Back in December I found out Old Crow was going to venture down into my neck of the woods, and made a slightly obscene post about it. Needless to say, my excitement has only grown in the weeks following the announcement. So I threw the new Old Crow CD “Big Iron World” into my CD player a few weeks ago to help pass the time. It has barely left my CD player since and never for longer than 2 days. This ever deepening love of the CD got me to wondering what I had written about the CD on the blog. Turns out, I had not really written anything at all.

Big Iron World was released in August of 2006 on Nettwerk Records. O.C.M.S. is a 5 piece string band from Ithaca featuring Willie Watson (vocals, guitar, banjo), Ketch Secor (vocals, fiddle, harmonica, banjo), Critter Fuqua (vocals, banjo, guitar, bottleneck guitar), Kevin Hayes (guit-jo) and Morgan Jahnig (upright bass). While Big Iron World is traditional country/mountain music it maintains a youthful swagger. If the harmonica was guitar you would be required to file the CD under rock proving it’s possible to utilize traditional sounds while maintaining a modern feel. Big Iron World is one helluva good time. From the opening harmonica laden track “Down Home Girl” to the rocking “Minglewood Blues” to the bluesy murder ballad mourn of “My Good Gal” and all the way through the gospel of “God’s Got It” Big Iron World manages to make traditional music without being preservationists. Furthermore, Big Iron World has enough depth to it that not only does it stand up to repeated listen, it gets better with each one.

O.C.M.S. are on tour and will be playing the Tampa area on February 13. While I have never seen them live I have a hard time believing that they could be anything but a fucking blast in person. So if they happen to play your neck of the woods give ‘em a shot. Tampa folk, you really shouldn’t miss this show.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Minglewood Blues
Old Crow Medicine Show - My Good Gal
Old Crow Medicine Show - God’s Got It

Old Crow Medicine Show’s Official Site, Old Crow Medicine Show on myspace, Buy Old Crow Medicine Show CD’s