T. Ballard Lesemann

Clawhammer-style banjo player, bandleader and high tenor Ralph Stanley, now 79, is as dedicated to traditional mountain music now as he was when he first started playing it as a boy in his hilly southwest corner of Virginia. “We’re gonna do our best to put on one of the best shows that’s ever been there,” […]

Listen! If you cannot see the music player below, download the free Flash Player. The Meat Puppets first played together in their hometown of Phoenix in 1980 when Curt and Cris Kirkwood joined up with straight-faced drummer Derrik Bostrom. All three were attracted to hardcore’s energy but opposed to its rigid dictums. Though the band’s […]