This Week's Picks (#29)

This week's picks are inspired by good ol' timey bluegrass. Enjoy!

"Bluegrass Breakdown" - Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys


Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, is as ol' timey as it gets. Monroe started playing around with the sound that became bluegrass in the 1940's, characterizing it as "Scottish bagpipes and ole-time fiddle playing". He named it "Blue Grass" after his home state of Kentucky. It's just a shame that the Bluegrass Boys can't seem to enjoy themselves on stage.


"Crazy Train" - Iron Horse


What is more ol' timey than Ozzy Osbourne bluegrass-style?...Oh...wait. Ok, so it may not be 'ol' timey', but it kind of kicks butt. This is from the album Black and Bluegrass: The Bluegrass Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. Iron Horse is known for their bluegrass covers, and they're quickly becoming my new favorite band ever. Bluegrass Metallica, Bluegrass Guns N Roses, Bluegrass Led Zepplin...and the list goes on. Um, AWESOME!


"Man of Constant Sorrow" - Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, Pat Enright "Soggy Bottom Boys"


Ok, so the Soggy Bottom Boys are a fictitious band created for the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? and I'm sure pretty much everyone has heard this track before.  But this version of the classic bluegrass tune, recorded by Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, and Pat Enright is a Grammy winner for a reason- it's great! It's also said to be the closest version to the famous bluegrass artist, Ralph Stanley's distinct style of singing. Plus...who doesn't love seeing George Clooney all dirty and 'singing' bluegrass?