I found out about the Carolina Chocolate Drops by checking out my friend Drew’s blog. He doesn’t say much in his post, but he’s a pretty erudite music geek, so the fact that he was impressed was enough for me to investigate. Boy, am I glad I did!
Any description I could offer would not do the group justice. If I simply describe the instruments involved or the song they’re performing in this video, it would only serve to spoil it, and that would be a damn shame. I will say that when the fiddle player and the singer are the same person, holy cow, that’s sexy. Observe:
The magic you have just been witness to is what happened when Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson decided to breathe new life into the musical stylings they regard as essential to the black music tradition. Despite the traditional approach, there’s definitely a forward thrust as this tiny three-piece group makes a big sound that’ll wash over you, no matter your roots.
In other words, I don’t care who you are – listen to this amazing music, and pass it on! If you have any taste, and it’s not just in your mouth, you’ll want the world to be so full of the Carolina Chocolate Drops that Willy Wonka himself will weep in defeat by a superior product. They don’t need no stinkin’ golden ticket; they’ve got a new album: Genuine Negro Jig, available now through all your favorite perfectly legal means!
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Being a girl has its perks in this crowd. The Baroness gets to cut in line at geek parties.
That was a treat! I think that would be a fun group to see live. Thanks for exposing us to CCD!
I can’t beLIEVE I never saw them when I lived in Durham and they were playing there all the time, especially since it turns out Rhiannon and I have a mutual friend.
Ah, well. Now I know.
Oh yeah, by the way: have you heard the Carolina Chocolate Drops? They’re really good. They’re from NC, and they’re starting to get some major music press notice. We should totally check them out. They’re playing somewhere around town all the time. I have their first album on my computer; wanna listen?
I really didn’t think they’d be your bag, for some reason. They’re no Big Head Todd and the Monsters, after all. Sorry I sold you short.
Side note: Lost in the Trees is now on a major label, and All Alone in an Empty House is being rerecorded/remixed and expanded. Whoo hoo!
That is a really cool sound that they have. So out of the ordinary and yet so close to a few different classic styles (bluegrass, hip-hop, old school blues, I think I even detected a bit of the tango in there).