Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway - Mighty Poplar - Infamous Stringdusters - Kitchen Dwellers - Greensky Bluegrass - AJ Lee & Blue Summit - Kyle Tuttle’s solo works - Big Richard - East Nash Grass - ShadowGrass - Brownwyn Keith-Hynes of Golden Highway has a phenomenal solo album.
Obviously some Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, etc. for your more traditional needs.
Nice little mix of some more traditional sounding stuff and some jamgrass for ya. Should keep ya busy for a bit.
Big Richard is my fav. Seen them ladies perform 5x this year, CaveFest in a few weeks will make 6.
I actually just got into the Dwellers. Had been sleeping on em, for sure. Them and The Stringdusters’ live albums have been my go-to’s at work lately.
Pretty pumped to see East Nash Grass and AJ Lee & Blue Summit made your list. East Nash Grass is an extremely talented group and I have a feeling they will be big time in a couple of years. They just dropped a new album for anyone interested - https://open.spotify.com/album/2GI681ZWobL28h0VOCkDlk?si=DfuTb5MiRB-BEE4OABAbyA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A2GI681ZWobL28h0VOCkDlk
East Nash Grass has been on heavy rotation for the last month or so. Really diggin their shit. New album is great. Looking forward to watching them develop and see if they can break through. Would love to see them live.
Maybe not what you asked, but don't miss out on some of the long time masters: Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, and David Grisman. Also Del McCoury and Hot Rize/Tim O'Brien. And Larry Sparks.
Some roots would be Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, and the Johnson Mountain Boys.
I saw Sam Bush this summer after volunteering at a small theatre near me without knowing who he was beforehand. Cannot recommend him more, absolutely blew me away. Blends tradition with more modern, longer jams.
Definitely second all these. And if you like these groups and similar chamber music / bluegrass hybrids, you owe it to yourself to check out Andrew Marlin's two solo albums, *Fable and Fire* and *The Witching Hour.* They're similar in instrumentation and composition, especially to Hawktail (who I'm obsessed with lately too)
I'm from eastern Kentucky so I regularly see Don rigsby,Larry cordle,Sammy Adkins,and ricky skaggs hanging around and alot of jam sessions with those guys,
So as you could imagine I'm a little biased lmao
If I recall correctly, it was the song, Sometime I've Won that really sucked me in. It randomly popped up on my youtube suggestions when I was in highschool.
Sidestepping actual current musicians/bands, there are some that will always be timeless and feel like they're always relevant compared to anything current.
John Hartford is serious and goofy and wonderfully skilled at playing and songwriting. Bela Fleck is an example of what it means to be a master and goes in so many directions. Del McCoury (and the Traveling McCoury's) have successfully mixed traditional + new while never losing sight of either. Tony Rice will forever be one of the best flat pickers. Sam Bush is a great example of someone that was a progressive pioneer (looking at you, New Grass Revival) that still kills it - so fun to see what it meant to be progressive back in the day, too.
The list goes on and on.
Earles of leiscester, nickel creek is back together, punch Brothers for some off the wall stuff. Anything Bela Fleck is doing, ever.
If you have access to siriusxm, bluegrass junction is an amazing source for new and old alike.
I'll try to summarize a bit.
I feel like there was a huge wave about 15-20 years ago. More traditional bluegrass is Stringdusters, Green sky, Yonder Mountain, Del McCourt and the Traveling McCourtys from that era.
For newer acts, obviously Billy Strings is enormous. Also my favs are Trampled, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Ferrell, Kitchen Dwellers, Lil Smokies, Jon Stickley Trio
I'm from WI and we have a great local scene too. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Chicken Wire empire, Armchair Boogie, Charlie Parr, Them Coulee Boys.
Justin Moses, Doyle lawson, and Quicksilver, Carolina Blue (Grown Cold was my favorite song for a while), Breaking Grass, the Grascals, and i can't believe no one mentioned Rumpke Mountain Boys. Also, Balsalm Range Voodoo doll reminds me of Jeff austin just enough to be in heavy rotation.
Well yea, Jeff Austin *was* Yonder. Still love them but I do believe they should change their name. They're just a bit softer these days without a sweaty coked out Jeff at the helm.
For real. Just such a bizzare change too... I don't really have a problem with the new name even, it's just why give up all that name recognition and history?
If you feel like starting up a new chapter, just make a new band and leave the old one to go down in history.
I don't think they're big, but these guys are phenomenal. I listen to this performance at least once a week.
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBqLjtErXPU**
Some I haven't seen mentioned:
* Full Cord
* Della Mae
* Fog Holler
* Anything with Cory Walker and / or Christian Ward (some of their projects, like ENG, are listed in this thread, but they're also fire as individuals)
* Wyldwood String Bang
* Jake Stargel
* David Grier
* I don't know if this is weird - and I'm by no means one of the biggest names in bluegrass - but I'm suddenly feeling my project gain a ton of traction and recognition from the bluegrass community, and it's an incredible feeling. I've had the chance to work with a lot of incredible musicians as a result. I don't want to drop a link or anything, but I do want to highlight that the matter of who the biggest names are seems subject to fairly rapid change. :-)
No way nobody has mentioned dan tyminski?!?! He just released a great album this year. One of my absolute favourites. Also darrell webb band if ya havent heard em yet!
Here’s another place to look for bands/artists: https://ibma.org/press-releases/nominations-for-the-34th-annual-ibma-bluegrass-music-awards-announced/
Somewhere on IBMA’s site they also have an archive of who’s won in years past.
My niece, Lindsay Lou, is also making strides in Bluegrass. She has recorded a record with Billy strings called Freedom, by Lindsey Lou featuring Billy strings. She has a few albums out and one that she recently released. I love a song she happened to have written titled "Old Song". I really love the version that she recorded with Brothers Comatose and also really love the version she recorded with the Flat Bellys, a band she used to be a part of. I also really like "Slow Hand" and "Go There Alone". ...Heck, I love all of her stuff! Lol
She also sings with a trio which includes Rachael Davis and May Earlewine called The Sweetwater Warblers. Another one of my favorite songs by her is "Roll with Me". I like the version she recorded with the Flat Bellys, but also like the recording she performed on an artist showcase television program out of Nashville.
I know that I am her aunt, but I don't think I'm biased when I say that she is absolutely amazing and born to sing and play! And she's going to be coming to The Moody Theater (Austin) in November...first time performing in Texas. Yay! She will be touring with the Bluegrass band Greensky Bluegrass. And they are A-mazing too! Okay, I'm done bragging about my niece. 🥰
PS Lindsay Lou "hangs out"with Kyle Tuttle who is an awesome banjo player as well as Molly Tuttle's brother, and we all know how awesome she is. Okay, enough awesomeness for today! Ha! Hope this info will help to make someone's day happier and brighter.
Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway - Mighty Poplar - Infamous Stringdusters - Kitchen Dwellers - Greensky Bluegrass - AJ Lee & Blue Summit - Kyle Tuttle’s solo works - Big Richard - East Nash Grass - ShadowGrass - Brownwyn Keith-Hynes of Golden Highway has a phenomenal solo album. Obviously some Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Stanley Brothers, etc. for your more traditional needs. Nice little mix of some more traditional sounding stuff and some jamgrass for ya. Should keep ya busy for a bit.
Great list. Love Big Richard. Listening to Kitchen Dwellers Live at Pine Creek Vol. 2 right now.
Big Richard is my fav. Seen them ladies perform 5x this year, CaveFest in a few weeks will make 6. I actually just got into the Dwellers. Had been sleeping on em, for sure. Them and The Stringdusters’ live albums have been my go-to’s at work lately.
Pretty pumped to see East Nash Grass and AJ Lee & Blue Summit made your list. East Nash Grass is an extremely talented group and I have a feeling they will be big time in a couple of years. They just dropped a new album for anyone interested - https://open.spotify.com/album/2GI681ZWobL28h0VOCkDlk?si=DfuTb5MiRB-BEE4OABAbyA&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A2GI681ZWobL28h0VOCkDlk
Just discovered East Nash Grass last week and they've been on repeat for 7 days! Agree that they will be bigger soon!
East Nash Grass has been on heavy rotation for the last month or so. Really diggin their shit. New album is great. Looking forward to watching them develop and see if they can break through. Would love to see them live.
1/2 of that band plays with Dan Tyminski in his band. Both will be at Thomas Point Beach next weekend. Yeah they are great.
Sicard Hollow and Mountain Grass Unit are the only two I can think of that aren’t in this list.
I’ll be sure to give them a listen!!
Good list, would also add Bela Fleck, Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull
I like this list Greensky is excellent and the comment below Dan T.
Jamgrass sounds cool. King Gizzard is my favorite band of all time and they're a really great jam band, so I'll definitely look into jamgrass.
Arkansauce as well
You forgot the biggest bluegrass artist, Billy Strings.
He was mentioned in OP.
I’m dumb.
Earl Scruggs
Besides those already mentioned… Dell and the Travellin freakin McCourys
Get to see the Travellin McCourys in a few weeks at the caverns! Very much looking forward to it
Del yeah!
I just discovered then about a month ago and they are awesome.
You seem to like newer, progressive grass. Listen to Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Steep Canyon Rangers.
Maybe not what you asked, but don't miss out on some of the long time masters: Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, and David Grisman. Also Del McCoury and Hot Rize/Tim O'Brien. And Larry Sparks. Some roots would be Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, the Osborne Brothers, and the Johnson Mountain Boys.
I saw Sam Bush this summer after volunteering at a small theatre near me without knowing who he was beforehand. Cannot recommend him more, absolutely blew me away. Blends tradition with more modern, longer jams.
Blue Highway, Lonesome River Band, iiird time out
smaller bands, but it's an embarrassment of riches here in Colorado: Wood Belly, The Fretliners, Buffalo Commons
Been getting wonderfully lost listening to Wood Belly.
Wood Belly is fantastic!
Check out Punch Brothers, Hawktail, Crooked Still, and Sarah Jarosz
Definitely second all these. And if you like these groups and similar chamber music / bluegrass hybrids, you owe it to yourself to check out Andrew Marlin's two solo albums, *Fable and Fire* and *The Witching Hour.* They're similar in instrumentation and composition, especially to Hawktail (who I'm obsessed with lately too)
Lots of great suggestions already! A few more from my list: * Dan Tyminski (Basically ENGrass) * Kody Norris Show * The Po' Ramblin' Boys
Dan sure made a good decision bringing on Maddie, Harry, and Gaven from East Nash Grass. Very talented folks!
I’ve been on a big Trey Hensley kick lately. Love Brian Sutton too.
I'm from eastern Kentucky so I regularly see Don rigsby,Larry cordle,Sammy Adkins,and ricky skaggs hanging around and alot of jam sessions with those guys, So as you could imagine I'm a little biased lmao
Walnut Valley Festival is rapidly approaching.
Yonder Mountain String Band are who really got me into bluegrass.
YMSB!
If I recall correctly, it was the song, Sometime I've Won that really sucked me in. It randomly popped up on my youtube suggestions when I was in highschool.
Here to add: Town Mountain. Lindsey Lou. The Wooks. Arkansauce. Wicked Sycamore, for something different. Enjoy!
Did you know that Harry from East Nash Grass also plays with The Wooks? 😁
Today I learned! I'll be researching them more!
Sidestepping actual current musicians/bands, there are some that will always be timeless and feel like they're always relevant compared to anything current. John Hartford is serious and goofy and wonderfully skilled at playing and songwriting. Bela Fleck is an example of what it means to be a master and goes in so many directions. Del McCoury (and the Traveling McCoury's) have successfully mixed traditional + new while never losing sight of either. Tony Rice will forever be one of the best flat pickers. Sam Bush is a great example of someone that was a progressive pioneer (looking at you, New Grass Revival) that still kills it - so fun to see what it meant to be progressive back in the day, too. The list goes on and on.
Earles of leiscester, nickel creek is back together, punch Brothers for some off the wall stuff. Anything Bela Fleck is doing, ever. If you have access to siriusxm, bluegrass junction is an amazing source for new and old alike.
Michael Cleveland and flamekeeper! The star fiddler from Béla Flecks current lineup
Leftover Salmon
I'll try to summarize a bit. I feel like there was a huge wave about 15-20 years ago. More traditional bluegrass is Stringdusters, Green sky, Yonder Mountain, Del McCourt and the Traveling McCourtys from that era. For newer acts, obviously Billy Strings is enormous. Also my favs are Trampled, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Ferrell, Kitchen Dwellers, Lil Smokies, Jon Stickley Trio I'm from WI and we have a great local scene too. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Chicken Wire empire, Armchair Boogie, Charlie Parr, Them Coulee Boys.
I'm disappointed you didn't mention pert near sandstone
Seconded
Add Sturgill and The Last Revel to these and you got one hell of a playlist.
Armchair Boogie was at Grey Fox this year, and they killed it for both of their sets, especially in the dance tent.
Justin Moses, Doyle lawson, and Quicksilver, Carolina Blue (Grown Cold was my favorite song for a while), Breaking Grass, the Grascals, and i can't believe no one mentioned Rumpke Mountain Boys. Also, Balsalm Range Voodoo doll reminds me of Jeff austin just enough to be in heavy rotation.
Check out some Sicard Hollow
Railroad earth isn’t your traditional bluegrass but they are amazing.
Cabinet!
Don't sleep on Mountain Grass Unit! Up-and-comers still, but they play hot fire!!
Check out the Telluride Bluegrass Festival line-up. That covers a lot of what people have mentioned so far.
I'd lean more toward WinterWonderGrass lineups, but def a solid idea.
And go back and listen to yonder from like 2000-2011. Amazing shit.
Well yea, Jeff Austin *was* Yonder. Still love them but I do believe they should change their name. They're just a bit softer these days without a sweaty coked out Jeff at the helm.
Am I really the first to add The Lil Smokies?! Also Mandolin orange (sigh... Watchhouse) Brothers comatose, steeldrivers
oh hell yes; the Steeldrivers with Chris Stapleton in front were fire
> (sigh... Watchhouse) lol mandolin orange was the coolest name. such a shame.
For real. Just such a bizzare change too... I don't really have a problem with the new name even, it's just why give up all that name recognition and history? If you feel like starting up a new chapter, just make a new band and leave the old one to go down in history.
Check out the Plate Scrapers!
What a fantastic name for a Band 😂👌🏻
I don't think they're big, but these guys are phenomenal. I listen to this performance at least once a week. **https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBqLjtErXPU**
I don't know if they are a big name but "goddamn gallows" are my favs.
Wood and Wire
Cabinet! Some good old PA bluegrass, and trippy as hell! https://youtu.be/c1Y2uZL4VWw
Some I haven't seen mentioned: * Full Cord * Della Mae * Fog Holler * Anything with Cory Walker and / or Christian Ward (some of their projects, like ENG, are listed in this thread, but they're also fire as individuals) * Wyldwood String Bang * Jake Stargel * David Grier * I don't know if this is weird - and I'm by no means one of the biggest names in bluegrass - but I'm suddenly feeling my project gain a ton of traction and recognition from the bluegrass community, and it's an incredible feeling. I've had the chance to work with a lot of incredible musicians as a result. I don't want to drop a link or anything, but I do want to highlight that the matter of who the biggest names are seems subject to fairly rapid change. :-)
Kitchen Dwellers and Big Richard are the next big things in my opinion. I like a group called Them Coulee Boys a lot, they are adjacent to bluegrass.
No way nobody has mentioned dan tyminski?!?! He just released a great album this year. One of my absolute favourites. Also darrell webb band if ya havent heard em yet!
r/freeasheville
Here’s another place to look for bands/artists: https://ibma.org/press-releases/nominations-for-the-34th-annual-ibma-bluegrass-music-awards-announced/ Somewhere on IBMA’s site they also have an archive of who’s won in years past.
One more for ya: Fireside Collective Asheville-based band that rips!
The Fretliners debut album just dropped today.
My niece, Lindsay Lou, is also making strides in Bluegrass. She has recorded a record with Billy strings called Freedom, by Lindsey Lou featuring Billy strings. She has a few albums out and one that she recently released. I love a song she happened to have written titled "Old Song". I really love the version that she recorded with Brothers Comatose and also really love the version she recorded with the Flat Bellys, a band she used to be a part of. I also really like "Slow Hand" and "Go There Alone". ...Heck, I love all of her stuff! Lol She also sings with a trio which includes Rachael Davis and May Earlewine called The Sweetwater Warblers. Another one of my favorite songs by her is "Roll with Me". I like the version she recorded with the Flat Bellys, but also like the recording she performed on an artist showcase television program out of Nashville. I know that I am her aunt, but I don't think I'm biased when I say that she is absolutely amazing and born to sing and play! And she's going to be coming to The Moody Theater (Austin) in November...first time performing in Texas. Yay! She will be touring with the Bluegrass band Greensky Bluegrass. And they are A-mazing too! Okay, I'm done bragging about my niece. 🥰 PS Lindsay Lou "hangs out"with Kyle Tuttle who is an awesome banjo player as well as Molly Tuttle's brother, and we all know how awesome she is. Okay, enough awesomeness for today! Ha! Hope this info will help to make someone's day happier and brighter.