The Jones Street Boys

Check out this debut album, Overcome, from Brooklyn-based 'The Jones Street Boys' (full versions below). I've found myself listening to "Last Time," "Tall Buildings," and "River Wide" all day. Their bluegrass/rock/pop features pitch-perfect harmonies, mandolin picking, harmonica blowing, and expertly crafted Americana-inspired tracks. They should be gaining some momentum in 2008 behind this disc released just back in October 2007.

UPDATE: So as I was listening through the entire album for the first time, on came a track that I was positive I had heard before. It turns out that a cover of The Band's 'Twilight' is Track 8. The Boys do a great job on this, smartly approaching the vocals in harmony, as the original sung by Rick Danko is really untouchable. If you're a fan of The Band, give this cover a listen first.



The following are some quotes from the press for Overcome, taken from their Myspace page:

“Listening is like running down a mountain on a switchback trail, the sound of surprise generating its own momentum. There's a punk glee inside the bluegrass craft--and a punk vehemence inside the bluegrass smile.”
--Greil Marcus

“For a band of Brooklynites, the Jones Street Boys kick up a pretty good hillbilly stomp on Overcome (Smith Street). They play their catchy originals with virtuosic mandolin jams and honky-tonk piano fillers, and top them with off-kilter, good-time harmonies.”
--Time Out New York

"When you think of Brooklyn, the first thing to come to mind probably isn’t bluegrass-infused americana - but maybe it should be. On Overcome, The Jones Street Boys meld elements of folk, country, and bluegrass with pavement-pounding urban flare to yield a sound that is distinctly American."
--Mixtapes/Heartbreaks Blog