Onion Creek Crawdaddies – Barn Burners & Bathtub Bourbon
So far its pretty much under the national radar, but of late Austins bluegrass scene has been exploding. Most of the bands involved are not playing your fathers brand of bluegrass, however. They prefer instead to take their cues from the likes of alt.bluegrass pioneers such as the Bad Livers and Split Lip Ray-field, using the music invented by Bill Monroe simply as a starting point.
Of this new crop of bands, the Onion Creek Crawdaddies are arguably the most accomplished. A quintet with a lot of talent, their debut, Barn Burners & Bathtub Bourbon, is all original material, and while they make a couple of freshman mistakes, overall its a solid beginning.
With Trent Shepherd (mandolin, fiddle) and Ryan Hunter (banjo, ukulele) sharing the majority of the songwriting, there are a variety of viewpoints and styles presented, from the rousing opener Blood In My Veins to the Latin-influenced Vamos (sung in Spanish) to the sprightly instrumental jam Sunflower Hill Two-Step.
While not quite as rowdy as one of their live sets where a cover of Dylan, Split Lip or Led Zeppelin can pop up at any minute Barn Burners & Bathtub Bourbon is an accurate snapshot of the Craw-daddies solid ensemble playing and brotherly harmonies, all performed with a spunky attitude that lends a special appeal.