LEFTOVER SALMON; "Euphoria" (Mountain Division/Hollywood). * * *
Cajun, calypso and bluegrass with a post-punk attitude slam together in the music of Leftover Salmon.
The band - mandolin/fiddle/flute/guitarist Drew Emmitt, guitarist/washboard player Vince Herman, bassist Tye North, banjoist Mark Vann and drummer Michael Wooten - has finally been signed to a major record label. The new album is exactly as the title says, "Euphoria."
Leftover Salmon is an exciting jam band. The finger-flying mandolin leads and two-steppin' rhythms have gotten crowds wired up at such diverse gatherings as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons of Rock Development Everywhere) Festival.
"Euphoria," produced by Justin Niebank who has worked with - surprise - Blues Traveler and Phish, does its best to capture the kinetic excitement of this San Francisco band. Opening with the dance-hall rollick of "Better" and moving into the more moody "River's Rising," the band shows its multidimentional approach with loose-sounding tightness.
The instrumental bluegrass jam of "Funky Mountain Fogdown" and the cheeky remake of the Holy Modal Rounders' cover of "Euphoria" make the album a must have for jam lovers all over the country.
Just a note of interest: North's dad was a member of the Rounders who were on a roll during the '60s.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Where, when
Leftover Salmon will play the Wolf Mountain dome, Wednesday, March 26. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.