TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
''PALOMINO''
APRIL 13 2010
40:08
1/Wait So Long
Dave Simonett/3:26
2/Victory
Dave Simonett/3:56
3/It's a War
Dave Simonett/2:30
4/Separate
Dave Simonett/3:33
5/Bloodshot Eyes
Dave Simonett/5:00
6/New Son/Burnt Iron
Erik Berry/4:23
7/Help You
Dave Simonett/3:13
8/Feet and Bones
Dave Simonett/1:55
9/Gasoline
Dave Simonett/3:00
10/Sounds Like a Movie
Dave Carroll/2:26
11/New Orleans
Dave Simonett/3:31
12/Again
Dave Simonett/3:15
Erik Berry /Mandolin
Dave Carroll /Banjo, Vocals
Tim Saxhaug /Bass, Vocals
Dave Simonett /Guitar, Vocals
Ryan Young /Fiddle
REVIEW
by j. poet
It's hard to come up with a memorable band name that sticks in a listener's head, and on that score alone Trampled by Turtles is worth your time. It's also a moniker that doesn't telegraph the band's sound, nor does it paint the group into a stylistic corner. That said, this Duluth, MN quintet does have a niche, but it's one that the band has carved out all on its own. Call it bluegrass thrash if you like, a rip-snortin', fire-breathin' kind of post-punk folk music that mashes up traditional country picking with a decidedly rock & roll approach. Their energy is so fierce it may take a few tracks before you realize that there's no drummer here, just five guys playing with such driving energy that a drummer is implied by their staccato instrumental prowess. Things kick off with a couple of tunes that almost leave the speakers of your sound system smoking -- "Wait So Long" starts out fast, then goes into overdrive, an angry cry of frustration from a guy who wants to be more than a best friend to his gal. Songwriter, guitarist, and singer Dave Simonett wails his heart out while Ryan Young's supersonic fiddle tosses gasoline on the fire. "It's a War" starts at a high-speed pace and doesn't let up, with Young's fiddle screaming like the siren on a rampaging fire engine. "Help You" is a rock tune played bluegrass style, with Dave Carroll's banjo and Erik Berry's mandolin splitting the solos that would usually be taken by a lead guitar. The band is just as impressive on slow tunes that allow you to appreciate Simonett's songwriting chops. "Again" is a slow, smoky rumination on a self-destructive relationship that burns on even though both lovers know it's a losing proposition, "Separate" is a quirky folk-pop tune with a cryptic lyric and inventive use of rhythm banjo, while "Gasoline" recalls a bluesy Appalachian lament with Carroll's clanging banjo and Simonett's defeated vocal.
BIOGRAPHY
by Andrew Leahey
Progressive bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who'd ransacked his vehicle while Simonett played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn't rely on amplification. Simonett hadn't played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who'd previously played drums in a speed metal act) and jam band bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.
Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates' background in rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil (2005) and Trouble (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn't until the band's fourth release, Duluth, that Trampled by Turtles received the full support of the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year.
''PALOMINO''
APRIL 13 2010
40:08
1/Wait So Long
Dave Simonett/3:26
2/Victory
Dave Simonett/3:56
3/It's a War
Dave Simonett/2:30
4/Separate
Dave Simonett/3:33
5/Bloodshot Eyes
Dave Simonett/5:00
6/New Son/Burnt Iron
Erik Berry/4:23
7/Help You
Dave Simonett/3:13
8/Feet and Bones
Dave Simonett/1:55
9/Gasoline
Dave Simonett/3:00
10/Sounds Like a Movie
Dave Carroll/2:26
11/New Orleans
Dave Simonett/3:31
12/Again
Dave Simonett/3:15
Erik Berry /Mandolin
Dave Carroll /Banjo, Vocals
Tim Saxhaug /Bass, Vocals
Dave Simonett /Guitar, Vocals
Ryan Young /Fiddle
REVIEW
by j. poet
It's hard to come up with a memorable band name that sticks in a listener's head, and on that score alone Trampled by Turtles is worth your time. It's also a moniker that doesn't telegraph the band's sound, nor does it paint the group into a stylistic corner. That said, this Duluth, MN quintet does have a niche, but it's one that the band has carved out all on its own. Call it bluegrass thrash if you like, a rip-snortin', fire-breathin' kind of post-punk folk music that mashes up traditional country picking with a decidedly rock & roll approach. Their energy is so fierce it may take a few tracks before you realize that there's no drummer here, just five guys playing with such driving energy that a drummer is implied by their staccato instrumental prowess. Things kick off with a couple of tunes that almost leave the speakers of your sound system smoking -- "Wait So Long" starts out fast, then goes into overdrive, an angry cry of frustration from a guy who wants to be more than a best friend to his gal. Songwriter, guitarist, and singer Dave Simonett wails his heart out while Ryan Young's supersonic fiddle tosses gasoline on the fire. "It's a War" starts at a high-speed pace and doesn't let up, with Young's fiddle screaming like the siren on a rampaging fire engine. "Help You" is a rock tune played bluegrass style, with Dave Carroll's banjo and Erik Berry's mandolin splitting the solos that would usually be taken by a lead guitar. The band is just as impressive on slow tunes that allow you to appreciate Simonett's songwriting chops. "Again" is a slow, smoky rumination on a self-destructive relationship that burns on even though both lovers know it's a losing proposition, "Separate" is a quirky folk-pop tune with a cryptic lyric and inventive use of rhythm banjo, while "Gasoline" recalls a bluesy Appalachian lament with Carroll's clanging banjo and Simonett's defeated vocal.
BIOGRAPHY
by Andrew Leahey
Progressive bluegrass band Trampled by Turtles are from Duluth, Minnesota, where frontman Dave Simonett initially formed the group as a side project in 2003. At the time, Simonett had lost most of his music gear, thanks to a group of enterprising car thieves who'd ransacked his vehicle while Simonett played a show with his previous band. Left with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, he began piecing together a new band, this time taking inspiration from bluegrass, folk, and other genres that didn't rely on amplification. Simonett hadn't played any bluegrass music before, and he filled his lineup with other newcomers to the genre, including fiddler Ryan Young (who'd previously played drums in a speed metal act) and jam band bassist Tim Saxhaug. Along with mandolinist Erik Berry and banjo player Dave Carroll, the group began carving out a fast, frenetic sound that owed as much to rock & roll as bluegrass.
Trampled by Turtles released their first record, Songs from a Ghost Town, in 2004. In a genre steeped in tradition, the album stood out for its contemporary sound, essentially bridging the gap between the bandmates' background in rock music and their new acoustic leanings. Blue Sky and the Devil (2005) and Trouble (2007) explored a similar sound, but it wasn't until the band's fourth release, Duluth, that Trampled by Turtles received the full support of the bluegrass community. Duluth peaked at number eight on the Billboard bluegrass chart and paved the way for a number of festival appearances. When Palomino arrived in 2010, it was met with an even greater response, debuting at the top of the bluegrass chart and remaining in the Top Ten for more than a year.
