Red MollyCountry of origin:U.S. Type of music generally:Country/Americana (traditional and contemporary) Status:Most recent release, The Red Album (2014) See also:The Red Molly's site Comparisons:The group sounds like other Americana/country harmonic groups but with their own flair and energy. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) Covers/own material:Covers, traditional, and own General comments:Energetic Americana with impressive three-part harmonies from strong voices. Unpretentious, heartfelt, and refreshingly tart (rather than overly sweet as so many other harmonic groups are). (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) Recommended first album:Any Recordings:
Red Molly epRelease info:2005 Availability:See the Red Molly's site Ecto priority:Highly recommended for Americana fans Group members:Laurie MacAllister—lead vocals, harmony vocals, guitar, banjo Produced by:Red Molly Comments:This four-track ep includes a Susan Werner cover, an original track, a traditional song "Darlin' Corey", and a cover of the country classic "Are You Lonesome Tonight." All four are done with careful attention to crisp presentation of the simple but effective acoustic backing and their gorgeous harmonies. There is plenty of energy and talent here and it shows. Especially impressive is that the original track holds its own even in the august company here. This disc is sure to leave Americana/country music fans wanting more, more, more. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) Never Been to VegasRelease info:2006 Availability:See the Red Molly's site Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Abbie Gardner—lead vocal (1, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12), harmony vocal, guitar, dobro Produced by:Red Molly Comments:Never Been to Vegas is such an easy album to love. Great energy, great harmonies, great songs. Mostly covers, but they're well chosen and well done. In particular, I absolutely love their rendition of Patty Griffin's "Long Ride Home." (In fact, I think I like it as much as Patty's version, which is one of my favorites from her 1000 Kisses album.) Abbie Gardner's original "Ohio" is terrific too, a really fun sing-along song. There's just enough in-between song banter to give you a sense of what their shows are like without getting old on repeated listening. And this album gets a lot of repeated listening. (JoAnn Whetsell) Love and Other TragediesRelease info:2008 Availability:See the Red Molly's site Ecto priority:Highly recommended for Americana fans Group members:Laurie MacAllister—lead vocal (2, 5, 9, 10, 11, 13), harmony vocal, banjo, guitar Guest artists:Jake Aemerding—fiddle (1, 4, 7, 9, 10) Produced by:Ben Wisch Comments:Anyone who loves harmony vocals, fine musicianship, and Americana is sure to love this album. Their mix of original songs, traditional Americana, and carefully chosen covers (including songs by Gillian Welch and Susan Werner) are really charming. This is a strong album and recommended for any Americana fan. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com) JamesRelease info:2010 Availability:See the Red Molly's site Ecto priority:Highly recommended Group members:Laurie MacAllister—banjo, guitar Guest artists:Mike Weatherly—bass Produced by:Red Molly Comments:Red Molly continues to make quality music in the Americana fold. Their harmonies and their playing are top-notch and their covers are well chosen. Their own songs are equally deft, especially Gardner's "Troubled Mind" and "Jezebel" though it's all great stuff. I can't think of a better album in the genre that I've heard in a long while. (stjarnell@yahoo.com) Light in the SkyRelease info:2011 Availability:Wide Ecto priority:Highly recommended Comments:I like this album much better than their last two, which were themselves solid releases. Maybe it's because this one is more pop- and folk-oriented, maybe because it's overall more upbeat ("joyous" they call it on their website). (JoAnn Whetsell) Thanks to Sophia Gurley, Anna Maria Stjärnell, and JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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