Written by Kaitlyn Monroe
The band featured here today is very special to InAlternative, they are The Blue Grass Group. The name can be off-putting if you know Bluegrass and are expecting them to sound like your traditional country folk music, though I can assure you they are far from traditional. They still give you the blues, jazz vibes you so desperately crave with a sweet tang of the alternative touch. The band is made up of three musicians: Jordan; with his grooving guitar riffs and heart wrenching, face melting solos, leads the group, then you have Jonas; with his sick, slick, and juicy bass licks that reel your ears in. The newest member is Kyle, he keeps the band on beat and in insync with his beats and fills that send the crowds soaring, especially when left to his own solos. It’s been two years since their debut demo, the jamming group resurfaces from the undergrounds to deliver their first studio LP. Despite the band never truly learning and understanding the ways of the grass, their bluegrass jams tell a whole other story. The most impressive and bizarre thing about their LP: everything was recorded on the spot with the raw sudden inspiration, in a short amount of time. Nine tracks total the album, and Apple Music features bonus tracks for all you crazy bluegrass cats out there. Lyric credits are given to Jonas Wald on a couple songs in the later tracks.
I’ve been listening to their album and I've gotta say their blues, jazz, bluegrass, funk vibes are killer! I really like the vibes that “Chill Step” gives off, it puts me at the shoes of the funk legends like James Brown and Stevie Wonder but with the vibes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix at base. It’s pretty fun to listen to actually, whenever the bass hops in with its riffs, like in “Love Jam”, you bob your head along with it and feel the goods of funknation swimming in your veins and it's like a lava lamp in your brain. The guitar licks for the song are sick, and the vocals are like Robert Plant, and Stevie Wonder mashed up on some dream root and fused together for good. Lets not forget Kyle's expertise drumming style, he really does keep the band going --as all drummers do-- but he manages to step out of the stereotypical drummer roots and does his own thing when it’s his time to shine and hits up some killer fills. Let me tell you he is the lamp to their lava juice. Being more into the funk side of things as a musician myself, I love what The Blue Grass Group does with their song “Funky”, whether it’s bass or guitar, I can just feel how fun those riffs and solos are to play. I’m actually sad this song and “Mr. First Thing” don't come with tabs so I can play along with them! The bit of band chatter at the beginning and end of the song I think is what sells it for me. When I was in my school's talent show, my group got points off for chatting during a performance but isn't that what rock n roll, and funk is all about? It’s the conversation between, the interaction between the band members, and the love for the music. You can feel the love in this music, and you can tell this band jives together nicely.
Keep it up Blue Grass Group, your nontraditional styles of this funky genre are spot on! Keep growing improving and making music you're on the right track to being a great success in the world. I give you guys an 8.5/10. Please go check out The Blue Grass Group on Spotify and show them some love. Links below.
The Blue Grass Group Spotify
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