Album Review – Trampled By Turtles “Palomino”
In one respect, we live in a blessed time in country music. If it was 1986, the superpickers of our generation would be stuffing a sock down the front of their spandex tights as hair designers kink their bangs and perm their mullet, getting them ready to go on stage and pull some ungodly bad bubblegum butt rock out of a Korean replica flying V guitar. But instead, it’s hip if you have fast fingers to pick up a banjo, or a mando, or a violin, grow a beard, and kick it old school. Thank God.
The fact that I hadn’t even heard of Trampled by Turtles until about 10 days ago proves just how crowded the landscape is with superpicking pseudo bluegrass bands, but the Turtle’s album Palomino quickly sets them apart. It was suggested to me in a discussion about the best albums of the year so far, and after some spins, I agree wholeheartedly it deserves to be in the discussion.
At some point it is just humanly impossible to play your instruments any faster, and this album has that element which is usually the quickest to be ballyhooed about these such bands. But it also has soul. Some were worried that this album would be too slick for me. What, you think The Triggerman can’t be a little classy? No reason to be ashamed of top notch production and mastering, and in fact when you can get away with it and yet still retain the dirt and devil in the music like Trampled By Turtles has done, you deserve extra kudos.
Some were worried I’d get spooked because the band plays sitting down. I actually think this is a genius move, totally unintuitive but making perfect sense at the same time. By sitting, it makes the audience take the music more seriously. It forces you to listen more, and to listen with your ears instead of your eyes. And in a very deep way it ties the music to the past. Its wickedly brilliant.
I think I know what makes this album, and the Turtle’s sound so special. Bluegrass nerds with bigger pocket protectors than mine will probably poke holes in my theory, but what I think is at the heart of the matter is bridging elements of West Coast bluegrass with traditional bluegrass.
Traditional bluegrass is dance music, with straightforward chord progressions and accessible tones. West Coast bluegrass is usually played much slower, and is more artsy, with more complicated chords and more emotional tones and themes. Problem with straightforward traditional bluegrass is it can get boring and predictable to the ear after a while. Problem with West Coast is it can lack the pep and danceability, while sometimes taking itself too seriously or building on ill-conceived notions of bluegrass traditions.
Tramples by Turtles is the best of both worlds: Deep, emotionally soulful-driven songs, but with high energy, and a very strict adherence to the bluegrass rules from a technical standpoint. The Bill Monroe shuffle is there. And the slow songs are 3-time waltzes, as they should be, but again, with more emotional chords to really make you really feel them. For all the stupidly-fast songs on this album, the slow waltz “Bloodshot Eyes” might be the standout track. Makes sense they could split the difference, as the Minnesota-based band resides between Washington State and West Virginia.
I can anticipate some people will grumble that this band is just a cleaner version of their favorite band they’ve been listening to for years. Yes they have a little mainstream support and a pretty CMT video (see below). But these guys have been working in obscurity for six years themselves, and can’t be blamed for finding a little success with this album, which peaked at #1 on the US Bluegrass charts. Palomino is an accomplishment, and any prejudicial stance against it is only robbing music enrichment from your life. Yes, this album is one of the best so far this year.
Two guns up!
You can purchase Palomino and preview all songs by CLICKING HERE.
July 16, 2010 @ 12:48 pm
Wow. Awesome review, Triggerman. Duluth is proud.
July 16, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
good review on a good album, I think most people would be generally blown away at the amount of music in Minnesota.
July 16, 2010 @ 1:51 pm
If that don’t get some blood pumpin’ I don’t know what will. Great blog Triggerman.
July 16, 2010 @ 2:05 pm
Sawyer,
You’re right, they probably would be blown away, but I’ve been signing the praises of bands from the Upper Midwest for years. More bands are coming from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, as well as from the Pacific Northwest than from the South. Not sure why. I’ve brought the discussion up many times and don’t know if we ever came to an answer, but I’m glad they’re coming from somewhere rather than nowhere. We need bands like this.
July 16, 2010 @ 2:16 pm
I saw Trampled By Turtles last August, after missing them several times here in town. They were easily the best band at the festival, and there was some serious bluegrass those two days! I still don’t have any of their albums, but they made an impression on me, and I would go see them live again at the drop of a hat!
July 16, 2010 @ 4:58 pm
1. I was really worried this album would be too slick for you Trig. REALLY worried. My mom said I was making too big a deal out of it but I told her she’s full of shit.
2. Interesting comment about about the Minnesota / Wisconsin / Michigan / Pacific NW flood of music. The first thing I think of is the early 90’s when the DIY indie music scene started to blow up. Same regions as then are producing a ton of great bands now as well. Well for the most part I guess, is DC pumpin out bands as well? Interesting…I’m gonna be thinkin this all damn day and night now.
3. I love this site. Where else can a fella have these types of discussions about this music without getting told off for being a nerd and thinking too much?
July 16, 2010 @ 11:27 pm
Why so worried? Honestly I think the production is clean but the music is still dirty. This is the perfect combination, and very hard to pull off.
You are a music nerd. Face it.
July 17, 2010 @ 1:38 am
Worried cause you are the voice of this site. I’ve been a fan of TBT for about a year and a half now and they’re awesome. If you denied their latest effort, sales would plummet.
Yeah, but at least I got a home here with fellow music nerds.
July 17, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
I’m a music nerd, and proud of it!
July 19, 2010 @ 6:15 am
Is it just me, or are the vocals monotone and annoying? The instrumentation is cool. Is that one dude playing an acoustic bass guitar?
July 19, 2010 @ 7:40 am
He definitely doesn’t seem to have a huge vocal range, but I wouldn’t call it monotone. As for being annoying, that’s a matter of opinion. I think his voice is a big part of what gives them their awesome sound.
July 19, 2010 @ 7:50 am
I would agree the vocals and harmonies are not their strong suit, but when you’re playing that fast you have to give up something. I think the vocals step out pretty good on the slower songs. A group that has amazing harmonies and still plays really fast is Larry and his Flask.
July 19, 2010 @ 10:15 am
This is just another shitty hipster band with a banjo. Bout as bluegrass as Toby is country.
July 19, 2010 @ 10:44 am
Uncle Mary,
Had a feeling you’d feel that way, and I’m sure you’re not alone. No, its not traditional bluegrass, but I think it pays more tribute to traditional than most. And yeah, I would probably put them in more of a hipster crowd instead of a lets say a Muddy Roots crowd, but I’m not going to let that get in my way of enjoying some great music.
July 19, 2010 @ 4:42 pm
This is one of my favorite bands. I play them regularly at my New Roots night in Pittsburgh and people cant get enough. The interesting thing to me, is the TYPE of people who always request it. This is Pittsburgh, Home of legendary punk bands like Aus Rotten, Submachine, Half Life, etc. These are punks requesting Trampled By Turtles. I LOVE BRIDGING GAPS!
July 20, 2010 @ 2:49 pm
I’m not saying it’s not bluegrass cause it’s not traditional it just in fact isn’t bluegrass. It to me at least sounds like a hipster indie rock band picked up acoustic instruments. I mean homeboy is flat picking a 5 string. Why the fuck would anyone do that? I mean that’s why there’s tenor and plectrums. There’s too much that isn’t bluegrass to call this bluegrass. Bluegrass is more than instrumentation. An electric guitar and a drum set doesn’t make you a rock band.
July 21, 2010 @ 7:57 am
I don’t think they ever claim to be bluegrass. What’s wrong with using traditional bluegrass instruments to make a different type of music? There may not be any Scruggs banjo rolling but he can get pretty nasty flatpicking.
July 21, 2010 @ 11:54 am
Bluegrass is a jumping off point for many contemporary bands, including Trampled by Turtles AND .357 String Band. Neither is bluegrass in the traditional sense, yet both are closer to bluegrass than anything else. Now bands like String Cheese Incident or Yonder Mountain String Band claiming to be bluegrass, I feel that’s a bit more of a stretch.
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