I’ll Take The Blame - The Adrians

Yes, Virginia, in this day of newgrass, contemporary grass, nuke-powered pickers and the like, bluegrass that your grandpa loved remains alive and fresh.

Yes, Virginia, I said fresh.

It can be found on a CD entitled “I’ll Take the Blame” by The Adrians, a band headquartered not in the Appalachians, but in Maine. Much of the lead and prominent harmony vocals are carried by the father-son team of Adrian Drost Sr. and Adrian Drost Jr., who both play guitar. Adrian and Adrian, The Adrians. Get it?

Other musicians on the CD are Nancy Merrill on bass, fiddler Ed Howe, Bill Smith on banjo and mandolinist Bill Thibodeau.

The CD is on Virginia-based MasterShields Records, the same label that has introduced American bluegrass fans to the very youthful and capable Abrams Brothers from Canada, and, on the other end of the age spectrum, a collection of Country Gentlemen songs with former Gentleman bass player Bill Yates at the forefront of that project.

But back to the subject at hand, The Adrians. The Drosts very evidentally have an affinity for traditional bluegrass and classic country music. Their CD includes two Hank Williams songs, one by Jimmy Skinner, two Carter Stanley-penned numbers and “Bluegrass Stomp,” the familiar Bill Monroe instrumental that had more than a pinch of early rock ‘n’ roll in its blood.

Adrian Sr. and Adrian Jr. obviously never wasted their money on a vocal coach to gussy up their singing. This is raw-edged bluegrass, a bit of a rarity in today’s market that seems to be getting slicker and slicker with the rising popularity of the genre through satellite radio outlets and bigger labels that employ savvy marketing and promotion folks.

The Adrians
Listen to audio samples on MySpace.

The CD opens with Hank Williams’ “Blue and Lonesome,” which gives a good indication of the flavors to come. It’s just straight-up bluegrass with few fireworks. I particularly enjoyed their cover of the classic, “Shenandoah Waltz” and the old Freddy Fender mega country hit, “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.”

According to the band’s Web site and promotional material on the CD, The Adrians came into being at an automotive repair shop where they both earned their living. At day’s end, it became common practice for the father-son team to wash up and grab their guitars and pick and sing their favorite songs in the garage. The many folks who stopped by encouraged them to move their stage beyond the repair shop, and that’s how the band originated.

Don’t buy this CD if you’re looking for the next banjo or fiddle whiz kid. You won’t find it here. But if you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for your bluegrass-loving grandpa, this just might be the one. While you’re at it, sit down with gramps and give “The Adrians” a listen or two. It might grow on you.

-Dan Tackett