|
Trampled by Turtles is an acoustic quintet from Duluth, MN. Based on their instrumentation, the initial instinct is to view the band as a bluegrass or new-grass outfit, but spend more than a cursory moment with their music and it's clear this tag doesn't really fit.
For those who are simply fans of music, not bound by rules or forms, Trampled by Turtles take pieces of it all and just play from the heart. Call it alt-bluegrass, nontraditional string, indi-folk, rock-grass, punk-grass or anything else, they don't care what name you put on it, just show up with an open mind and it won’t be long until you fall under their spell. Like all of us, where they were raised has influenced what they are and these guys didn’t grow up in southern roots country, they come from way up north where folks do it a little different. When was the last time you saw crowd surfing brought on by an acoustic string band without any drums?
SF Bay Guardian had this to say about the TBTs' unique take on acoustic roots music: "Shooting sparks in the face of folk traditionalism, the quintet approaches the banjo and mandolin with a level of brash recklessness hardly heard since the now-mythical reign of Uncle Tupelo. Bill Monroe and Joe Strummer would both be proud."
Constantly touring, Trampled By Turtles have criss-crossed the country more times than they can count, sharing the stage with stalwarts like LOW, Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven and Billy Joe Shaver to name a few. They've also been invited to festivals such as Rothbury, 10,000 Lakes, Wakarusa and Pickathon.
What the press is saying:
“They are, simply put, perhaps the best live band in the state.”
–The Onion
"On Duluth, the band runs a thin line among blazing breakdowns as much indebted to the Ramones as Flatt & Scruggs, teary country blues, and brittle folk, all laced with stray shards of jazz and rock." -–The City Pages (Minneapolis)
“Their most recent release, Duluth, mirrors the raw intensity of their live performances, which are sure to leave audiences simultaneously raising hell and crying in their beers.”
-ArtVoice (Buffalo, NY)
“Simonett is the most compelling frontman Duluth has produced in years. His flow has a shit-kicking quality no folkie can assume, a frank way of phrasing that makes his melodies a blunt instrument amid impressionist strumming.” –The City Pages (Minneapolis)
|
