Mother Merey and the Black Dirt

"Stunning slide guitar from Witthans, extremely on point harmonica from the barefoot-stomping Allen, and smooth captivating singing from Kimbrough. Excellent contrast between energetic, whimsical, and more traditional pieces, and good pacing throughout. Easily one of the absolute best performances I saw at (though unrelated to) SXSW 2013, and probably the one I enjoyed the most. The studio album Down to the River is highly recommended." - Pavel Konov

"Stunning slide guitar from Witthans, extremely on point harmonica from the barefoot-stomping Allen, and smooth captivating singing from Kimbrough. Excellent contrast between energetic, whimsical, and more traditional pieces, and good pacing throughout. Easily one of the absolute best performances I saw at (though unrelated to) SXSW 2013, and probably the one I enjoyed the most. The studio album Down to the River is highly recommended." - Pavel Konov

?"I was but a wee lad back when Canned Heat came on the scene and freaked me out with their jug blues/boogie and I continue to go back to the orignal line up with Alan "Blind Owl" Christie Wilson, Bob "The Bear" Hite, Henry "Sunflower" Vestine releases for my fix of gritty rootsy, bluesy folk.
Austin's Mother Merey and the Black Dirt just changed that, they've got the missing ingredient, vocalist Merey Kimbrough's uncomparable singing over a slide resonator guitar and a boot stomping drum beat is addictive listening." - Popa Tunes

"Mother Merey and the Black Dirt do everything right on their new album Down To The River. They are a boot stomper on the porch kind of band and that fact is clear from the first notes...

Mother Merey and the Black Dirt have their songwriting chops as honed in as they have their playing." - Charles Hale

"Mother Merey and the Black Dirt do everything right on their new album Down To The River. They are a boot stomper on the porch kind of band and that fact is clear from the first notes...

Mother Merey and the Black Dirt have their songwriting chops as honed in as they have their playing." - Charles Hale

"Austin’s experiencing something of a revival of bluesy country music at the moment, with aspiring juke joints dotting the city’s hipper neighborhoods. Mother Merey and the Black Dirt are new entrants to that scene out to make a big impression with the lead single to their debut album, “Front Porch.” The song is heavy on repeated refrains and built around a simple motif — something that songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Allen says is a tribute to the song’s old-time roots. “All the old folk and blues songs only needed one riff,” he explains. “If you find another riff, you write another song.”
One riff is enough, when there’s a voice like lead vocalist Merey Kimbrough’s singing over a slide resonator guitar and a stomping drum beat about whiskey, collard greens, black coffee, boots, drinking on porches and trying to beat the devil. It may sound like a revival, but those things never really go out of style." - Dan Solomon

"Mother Merey & the Black Dirt are the greatest band of all time! Okay, that may be hyperbole, but they sure were good."
-Steve Jones
San Marcos Tonight - San Marcos Tonight