GW: Punk Cowboys.

So I was reading the LA Times and I came across this article, laughed really loud, then decided to turn it in for credit:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/03/the-majestic-silver-strings-a-fresh-spin-on-old-country.html

The article is about this group's, "The Majestic Silver String," new album, "The Majestic Silver Strings." The group is made up of these 4 acclaimed guitarists: Buddy Miller, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, and Greg Loisz. Of these, Miller is the main one being interviewed.

Miller talks a bit about his previous work. He never really knew much about western/cowboy music, but then he got into it and he made a band. One of his old bands in NYC was called Crackers. They played "harmelodic versions of country favorites and original compositions."

Later Buddy moved on and did some work that is not mentioned.

And now he's back with his three new buddies in The Majestic Silver Strings. They take a new turn on the western genre in that their songs sound different and don't follow the general "let's go out into the fields and sing around the campfire" feeling. In fact, Miller talks about how a buddy had let him borrow music sheets called "Cowboy Songs" from the 1930. He misread the signatures in the song, and understood the music to sound "punk." He liked it, so he incorporated it into his new album with his new buddies and, in essence, their work pushed "lighthearted music into darker territory." Miller says it's appropriate because of current events like the wars in the Middle East. Meaning that the Army are the new Cowboys, and the desert is the new prairie.

I'll include this little detail I found on Facebook because I was so confused when I first read the article: The Majestic Silver Strings Album "pushes each song into the new cosmos."

If anyone is interested in checking these homies out, think fast because they'll be at the Grammy Museum (at LA Live, I think) on March 10th.