, but totally rooted and full of great stories, this is still my favorite of the Byrd's many cds. I play fiddle on most tracks.
Listen to Jonathan's song "The Waitress"
and buy the CD here
cucanandy "contented minds" (2001)
A recording of mostly irish music and song with fiddle, flutes and feet, which got great reviews from the folky mags and all that, is still available here.
cucanandy "he didn't dance" (1999)
Recorded while I was still just a guest with the band, this disc is a mix of traditional music and song from north carolina and various celtic regions of the world featuring fiddle, flutes, and feet.
It is possibly available here
Grasshopper Highway "The Way Love Goes" (1999)
In some respects a six-headed monster, definitely not country, irish, or traditional in any way, but full of sincerity, humor and energy, this album was recorded live in a shed with some of my favorite people in the world.
Listen to "So Close" Listen to "Penny Lofa" Listen to "Ridiculo!"
life in general "so long, true love" (1999)
I drove to winston-salem to record fiddle on 2 songs for this CD by 2 dudes who worked the college circuit. they never sent me a copy, so recently i bought one of the songs, "no need to be lonely," on iTunes, and was surprised to hear it sounded pretty good.
Grasshopper Highway "Come What May" (1997)
5-song demo recorded in 3 hours that somehow has stood the test of time (for me anyway) despite the fact we were really just learning to play. Knowing how to play your instrument is less important than having a good song to play on and good friends to make music with. Listen to Rafi's tune "Jealousy"