WARNING: If you require your music to be angry, to be ugly, to be full of hate or meanness or spite, then The Avett Brothers aren't the band for you.
Scott and Seth Avett (pronounced "AY-vit") hail from Concord, NC. Both played in various hard rock/punk bands in the late 90's/early 00's before starting to write acoustic music together. They now stand as one of the driving forces of Americana/Folk music in the 21st Century. The Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones."
The Brothers are multi-instrumentalists; though Scott tends to play Banjo and Seth the acoustic guitar, both play drums and piano as well. While some songs employ a full drum kit, many simply use a kick drum and hi-hat, which the brothers play while strumming their main instruments.
The band has grown like so many of 3DD's favorites; relentless touring, self-produced albums.....a work ethic and attitude that demands attention. In 10 years, the brothers have released 6 studio albums, 4 EP's, and 3 live albums, all while constantly touring and growing their fan base. They've grown from a regional act to a band with a national and global following, catching the notice of critics and music magazines. After winning the Americana Music Association's Best Duo/Group and New Emerging Artist Awards in 2007, they were named Rolling Stone's "The Artist to Watch" for 2009. Opening slots on tours with Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic and John Mayer further grew their audience, leading to their major label debut, 2008's "I and Love and You", produced by the legendary Rick Rubin. In 2009, they played Bonnaroo, and they recorded an episode of Austin City Limits in January of 2010.
What hooked me on the Avett Brothers was their spirit; their songs (and their shows) are brimming with joy and positivity, but with a sincerity that keeps it from devolving into hippy stereotypes or saccharine schmaltz. They tackle the typical country memes of lost love, drinking, death and struggle, but always with an eye for the silver lining. They find the joy in life and the beauty in sorrow.
In "When I Drink," Seth sings confesses that alcohol makes him talk mean to his lover, to have "fistfights with the air." He rues the fact that
I spend the next morning in a haze
But we only get so many days
Now I have one less
but realizes that
Maybe I don't have to be good but I can try to be
At least a little better than I've been so far
One of the band's most popular tunes is "Murder in the City," a song that reads as Scott's letter to his family about what to do should he be killed. He pleads for his family to not take revenge, but to know that he loved them. With the birth of his daughter, Scott has evolved the song to become even more personal, changing the lyric:
Make sure my sister knows I loved her
Make sure my mother knows the same
to
Make sure my daughter knows I loved her
Maker sure her mother knows the same
It's a beautiful sentiment that seems to resonate with everybody who hears it
But not every Avett Brothers song is slow and sentimental. The band can also crank up the energy, most famously in their crowd favorite "Talk on Indolence"
The sky seems to be the limit for The Avett Brothers, who are now drawing thousands of fans to their shows and are gaining popularity with each passing day. If you have the opportunity to see them live, DO NOT pass it up. They put on one of the best live shows around.
We came for Salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good, that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way
DISCOGRAPHY:
The Avett Bros. - 2000
Country Was - 2002
Live at the Double Door Inn - 2002
A Carolina Jubilee - 2003
Untitled EP - 2003
Swept Away EP - 2004
Mignonette - 2004
Live, Vol. 2 - 2005
Four Thieves Gone: The Robinnsville Sessions - 2006
The Gleam - 2006
Emotionalism - 2007
The Second Gleam - 2008
I and Love and You - 2009
Live, Volume 3 - 2010
COMPILATIONS
"Spanish Pipedream" on Broken Hearts & Dirty Mirrors: Songs of John Prine
OTHER LINKS
Official Website
Avett Brothers on Austin City Limits
Avett Brothers YouTube Channel
Avett Brothers on Wikipedia
Avett Brothers on Daytrotter
Zip City's Avett Brothers Sampler
1. Pretty Girl From Matthews (Live)
2. I Killed Sally's Lover
3. The Ballad of Love and Hate
4. Colorshow
5. Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
6. Talk on Indolence (Live)
7. When I Drink
8. One Line Wonder
9. Murder in the City
10. Love Like the Movies (Live)
11. I and Love and You
12. A Lover Like You
13. The Weight of Lies
14. Distraction #74
15. Hard Worker
16. Slight Figure of Speech
17. Salvation Song (Live)
Sampler Link
