Tuesday, September 29, 2009

A Modern Roots Masterpiece from The Pines

by Doug MacRostie

When you listen to The Pines new album "Tremolo," the guitars dance slowly and methodically as voices whisper in your ear and sounds and images drift around like a living, breathing creature surrounding you with reflections of the modern world on an aged mirror - combining emotion and storytelling into a beautiful and simple presentation that can sooth you one moment and take your breath away the next. It's an excellent album and I'll be joined by songwriting duo David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey to talk about it this Thursday at 6 on Centerstage MN, and they'll have their guitars with to perform some of the music live in-studio!!! I am very excited to talk with these very creative songwriters.

With a unique style that blends indie-rock, folk and blues along with intelligent lyrics and hauntingly personal vocals, "Tremolo" is an outstanding album that showcases the exquisite and immersive songwriting of David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey. In a way, the album sounds dark and sinister like Alice in Chains, but at the same time the music sounds hopeful. They ride close to the edge of traditional acoustic/roots music but with a great modern twist - giving the songs a very fresh feel while echoing styles of the past. It is going to be VERY cool having David and Benson in-studio to play and talk about their music - don't miss this!!!

If you somehow missed my conversation with Mason Jennings last week about his new album "Blood of Man" you can hear it by clicking here - and all interviews are archived on the Centerstage MN page at KAXE.org. Coming up next week it'll be a special extended edition of Centerstage MN as I broadcast the "Closing the Tent Event" concert with Enchanted Ape - they rocked out for nearly two hours with outstanding guitar work and an excellent vibe (which should be the perfect setup for The Dead Set with Steve Ross that night :D).

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org and the show is rebroadcast Sunday mornings at 6.

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