Friday, October 3, 2008

The Felice Brothers. American music. Period.

The Felice Brothers, American music. Period. Can't argue too much with that. I've been a bit addicted to Americana and rooted music lately as you can probably tell from my recent posts lately of Flynn, Bingham, Avett Bros., Dylan, Floozies, Okkervil...it goes on, just scroll down. I hadn't noticed until a co-worker called me out on it while noticing a stack of Ryan Adams albums sitting on my desk awaiting a revisit from my ears.

The Felice Brothers do play American music. Not Americana or bluegrass or folk, mind you. Music form our backbone. Hailing out of Palenville, NY, nestled in the Catskill Mountains, the three Felice Brothers started their band in the subways of New York City busking for a living. It's Simone Felice (drums, guitar, and vocals) Ian Felice (lead mic and guitar), James Felice (organ, piano and accordion) and their buddies Christmas (bass) and Farley (fiddle and washboard). When they say they make "American music," they mean it. Think porch music times ten and then add some oddly looking fellas from belly of our eastern hills. Place these roughians in a scrappy bar with whiskey-soaked wooden planks for a stage and you begin to get the feeling of the brothers Felice. They were a jaw-breakin' kick-ass, beer swashin' surprise when I saw them a few months ago touring with Justin Townes Earle, yes a boy named after Van Zant and Steve's son. It was something similar to this and yes, my toes and sandals were sopped with beer by the end of the evening.


The Felice Brothers released a self-titled album from Team Love Records last March and they're on the road again and I beg you not to miss a tour date in your neck of the woods. Not sure if the crew is still traveling around in their big, sluggish, white special education (the short bus) bus this go 'round. Seriously, if you come across a sketchy bar and you see the white "short bus" parked in front, there's a 60% chance it's the Felice Brothers making smiles and drunken stoopers and not the local charity bus on a night out. Team Love has offered up some Felice songs to wet your whistle

The Felice Brothers - Frankie's Gun

The Felice Brothers - Wonderful Life

2 comments:

C + O said...

thanks for tolerating me. it makes me feel all warm ... and disdainful inside.

digging the felice brothers. great rec.

Leah said...

nice work bodie. I remember why I didn't check your blog last week... I get sucked in. piss. now i've spent a full hour sampling your suggestions and finding "similar" songs suggested by emusic. I'm still unemployed, i can't do this!

BUT I really like the felice brothers and they make the soundtrack of today for sure:)