Michigan Rattlers and Ypsitucky
Since the success of deep-fried Americana acts like the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons, the retro-folkie field has exploded with new olden bands, each with varying degrees of dedication to authenticity. Guitarist Graham Young and bassist Adam Reed, aka Michigan Rattlers (actually based in L.A. now), aren’t adverse to modern recording techniques and instrumentation, but they still managed to track most of their debut EP is a single day’s recording session.
When it comes to their lyrics, however, you could read any random set and have no clue whether they were written a hundred years ago, or last month. Don’t hold it against them that Rolling Stone named the group one of “Ten Country Artists You Need to Know” and assume they’re just another shitkicker duo like Drive-By Truckers.
The new Michigan Rattlers single, “Just Good Night,” sports boogie woogie piano courtesy of new keyboardist Christian Wilder that puts the tune more in the realm of a Tom Petty rocker, with memorable and timeless lyrics such as “The radio makes me crazy, and the silence does the same, but there’s a savior of the sunrise just behind the mountain range.” Now a trio with a new covers EP to promote, Wasting the Meaning, their October 28 appearance at Soda Bar will be opened by local country rockers Ypsitucky.
