whiskey + raucous + hootenanny = Felice Brothers

With the weather changing outside and spring beginning, it seems I accidentally turned this week into a porch-music themed week. Sara Watkins with her folkerized bluegrass, William Elliot Whitmore with some dusty howling and a backyard stomp by the Local Natives. The Mountain Tempo has posted on the upstate country bumpkins from the Catskill mountains before, but the brothers Felice (+2) are back again.



From family barbeque's to NY Subway busking to a full-throttle tour and even a slot at last year's Bonnaroo, The Felice Brothers have left their stomp print rather quickly. And you'll see why if you watch the video above. They're infectious, they're ragged and rugged and beyond that - they're a fucking kick-in-the-pants. Their new album full of dirty-bar tunes, scorched ballads and Octoberfest chants that would bring in any straggler. Yet another reference to Twain, The Felice Brothers have titled their new album Yonder Is The Clock (Team Love Records) and it'll be available on April 7th. But, if you're antsy, you can order it here.

Here is my favorite from the upcoming album and luckily, it's the only one that seems to have been released! You'll get their notorious old-tyme gun slinging feeling about 2:15 in... The Felice Brothers - Penn Station

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