Town Mountain

By Jon Weisberger
Published on June 25, 2009

Rough-hewn and energetic—but with an underlying sophistication that generates intermittent surprises—Town Mountain are one of the young bluegrass groups that have sprouted in the area around Asheville, N.C., in recent years, and they’re an engaging bunch. The vocals, led by guitarist Robert Greer, definitely lean toward a gruff, jam-grassy kind of sound, but while the harmonies and solos may be loose, the arrangements are tight and full of nifty dynamics. The songs on their 2008 debut, Heroes & Heretics, are mostly original, with well-crafted melodies and chord patterns. Fueled by the relentless upright bass of Barrett Smith and some stout fiddling by Annie Staninec, the result is an interesting and well-delivered collision of Asheville and Nashville styles that nods toward several different kinds of modern bluegrass from a distinctive, original vantage point.
Fri., June 26, 9 p.m., 2009

- Nashville Scene

Boston Globe
Critics Pick

All the way from Asheville, N.C., this neo-traditional roots quintet headlines the Cantab's weekly bluegrass pickin' party with its mix of tough and tender, nimble musicianship, and close harmonies. 10 p.m. March 26. Call for ticket price. Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge - Boston Globe

Sept '09
By Tad Dickens | The Roanoke Times | tad.dickens@roanoke.com | 777-6474

Town Mountain

Asheville, N.C.-based bluegrass band is flat loaded with brilliant talent. The band delivers its grass both new- and old-style. With Robert Greer singing lead and two harmonists behind him, the vocals come across as authentic grassers, even as the lyrics stretch well beyond the traditional boundaries.
- Roanoke Times

Lest you think that bluegrass players have to look, act or behave a specific way to be "genuine," direct your attention to the band Town Mountain, the pride of Asheville, N.C., and Saturday's featured performer in the "Pickin' Parlor" at Randy Wood Guitars.

These are young, college-age guys who dress in T-shirts, jeans and baseball caps - in fact, you might initially mistake them for Hootie & the Blowfish.

But this is bluegrass, played - masterfully - on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo and standup bass. Town Mountain's music has a sort of beerhall-cowboy country edge, which makes it a tad less polite than standard-issue bluegrass - woodenly executed at festivals by clean-cut fellows wearing shirts, ties and Stetsons - but much more exciting.

Granted, Town Mountain isn't the only group of very young players exploring Appalachian traditions. But the band's music - their most recent album is called "Heroes and Heretics" - is lyrically rich, and musically adrenalized.

Guitarist, singer and "de facto bandleader" Robert Greer graduated from Wofford College with a B.A. in government; his "Ruination Line" is a blistering state of the union address disguised as catchy mountain music.

Town Mountain's strongest link to bluegrass' illustrious past might be their performance style: They use a single microphone, balancing their three-part vocal harmonies around it. Each player takes his solo by literally "stepping up" to the mic.

And that is delightfully old-school.

- Savannah Now

"Heroes & Heretics" is the latest recording from western North Carolina's Town Mountain, and proves to be a substantial follow up to their first project (BU, Sept. '07). The group consists of Robert Greer (guitar and lead vocals), Annie Staninec (fiddle), Phil Barker (mandolin and vocals), Jesse Langlais (banjo and vocals), and Barrett Smith (bass and vocals). The band performs a high energy brand of bluegrass that is structured around the vibrant lead vocals of Robert Greer. The 13 selections feature a variety of originals by bandmembers including "Ruination Line," "Leavin' Montana," and the instrumental "Picket Rick." Also included are Charles R. Humphrey's "Dead Man's Cove," Townes Van Zandt's "Snowin' On Raton," and a tantalizing interpretation of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire." On these performances, Town Mountain has demonstrated that they are a bluegrass band with unlimited potential. Expect to hear a lot more from these folks in the future. - Bluegrass Unlimited

Robert Greer is the new Big Daddy. Not that the Acoustic Syndicate singer needs any replacing, but in the realm of powerful, high mountain cawin’, there’s room for more than one crooner in the nest. Joined by Jesse Langlais on banjo, Barrett Smith on upright bass, and Phil Barker on mandolin — all fine singers themselves — Greer and Town Mountain cook one heck of a bluegrass boil. They’ve played Charleston a handful of times, toured from Montana to Maine, and won a few prestigious contests, including Colorado’s RockyGrass. With the release of new studio album Heroes and Heretics this fall, they’re ready to step it up a notch. The hyper-energetic quartet is almost always joined by one of many fiddler friends, and although they’re certainly a hoe-down dance party, they keep it steeped in Monroe-like tradition as well. It’s a full package bluegrass experience. Shout out for their cover of Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” —Stratton Lawrence, Charleston City Paper

- Charleston City Paper

"Original Bluegrass And Roots Country" is the debut recording for Asheville, N.C.'s Town Mountain. In perusing the 11 selections, it's apparent the group specializes in material created by the various bandmembers, including "Busted Up," "Heartaches And Heartbreaks," "Whiskey With Tears," and others. Throughout the production, Town Mountain carries off each selection with style and perfection and "Original Bluegrass And Roots Country" is a most impressive recording debut. Expect to see these guys on the bluegrass scene for a long time. - Bluegrass Unlimited

The debut album from this grass roots band based in Asheville, N.C. features all original material with the exception of "Whiskey With Tears" written by Virginian Bill Sphar. The youthful quintet has a good share of breakup tales, but they also have selections paying tribute to John Hartford ("Big Steamship") and Bill Monroe ("Stamp Creek Stomp"). Their roots country like "When I Get You Off My Mind" shows influence of classic country musicians George Jones, Merle Haggard, or Conway Twitty. Town Mountain racks up miles along the eastern seaboard quite extensively and even made it out west to Lyons, Colorado to win the band contest at Rockygrass in 2005. Besides having the needed vocal and instrumental talents to excel, that award-winning feather in their collective caps should get people to take notice of this up-and-coming band with great potential. These knockabouts cut some decent ‘grass. Town Mountain has some clever arrangements, and their spry music exhibits elements of both novelty and creativity. "Busted Up" has an enlivened Jimmy Martinesque feeling. "Sweetheart I Don't Want to Lead You On," "Fall in the Mountains" and "I Didn't Choose the Blues" have gripping deliveries.
Town Mountain is Robert Greer (guitar), Jed Willis (mandolin), Jesse James Langlais (banjo), and Barrett Smith (bass). Greer handles lead vocals, and Langlais and Smith sing harmonies. Supplementing their sound are Josh Goforth (fiddle) and Kevin Sluder (bass, harmony vocals). Robert Greer, Western North Carolina's 2003 Vocalist of the Year, is a graduate of Wofford College with a bachelor's degree in government. Playing many styles of music, Jed Willis is working on his degree at Warren Wilson College. Josh Goforth starred as Fiddlin' Will in the 2000 movie "Songcatcher." Hailing from Maine, Jesse Langlais attended the University of Maine and has lived in Asheville for the last five years. From South Carolina, Barrett Smith graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. Although a young band, Town Mountain has gotten past their growing pains. With a little luck and mentoring, they could go far. This enterprising and spark-pluggy bunch has given us a very impressive debut. Watch (and listen) closely for their follow-up. (Joe Ross)

- Bluegrass Now

Town Mountain is an electrifying young bluegrass band from Asheville, North Carolina that burst into the limelight after winning the Colorado Rockygrass Festival's coveted band competition in 2005. Since then, they have toured the nation extensively honing their bluegrass sound while earning new legions of fans with their high energy live shows. With their newest release, Heroes and Heretics, Town Mountain blends their fresh, but old as the hills, bluegrass sound with original honky-tonk songwriting. This alone brings them to the forefront as one of the top young bluegrass bands today. The strength of the band lies in its primarily original material composed by the trio of vocalist/ guitarist, Robert Greer; banjo player, Jesse Langlais; and mandolin player, Phil Barker.



On tracks like Leavin Montana and Ruination Line hard driving banjo mixed with Greer's whiskey soaked vocals give them a traditional but fresh sound. My favorite track of the album is Black Eyed Susan which bassist, Barrett Smith, lends his vocals over a high lonesome fiddle with an irresistible hook. It makes this one of the best original bluegrass songs of the year for me. Phil Barker's instrumental, Picket Ricket displays lightning fast fret work by Barker and his bandmates proving that the band can pick as well as write great songs. Throw in a few untraditional covers with a bluegrass twist by Bruce Springsteen (I'm on Fire) and Townes Van Zant (Snowing on Raton), and you have a refreshing new spin on music that makes this album a must have for music fans. With original songwriting and an innovative new bluegrass sound, Town Mountain has all the right ingredients to become the newest young bluegrass band sensation. - Glide Magazine