The Hackensaw Boys

Hackensaw Boys
They are sincere, polite but talkative men with instrument cases. They admire the local scenery and appear unfed. By day they seem incapable of action but at night they step onto a stage and with taut fiddle bows, worn cutlery and dirty strings bring you a focused, vibrant and joyful sound. They are the Hackensaw Boys in full form with zeal and enthusiasm as their marked emblem.

The Hackensaw Boys are an Americana band from Charlottesville, Virginia inspired by punk, bluegrass, and old-time music. In the words of Robert Mahlon Bullington the band derived their name from a combination of hack and saw, describing the hacking motion used when playing the mandolin and the sawing motion used when drawing the bow across the fiddle. They formed as a quartet consisting of Tom Peloso, David Sickmen, Rob Bullington, and Robbie St. Ours in the fall of 1999.

After seven years of relentless touring throughout the United States, Europe and the U.K., the Hackensaw Boys are being recognized as one of the most exciting groups on the diverse Americana music scene.

The Hackensaw Boys first began playing their joyful blend of old-time tinged music on the streets of Charlottesville in 1999. Far from limiting themselves to the old-time canon, however, the Hackensaws have been first and foremost a band of song writers. Their music, while drawing upon the spirit of the mountains, is sophisticated and informed by the best elements of punk rock and classic country music.

The groups second release for Nettwerk Records, Look Out, represents the recorded culmination of the Hackensaws unique vision: A celebratory but defiant sound culled from old-time mountains, backstage doorways and punishing drives through the evolving American landscape. They signed with the music label Nettwerk for the 2005 release of their album Love What You Do. Nine of the albums 12 songs were written from within the group.

Several of The Hackensaw Boys add their vocal chops to Look Out, but they also share the songwriting responsibilities as well. It makes sense, then, that the album has quite a wide variety in sound. Some songs are banjo-fueled hell raisers (Look Out Dog, Slow Down Train and Sweet Petunia), which will undoubtedly please longtime fans. However, some tracks find the Boys leaving the punk at home and sound like bluegrass numbers that could have been recorded back in the genres heyday.

Some resemble the sounds of other bands who dabble in bluegrass. Still, other songs feature the Boys reaching into other musical genres to create some real gems. Hobo is one of the best hobo songs to come out in years and would make both Jimmie Rodgers and Jimmy Martin proud. It makes one wish that Peloso would quit Modest Mouse and rejoin The Hackensaw Boys as a fulltime member.

The Hackensaw Boys line-up has some changes over the years, but it doesnt take long for Look Out listeners to come to the conclusion that these guys are good! Bluegrass is a genre that demands solid musicianship for success, and each member of the band is a tremendous musician. This is especially true of Jimmy Stelling, who plays incredibly blistering banjo.

His talent doesnt stop there, as both he and Ferd Moyse absolutely saw the fiddle in half. Watching them play live must be amazing, and their work on the record is phenomenal. When the musical talents of band mates Jesse Fiske, Robert Bullington, Ward Harrison, Justin Neuhardt, and part-timer Tom Peloso (Modest Mouse) are added to the mix, listeners are treated to a sonic blast of bluegrass goodness.