A funny thing happened on the way to schedule my playlists, Carol Roth said on the dress playlist, "I adore the song Rose Red Dress by the Jenkins Twins" Off I went to Bandcamp to buy it, but sadly their new CD isn't there. I seem to be finding that more lately that artist get help from a label and the label stops them from being on Bandcamp. Sad; and while I suppose I could buy it in Apple or maybe direct, I currently have over 200 cds on my wishlist in Bandcamp and I like to spend my money there first. So I could post Carol's song in a video, but I bet you know where this is headed, I bought a different cd of theirs and a new playlist theme came together. SIBLING Harmonies. There is something special about family singing, to a point where I wondered if I was making it up in my head; so I googled it and found this great article. To quote: "With family members," he says, "noses are alike, ears are alike. So it stands to reason voices will be alike. I know when my sons answer the telephone there's often a question about who's speaking. We all sound the same when we sing, too." Plus I have a friend Dace in my church band that would tell me she grew up only singing harmony to the rest of the family. Wow most times I've struggle to sing the melody line.
So I had to buy one more song besides The Jenkins Twins because the Avett Brothers material I had in my library was old, but without going to my vinyl library to pick up the Louvin Brothers, the Carter Family, or the Everly Brothers I quickly got to 12 beautiful siblings singing harmony.
1) Hey Baby - The Cactus Blossoms
The first up and in the center CD photo is The Cactus Blossoms who also just released a cd "One Day" (yes in Bandcamp too) and since I own everything they released, I snatched it up on the last Bandcamp Friday. The aforementioned Carol also recently reviewed the CD in Adventures in Americana and it's a good read. Since I didn't get the Everly Brothers into the playlist, best to have today's generation reboot of their sound.
2) Ol Black Betty - The Jenkins Twins
Bam right away they start with those family harmonies, and this song, my goodness I can't imagine it not showing up in a future playlist "Good Lord willin"; and I'll keep building my library with their music.
3) Sunny Side - The Smith Sisters with Doc Watson
A funny thing happened the other day when I was filing a vinyl, I looked and said, "The Smith Sisters" I don't remember them. So I spent the afternoon importing some select songs from the 1984 album "Bluebird" I could not find them anywhere, but I did find out Debi one of the sisters ended up a solo artist AND part of my favorite Four Bitchin Babes. So the song I'm listening to was re-released by her and I found it here on Amazon. I was tempted to not put it in the playlist blog, but the story and me learning something was too fun not to share. You can buy the vinyl from someone on Amazon for $30, I'm not giving mine up.
4) On The Wings Of A Nightingale - The Whitmore Sisters
A recent favorite new band, this song is one that just makes you go, oh my. I call fly away in the wings of the harmonies, and I am my persona of Lucky Dog, because on March 11th I get to see them in LaCrosse at a house concert. BABY!
5) This Part Of Town - Casey & Joe Danielson
Here's the first sister and brother in the playlist, and they were 2011 winners of the Great River Folk Fest Songwriting contest. You might find a cd out in Amazon, but I ended up compiling a cd of winners so there is a bandcamp link. Yep this song maybe be rare, over ten years old, but good music has no expiration date, it just gets put on the shelf until someone discovers the freshness again.
6) Comes a Time - Matthew Barber & Jill Barber
This Canadian brother and sister duo is famous separately, but put them together and it's magic. Here they share a Neil Young classic, they truly need to put out another one of these family recordings.
7) King of Killing Time - The Sweetback Sisters
These sisters were a pandemic find though a recommendation by another wonderful musician Miss Tess, and boy they would be fun to see live, so they also get a double post of bc and a live video. Send them some love this video is barely over 200 views.
8) Silver - The Secret Sisters
I'm not a huge fan of the Grammy's but I am a big fan of when they pick 5 releases to look up for Folk, Bluegrass or Americana. When I found this cd I remembered seeing them open for Brandi Carlile at the Big Top in Bayfield WI. Top quality haunting harmonies from these two.
9) This is My Family - Leela and Ellie Grace
While this gets old saying I love these two, I truly do. I had a chance to watch them grow up with many visits to the Great River Folk Fest, and the last time they came; I invited them to sing at our church and more people fell in love with them. Truly they need to get this cd on to Bandcamp to be discovered by new fans, until then here's an average video from a sound quality.
10) On My Way - SHEL
Sara, Hannah, Eva, and Liza make up a four sister group, and I'll let the music do the work to explain their magic. Again, I was lucky to inspire them to be booked to the Great River Folk Fest and had a chance to meet them at least twice through LaCrosse.
11) Dixie Bride - The Vogts Sisters
Tim Eddy found these two sisters busking unannounced at a festival in the Driftless Area and recommended that the Great River Folk Fest book them, we did and I was so happy. Need to get them on Bandcamp and record more music for me to own. They are as sweet and precious as the appear in this video, genuinely beautiful spirit of joy.
12) Prison to Heaven - The Avett Brothers
Of course avid readers know that I love Bandcamp, while I had a few older tracks of these brothers I said, they must have something new.. Yea Haw and on Bandcamp, so a bought this very harmonious track... enjoy.
Hope you loved the journey ... remember to follow us and as always Good Music has NO Expiration Date, so if you are listening to this ten years from now, it still will be awesome music. If this is a first time visit, check out the index of themes for past editions.
