My Heart Beats like a Kick Drum

By Betsy Moyer Tuesday April 29, 2008

The Avett Brothers make me swoon. They’ve been a fancy for some years and all my Carolina homeboys love them. I’ve dorked out in the car singing at the top of my lungs and spent some time with Topher and his guitar trying to nail out our own rendition of “Distraction #74″.

But this Friday night’s live experience at Wilkesboro, NC’s MERLEFEST was enough to send me over the edge. I’m devoted. They are Hillbilly Punk Rock Country ass Bluegrass, complete with Mountain Man beards, 3 piece suits, Bleeding Heart Emo Lyrics, and crazed bouncing around breaking instruments and all of this energy carefully balanced between some slow banjo picking songs that’ll make you cry. It’s no wonder there were fiftyleven little pretty southern belles running around with “Pretty girl from Raleigh” tshirts on.

I quickly moved from the back of the large crowd over to the left side of the seating area to get a closer smashed up feeling. Seats for the front of the stage of this 4 day music fest are pricey so the younger ‘general admission’ Avett Brothers crowd were heavily lined all along the perimeter for the first couple of songs. Eventually my friend saw his opportunity and jumped the hip high fence and rushed into the seating area to get lost from the authorities, and so I gathered my nerve and quickly followed suit. It was moments after that the entire fence came down and the eager folks poured into the seating area. Next thing I know I’m smashed in between kids doing illegal things like smoking pot, girls standing on stacked chairs singing their faces off with every lyric, and more and more chairs surfing their way across the heads of fans trying to make room to scrunch in a little closer. It felt fantastic.

This devious crowd’s energy was totally inspired by the rowdy show that these guys put on. Their dynamic instrumentation and throaty harmonies make you wanna jump up and down and love people. They played a range of songs from a growing discography. And I even had the pleasure to get a glimpse into a couple of songs from the upcoming EP (THE SECOND GLEAM – to be released somewhere near July 2008.) A Most Notable song to look forward to: “My Heart Beats like a Kick Drum” had me singing all the way home. It kicks so much ass and any devoted fan will shit their britches when they hear it.

The band consists of brothers Scott and Seth Avett – who apparently write all songs together like a unit, they have a third non brother, the stand up bassist Mr. Bob Crawford. The boys got started in a heavy metal band and you’ll know it when you listen. If you are new to the Avett Brothers don’t miss out on the beginning of their sound and see how it is evolving into a range of influence including more instruments (including friend and cellist, Joe Kwon).

I love hearing the sounds of home and feel so proud to hear these guys sing heartfelt songs about the towns that I grew up near. I’m so in love with this new “hip to be oldtime” thing that’s happening here with these young bluegrass and hillbilly swing inspired bands that are putting out a whole new perspective on country and folk rock. I always loved a good Sunday Bluegrass Gospel singing night at church, and I love that I know these boys grew up around that too and they’ve made a CULT deserving sound that is born right out of the stories and lives that gives this place its identity, gives me mine.

And it’s not just happening for people in my home state of NORTH CAROLINA, but worldwide. A youtube search for Avett Brothers will garnish hundreds of live shows that the boys have played. They boast plenty of opportunity to get to know their sound on the AvettBrothers.com Media Page. I am providing a link to the entire live recording of the Avett Brothers at Merlefest ’08 show from Friday night, (its so very worth the listen and its there where you can hear a perfect recording of the new songs – that are NOWHERE online), and also a few older mp3s for the sake of ease……. Though its so hard to choose just a few favorites. I pray that you check out all of these resources, buy all of their albums, see them live if they are ever within 300 miles of where you are, and not feel obliged to thank me for opening your eyes to what American Culture is about over here where I am!

Avett Brothers – DIE DIE DIE – from Emotionalism
Download – Die Die Die