More Banjo Please

Sometimes a piece of music of an artist comes my way that I enjoy so much that it will change what I’ve been listening to and inspire me to reintroduce myself to some of my more neglected music collection. Last week a friend of mine told me to check out Olentangy John whose real name is John Atzberger. He is a talented banjo player and has this gorgeous soulful voice that fits perfectly for his toned down bluegrass style. It is one of those voices that cuts straight to your soul, just enough of a backwoods twang, but not so much that it is off putting. I have listened to “Daniel” on his myspace page over and over again. He will be playing at SXSW in a few weeks, and I wish I could be there to see him live, but there’s no way of making that one happen. I do expect that next year we will see him at some of the larger festivals, as these things typically go.

I think it says a lot about an artist when he or she can pull you out of a music rut. As you can probably tell if you’ve been reading this blog, I have been in hip hop state of mind for a while. It’s hard no to be when there’s so much good stuff coming out all the time. Also rap has like no other musical style out there embraced the mixtape. I love mixtapes because they are free and introduce you to new artists before buying their album. They have sucked me into a hip hop void. Olentangy John is pulling me out of that void (just in time to see Old Crow Medicine Show at Coachella!). I’m getting reacquainted with Old Crow Medicine Show, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Harper, Modest Mouse (just in time for Pitchfork!), and even going back to my old faithful love of Neil Young. I even told my concert buddy who comes to live shows with me all around the city that they next show we’re seeing is going to involve a banjo. I’m being transported back to being 16 growing up outside Boston and going to the many different college campuses to see Dispatch. Olentangy John is much better than Dispatch, though I’m not sure 16 year old self would admit that.

All that being said, check out the link his myspace page, I’m going to put Old Crow Medicine’s Show “Wagon Wheel” on genius and see where it take me.