Root Down in the Shadow

Hey friends and fellow fans of Brown Bird, if you've been following the blog here @ Root Down In The Shadow for any length of time, you may come to realize that we're big fans of Providence, RI duo Brown Bird. The newest Brown Bird album, Fits of Reason( see the review here ), is inspired by the writings of Omar Khayyam, Christopher Hitchens, and Plato, among others, and grapples with the human condition in a smooth but unapologetic departure from the band’s previous release" While still featuring the same drum heavy, two part music; Fits of Reason is more complex.  David Lamb left behind the banjo on the album, "writing above my ability and doing my best to play up to the new songs" with the electric guitar.  MorganEve also expanded her skills, incorporating the new weapon in her arsenal, the electric bass.   Long intros and interludes are featured on the instrumental heavy (two complete instrumentals and two majority instrumental tracks) album,...

Part of the ongoing series of 'Molly Songs': A weekly look featuring songs that our children (including my Molly) will love, but more importantly parents can enjoy as well. This week's entry into Molly Songs is an example of the trend for those rock stars turned parents. Kelsey Friday, back in the day was Kelsey Barber, the hot lead of Pittsburgh's now defunct Brownie Mary. Brownie Mary was the premier female led band in Pittsburgh's late 90's Alternative Scene. Many tremendous bands existed with the Clarks, Brownie Mary, Buzz Poets, Rusted Root, and the Gathering Field leading the way. Over the years the scene changed due to new styles and personnel changes. For Kelsey and Brownie Mary it was both. For Kelsey herself was she 1st became Kelsey Friday, then became a mommy, and then traded in her late night gigs at bars for family friendly gigs at Elementary Schools. For Kelsey, now fronting Kelsey Friday and the Rest of the Week , she still gets to ...