The Strangeboys

Halifax, Nova Scotia

www.strangeboys.ca

The Strangeboys are a refreshing anomaly in the sea of young acoustic musicians striving to put their own spin on traditional music in the new millennium. Eagerly soaking up the knowledge and style of past masters and mischief-makers, the boys draw from the beeps and buzzes of the modern world to create an imaginative, energetic brand of Grassfusion that is distinctly their own.

The well-deserved buzz that The Strangeboys have generated through relentless gigging and word of mouth has carried them from bars around Halifax to the stages of youth-oriented festivals like Evolve 9 and Sunseekers 3, more traditional events like the Lahave Folk Festival and the 3rd annual Laurie Blue Memorial Bluegrass Festival. They have also played featured industry events such as the HRM sponsored “Tunes at Noon” Series, and were featured performers on the Nova Scotia Music Week Country/Bluegrass stage. The Strangeboys play monthly at Bearly’s, which houses the only established Bluegrass stage in Halifax, and host a weekly bluegrass jam at the Granite Brewery, where the boys pick and grin with strangers and friends alike. Here they met maritime multi-instrumentalist Kevin Roach, and the internationally renowned guitarist and fiddler Dave MacIsaac, both have joined The Strangeboys on stage.

In spring 2008, the Strangeboys recorded their first studio effort, fittingly titled Shoot First. Shoot First features the individual song-writing of Adam Shier (Guitar), Neil Wiancko (Banjo), Jeff Rothwell (Mandolin), and Dan Latner (Fiddle). “Overland Express” (Rothwell) and “Drillin’ for Oil” (Latner), tip the hat to traditional fiddle tunes. “Silver Hair” and “The Facemail Waltz” (Latner) cheekily illuminate some of life’s forgotten tidbits and question romance in the age of technology, while “Terrapin Train” (Shier) and “Baby Don’t Bother” (Rothwell), touch upon classic the bluegrass themes of love and heartbreak. “Lights (of the Ballin’ Moose)” and “Rigormortis Tortoise” (Wiancko) are progressively inspired compositions. Shoot First will be available at shows and online in early 2009.

While the album offers some straightforward renditions of the band’s repertoire, concerts are a whole other story. There are many unreleased originals, like the Gangsta-grass inspired “Time Travel” and the epic and improvised “Ballad of a Whiskey Bootleg”, which are staples at shows that emphasize the bands progressive style, where you may also find balloon-drops, extensive jamming, explosive solos, surprising covers, hula-fiddle, cowboys, robots, and all sorts of surprises.