Old Man Markley-Guts 'N Teeth
Fat
January 18, 2011

It seems like any group of people that can find a banjo and/or mandolin player are starting an old timey traditional band lately, and this was before Mumford and Sons starting kicking ass in Top 40 radio. As of this moment, I’m okay with this uprising, as all of the bands (that I’ve heard, at least) have written credible music that wouldn’t make Bill Monroe spin in his grave. Old Man Markley are on the outside of that box, but I can see that appealing to many different people.

While a lot of other new traditional bands try to hide their punk rock roots (except for the clothes), Old Man Markley wear it proudly on their ripped up sleeves. They make the listener wonder if this is a punk band playing mountain music or a bunch of yokels trying their hand at punk rock. This is a good strategy and they balance the two styles well. The songs are melodic and fast, but full of banjos, mandolins, fiddles, autoharp and a damn washboard. There’s plenty of room for square dancing and I wouldn’t be surprised seeing a circle pit or two break out. Not many bands can say that about their songs.

Written by: RF
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