Biography
While compared by some reviewers to Woody Guthrie, Kurt Cobain and A.P.Carter, Stripmall Ballads has developed a style entirely his own: poetic, dark, energetic, possessed, and reluctantly romantic. An obvious devote student of the US roots musical traditions, he fuses virtuosic historical convention with contemporary lyricism. Not afraid of musical experimentation or the power of words, his prolific performances and recordings have earned him a reputation for being somewhere in between "a fire-and-brimstone preacher and a beat poet."
Phill Saylor's ability to take a crowd from stomping their feet to quiet reflection and back again is the result of nearly a decade of non-stop touring and performances across North America, from his early days playing shows to hobos in homeless camps to recent collaborations with some of new-folks most talented performers. With a new album, "Hooked", slated for release in 2009, Stripmall Ballads continues to evolve and surprise.
After five years fronting the old-time revival duo, The Shiftless Rounders, Phill created Stripmall Ballads as a vehicle to focus on his original compositions and contextual performances. For the last year Stripmall Ballads has toured aggressively promoting his latest album, "Since Jimmy Died."
Instrumentation
Phillips Saylor - banjo, acoustic guitar, vocals
Alex Platt - upright bass, vocals
Tillman Saylor - electric guitar, vocals
Martin The Union Organizer - harmonica
Jess Rose - drums
Discography
HOOKED - Summer 2009(concept EP featuring Jolie Holland and Sam Parton)
SINCE JIMMY DIED - 2008
13 SONGS - 2007