Music
Press
Carla Kucinski, Go Triad Editor
July 1, 2006
Fiery is a pretty accurate word to describe Lo-Fi Breakdown, which made its first Greensboro appearance Saturday at The Flying Anvil. Comprised of banjo, bass, mandolin, guitar and fiddle, the band played a mix of originals and traditionals to an attentive crowd of about 200 people.
It was a bluegrass explosion. There were dueling fiddles, foot stompin' boots and spontaneous bluegrass jams with Greensboro's Polecat Creek.
Lo-Fi put on an incredible performance of straight-up, raw bluegrass with an energy and enthusiasm so intense that you couldn't help smiling the whole time. And you could tell by the musicians' expressions that they loved every second of it.
"We try to preserve the energy and the rawness of the way music used to be when Bill Monroe was doing it," Miller said. "Bluegrass music used to be really aggressive and raw, and it's gotten to be really smooth and clean … I can't stand that stuff. I like stuff that's really raw and has a lot of passion to it."
That passion powers Lo-Fi's performances. Whether playing to a crowd of 35,000 at a festival or to two people, the band never lacks liveliness.
Like Raleigh's Chatham County Line, Lo-Fi gathers around one microphone, each member taking turns singing or playing a solo. This setup feeds into the group's energy.
Those bluegrass traditions also carry over to the performer's outfits, as they don cowboy hats and top hats, and sharp, classic suits with vests. And of course, cowboy boots.
"Bill Monroe was the first to dress up and shun the hillbilly image," Miller said. "He wanted everyone to dress up and respect themselves. The audience doesn't want to pay 10 bucks to see you up there in flip-flops."
Honoring the traditions of bluegrass is particularly important to Miller, whose grandfather, Jim Shumate, is a famous fiddler who played with legends such as Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs.
"That's why I wanted to start playing in the first place, because he's getting older," Miller said. "I just wanted to see someone carry that on a little bit."
And now that Lo-Fi is no longer on hiatus, Miller can fulfill that commitment.
"I would like to see recognition for the band. Bluegrass is one of those genres where you have to slave away at it for 50 years, and then you get to be 70 and you're revered for it.
"We're gaining momentum right now. I think we feel like now is the time when we can try to do as much as we can."
Keep your eye on Lo-Fi. Given the band's dedication to preserving the spirit of bluegrass and its love for the genre, these guys are bound to go somewhere.
For more on Lo-Fi Breakdown, visit: www.myspace.com/lofibreakdown
Contact Carla Kucinski at 373-7319 or carla@gotriad.com.
For full article layout go to:
http://www.gotriad.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060701/GTCOM01/60628027/-1/GTCOMRSSARKIVE - Go Triad
Discography
Lo-Fi Breakdown (self-titled LP released in 2004 of mostly original material and a few traditional songs)
This Piece of Ground (January 2008) This album was recorded at the wonderful Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville , NC in September 2007. While more expansive than their self-titled debut, the new record features the signature hard-edged bluegrass playing of the band’s earlier work, coupled with an ear toward the even more refined, expressive songwriting of late. There are even some forays into old-time territory that really showcase the band’s commitment to early styles while forging their own path in traditional American music.
"In essence, This Piece of Ground is an excellent blend of traditional and original bluegrass from a group with limitless potential." - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
Both albums are available through: contact@lofibreakdown.com
This Piece of Ground now available online at: cdbaby.com/cd/lofibreakdown and Apple iTunes
Photos
Bio
"With a vintage look and a fierce, raw sound, Lo-Fi Breakdown brings undiluted old-school bluegrass roaring into the 21st century." - MountainXpress Staffwriter (Asheville, NC)
"Lo-Fi put on an incredible performance of straight-up, raw bluegrass with an energy and enthusiasm so intense that you couldn't help smiling the whole time. And you could tell by the musicians' expressions that they loved every second of it."
- Carla Kucinski, Editor, Go Triad (Greensboro, NC)
"These folks are about as fine as they come in the bluegrass business." - Jim Shumate, legendary fiddler with Flatt & Scruggs and Bill Monroe
Lo-Fi Breakdown is a well traveled, spirited bluegrass quintet addicted to the authentic power of traditional mountain music. The band began in Utah in 2002 and soon relocated to Asheville, North Carolina in 2003. Their tours have taken them out to San Francisco, CA and up to Seattle, WA; from Atlanta to Boston, New York and even up the rugged coast of Maine.
Wherever they are, the golden sounds from the 1940s and 50s bluegrass bands of Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers and Flatt and Scruggs follow them. The historical inspiration that informs this band has led them to the old sound and look.
When you see them on stage you won't be able to resist the vintage look of suits and hats and the energy of a tight band working around a single microphone. Over their years together, Lo-Fi has entertained crowds into the early morning hours with a variety of styles and moods that only comes after years of experience together.
During the past five years Lo-Fi Breakdown has shared the stage with such acts as the great Del McCoury Band, mandolin master Sam Bush, songster Robert Earl Keen, fiddle legend Jim Shumate and their great and talented North Carolina contemporaries Polecat Creek and Chatham County Line, among others.
A recent testimonial says it all...
"Thank you so very much for recommending Lo-Fi Breakdown for our Fall Art Festival. Not only were the musicians professional and easy to work with, but they were very talented and entertaining. We look forward to having Lo-Fi Breakdown return for future events."
- Heather Goss, Executive Director, The Reserve at Lake Keowee Fall Art Festival (Sunset, SC)
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