Moonshine Still

In a musical world increasingly beset by big business, big contracts and gloss, Eric Noble remains a simple man with an even simpler mission: spreading exceptional sounds, one concert at a time. His main partner in the journey is Loyal Family, a St. Louis-based independent promotions company focused on the jam, roots music and festival scene. Along with the sister enterprise Noble Empire, they are burning a trail through not only the Midwest’s vast grassroots network, but increasingly capturing a national spotlight as well. Their biggest venture to date is Dogstock, a four-day, 100-band, multiple-stage campout extravaganza happening in Melvern, Kansas July 26-29, on 81 acres of pristine, private land. A majestic “little guy” amongst festival-world behemoths, Dogstock’s aim is to emit the same down-home, get-funky, say-hello-to-your-friends vibrations that each of Noble’s local shows puts forth – with the added benefit of halting time, if even for just a few days.

One must approach Tribute CDs with extreme levels of caution. There is perhaps no more dangerous bridge to cross as a music buyer. Sometimes it works out OK - pleasant enough jazz and bluegrass tributes have been produced – but it always threatens to wander into the realm of pointlessness. Is there really an audience for A String Quartet Tribute To The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Dub Tribute To Limp Bizkit? What niche of music lovers is so refined and unknown that it deserves A Rockabilly Tribute To AC/DC? It’s hard to take these tributes seriously sometimes, but that’s OK. I like to think that the musicians and producers and listeners aren’t looking for a galvanizing experience, but maybe to witness the whimsical oddity of, say, Coldplay performed bluegrass-style.

(R)evolution is the second studio album from Macon, GA’s Moonshine Still, an affable rock sextet with a serious penchant for percussive, free-flowing jams. The band’s name might be a little confusing for some, as it oozes a country/acoustic feel. However this new album proves that Moonshine Still is not limited to any specific genre, as the band presents Scott Baston’s indescribable vocals among a cavalcade of changing musical moods.