Vinyl Hunter 11: Iron Mountain and Red Clay Two-for-One

Here are a couple vinyl pickups from October that I forgot to post. While digging through the stacks at my local shop, where I've been surprisingly lucky to find decent old-time records over the years, I was shocked to find these two albums.

It's not like old-time records are a big seller at this shop, but every so often I find one or two LPs to add to the collection. I couldn't pass these up.

The first was a record I've been searching for for a long time, featuring one of my early old-time gateways. Lo and behold! The Iron Mountain String Band, Walkin' in the Parlor, released in 1975 on Folkways Records. Their version of "Sugar Hill," which I first heard on the wonderful compilation Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, put a charge in me that helped put me on the musical path I'm on today. This album also features "Down in the Willow Garden," which I've been learning to play and sing on banjo.

This is my second Iron Mountain String Band record. I also have their previous album, An Old Time Southern Mountain String Band, released in 1973.

The second record featured a banjo player I was just reading about in Lew Stern's latest book. While I was a fan of Tommy Thompson's playing with Hollow Rock String Band, I've never listened much to the Red Clay Ramblers, so it was cool to find their 1975 album Stolen Love, released on Flying Fish Records. The cover art on this one is really striking.

I also grabbed a Dave Brubeck compilation and Tommy by The Who on this vinyl hunting trip, but you don't care about that.

The year is quickly winding down. I have a couple posts in the can the next couple weeks, and I hope to get my usual year in review post up soon.

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The Ultimate Banjo Joke Compendium

This post is dedicated to my friend Joel Specht. Ever since the Olitsky & Moskovitz concert last month, my son has been obsessed with banjo jokes. During one of the MANY tuning breaks, they asked the crowd to fill the time by telling their favorite quips about the old five-string. Joel told many that night. I've been trying to remember them, along with best ones I've heard over the years for when my son asks again, so I thought I'd make this list. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and an onion? Answer: Nobody cries when you cut up a banjo. Question: How do you know if the floor is level? Answer: The banjo player is drooling out of both sides of his mouth. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and trampoline? Answer: You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline. Question: What's the definition of perfect pitch? Answer: When you can throw a banjo into a dumpster without hitting the sides. Question: How do yo

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Clawhammer Picks and You: A Review

Clawhammer picks are a useful tool for increasing volume or to overcome fingernail challenges, such as broken, too short or weak nails. There are all sorts of commercial and homemade solutions available for banjo players, but it can be difficult to decide which options to choose. Thankfully, I've already done some of the work for you. Just to be clear, I prefer my natural fingernail for frailing. However, there was a time when I experimented with regularly using a pick, and there are instances now where I find that a pick is necessary. Today, I'll take you through the five options I've tried. These are all available online at prices ranging from about $1 to $13. Reversed/Reshaped Dunlop Pick ($0.75) This was the most common suggestion before other companies started addressing the gap in the clawhammer pick market. Take a bluegrass pick, flatten it out and wear it backwards. The problem is that it's hard to get the fit right. While Dunlop picks are cheap and r

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Summer Blockbusters: Top 10 Banjo Movies

We’re nearing the end of the summer movie season, which this year has included blockbusters like Avengers: Infinity War , Solo: A Star Wars Story , Incredibles 2 and other movies, including some that weren’t produced by Disney. However, none of these films showcases a banjo in any way. It's not like the banjo hasn't been featured on the silver screen throughout film history. The five-string has starred in numerous movies, sometimes in its proper context as a musical instrument and other times as a comedic prop. Whether making a cameo or starring in the hands of the main character, it's well past time to present my Top 10 Banjo Blockbusters: O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, this movie sucked me into the realm of old-time , bluegrass and country music in general. The banjo is featured in a number of songs on the soundtrack and shows up on screen a few times throughout the movie. Top Banjo Moment: Delmar picks the banjo b

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The Glory-Beaming Banjo

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