Okie Weiss & The Murder Ballads

Formed in 2006 in Montreal, Canada, the Murder Ballads have been spreading their brand of boot-stomping bluegrass all over the continent, wowing crowds from Quebec to Colorado. The individual members bring an extremely high level of musicianship to the table with their diverse musical backgrounds: bluegrass, cajun, zydeco, soul, jazz, country, roots-rock, funk, klezmer and more. But the whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts. Like The Band or Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, everybody in this group sings. A strong focus on three- and four-part country harmony gives The Murder Ballads a cohesive, group sound, garnering them comparisons to those classic bands of old. The result is a tight, energetic ensemble capable of playing any number of styles and genres. A typical Murder Ballads set ranges from hard-driving bluegrass to Cajun and Zydeco, with some gospel tinged soul and middle-eastern klezmer along the way. The band has a repertoire of literally hundreds of folk songs from all corners of the globe, as well as a full album of highly-praised original Americana. Their diversity and musicianship make the band as comfortable playing for a hall of eager listeners as for a juke joint of stomping, hooting two-steppers................................................ .............Fresh from the North Country, The Murder Ballads' resident yanks Axford & Okie teamed up with New York's Grasmeyer and Tsinadze to form the bluegrass/cajun powerhaus THE A-OKs. You can frequently catch them laying down the twang @ The National Underground (159 E. Houston at Allen St) with various friends and special guests.