The Noisy Locomotive

On the face of it, Ben Nesrallah is the height of improbability. He’s 26 years old, has grown up in Montreal, and he plays old-time music in a duo with a friend he’s had since childhood, Trevor Pool. Together they make up The Noisy Locomotive. Their latest release, “All Nature Soon Will Settle Down to Rest,” isn’t just a lot of fun, it’s also a quick , adept tour of the form and its history.

For many Canadians, the music is unfamiliar, confusing. It’s associated with the movie Deliverance or the frantic dancing that George Clooney did, complete with fake beard and bib overalls, in O Brother Where Art Thou. Certainly, it’s easy to make fun of, and people laugh even when they don’t quite get the joke.

The fact is that there is much more here than most people think, and it’s the tradition, more than anything, that Nesrallah and Pool, seek to promote. And, as they make clear in their shows and their work in schools, it’s truly one worth promoting, perhaps now more than ever.

Prior to the 1920s, there wasn’t such thing as old time music, or at least it wasn’t called that. It was just called music. It came to America with the English, Scottish, Irish, and German settlers, and once in the new world, took off on its own. Over time, it continued to change and evolve, creating a number of variant styles throughout Appalachia. In time, musical styles across the eastern United States were as unique and clustered as English accents are even today. You could tell, within a few miles at times, where a player was from just by hearing them play.

Through the 20th century the sound of old-time music became more homogenous. So much so that these days, wherever you go—Tulsa to Tokyo, San Diego to St. Louis—the old-time style that you are most likely to hear is the Round Peak style, a highly influential music that comes from Surry County, North Carolina. Surry County is, um, small. Round Peak—the town that gives its name to the style—is even smaller still. But, if we wanted to stretch a point, we could say that for much of the 20th century, the epicenter of the Round Peak style was even more exact than that: Tommy Jarrell’s house, a small, white clapboard bungalow in Toast, NC, a town just west of Mount Airy. Jarrell was a great teacher, a lively personality, and a magnet for young players who wanted to learn old-time music. Some, such as Mike Seeger and Bob Carlin, made the drive down from New York City; others, such as Riley Baugus and David Holt, arrived from within Appalachia. But they came in the hundreds for the same reason: to sit at the feet of the master.

There are lots of indirect descendants, too, and Nesrallah and Pool are terrific examples of that. They play lots of classic tunes, including “Jimmie Brown the Newsboy” and “Lulu Walls” and they remain close to the traditional style. Fiddle often is forward in the mix, we might say these days, taking the melody and embellishing it through bow work and all those beautiful drones. The banjo is played claw hammer, and supports the syncopation of the fiddle melody. In much old-time music guitar is relegated to a back seat, providing rhythm for the fiddle and banjo. Here, that’s what it does for the most part, providing the accompaniment to the fiddle and mandolin.

“It’s music at a human level,” says Ben. “We’re all just so plugged in these days, in our own little worlds. The idea of sharing music by actually sitting down and playing with each other and learning from each other. It’s kind of a lost art form.

You can sit in a circle with a bunch of folks here, and I like that it’s not about ego or one person over another. It’s about sharing and having a good time and building something together. It has a lot to do with the idea that it’s not about the individual, it’s about the community, building a sound, and being in the moment.”

For many people, particularly in Ottawa and Montreal where Nesrallah and Pool come from and play, it can take some getting used to. Old time music is social music, meant for dancers to dance to—and for players to participate in—more than it is to be sat in front of and listened to. It’s about being together, not showing off. While instruments will take turns with the melody, they don’t solo in the way that bluegrass, blues, and jazz musicians do. Instead, they play the melody straight, pretty much, which can make the music sound repetitive (and, well, it is).

What’s also wonderful about the music (and I realize that this might take a bit of a leap of imagination for the uninitiated) is the subtlety. Slight variations have meaning. Sometimes, delightfully so. “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy” certainly has a home within old-time music, though we know it today perhaps largely because the Carter Family had a hit with it in 1931. On the recording by Noisy Locomotive the mandolin intro and turnarounds—the bars that Earl Scruggs added to the arrangement—quote another Carter tune, “You are my Flower.” (There are five Carter songs on the Noisy Locomotive’s latest disc, All Nature Soon will Settle Down to Rest. Can you spot them all?)

It’s delightful to have those kinds of nods and winks. For many people, these songs aren’t just songs, they’re like favourite bedtime stories, full of drama, history, interesting turns, and familiar faces. Tommy, Earl, Maybelle, AP, Charlie, Mac, and Bill. (And look, there’s good old Jimmy Brown, still not wearing any shoes!) This is music that comes to us through various filters, voices, and years. Like the steps of the Agora, they’ve been shaped and burnished over the years by all the people they have supported. Even if you don’t know all the details, you still can have a sense of that a lot of people have been here before, and there are hints of all lives that these songs have touched.

Those kinds of historical details, or whatever they are, aren’t essential though they can add some of the charm. When used best, of course, the songs aren’t presented for the nostalgia, but in order to say something new. “We’re bringing in old songs for a reason,” says Dan. “They’re songs that happen to be resonating with us at a certain point in time.” No, you can’t buy a table for 15 cents, as in the lyric of “Stern Old Bachelor.” For that matter, bachelor probably doesn’t mean the same thing it did in the 30s, when the Carter’s recorded it (at a time when AP and Sara were estranged, still singing together even when they couldn’t speak to each other anymore).

But the messages are larger than the details. The music is about austerity, disappointment and, as Ben says, “the struggles and the grief and the good times too.”

“Old time and the old country tunes, it’s just a style of music that resonates within us. And with any traditional genre, it’s got that soul in it,” he says, then adds with a chuckle, “And, hey, it’s just a lot of fun.” - Penguin Eggs (Issue #69)

Local folk duo The Noisy Locomotive release their new album, All Nature Soon Will Settle Down To Rest, this week on October 22.

Their first as a duo, the album was recorded in one straight live off the floor session to quarter-inch tape at The Monolith in Kitchener, ON with their good friends in the Ever-Lovin’ Jug Band. The 12-track album is split between originals and unique takes on old tunes. Ben Nesrallah, one half of The Noisy Locomotive, says “This combination of songs is highly representative of who we are as artists, and integral to the continuation of the folk tradition.”

We asked Nesrallah a few questions to get some insight into how All Nature Soon Will Settle Down To Rest came to be.


What is new about this album compared to past releases?

What you will hear on the album is as authentic of a live sound as we feel we could capture. The majority of the album is comprised of our first takes. No compression, no normalization, and no additional treatment on the tracks—just pure analog warmth. As a result, all of the subtleties of our live performance – the vocal and instrumental blend, and dynamic exchange – still ring true when you listen to the album. It’s as if you’re right there in the room with us.


How long has this new album been in the works?

We recorded the album on September 6th, and made the first batch of copies a little over a month later. We think of our albums as a documentation of a brief and present moment in time, representative of where the two of us are as musicians, and in our personal lives. Because this is ever-changing, we feel it’s important to not allow the process too much time. Also, we’ve still maintained our DIY approach to the creation of the physical albums. Every copy is unique, with hand-stamped artwork, and we hope those who buy the album can feel how much love was put into it.


What are your thoughts on the album now that it is complete and about to be shared with the world?

We’re really proud of this album, more so than anything we’ve released to date. The honest, genuine nature of the recording is something we hope will resonate with those who listen to it.

As we mentioned before though, the whole process is fleeting and something we don’t try to hold on to for long. We’re constantly writing and bringing in the old songs that we love—the ones that happen to be resonating with us at that particular time. We’re currently looking ahead to the next album, hoping to record in the coming months.


In one sentence or two, what should people expect from a Noisy Locomotive live show?

The essence of what we believe a folk show should be—truthful, pure and humble. We let our voices and instruments do the talking, and hopefully that’s something that communicates to our audience. - Ottawa Showbox

Sit back in your easy chair and listen to The Noisy Locomotive. A self described ‘kitchen party’ The Noisy Locomotive play music that is old and in the way, in an amazing way. Both The Cameron House and NXNE are very reliable sources for music, so I knew I was in for a treat. This music would appeal to fans of Stan Rogers to Appalachian Bluegrass through to Pokey Lafarge. They are rootsy, Folk mixed with a large measure of the Bluegrass and the sounds of southern Virginia.

If you had a time machine to go back and tell Pete Seeger or Bill Monroe that music like this was still being played today, they would say that was about as likely as throwing a hunk of peanut butter out of a plane and hitting your friend’s sandwich. The Noisy Locomotive are old school and beyond that they have that classic southern relaxed attitude on stage. Both NL and their audience sit through the set, but that does not mean that they were not enthused. Every time a song ended the boys were met with surprisingly thunderous applause from the somewhat peppered audience. They were starting the night at The Cameron House and boy did they start something.

These guys are talented and knowledgeable about the music they play and the styles they employ, explaining their origins in between songs. They sing gorgeous harmonies together adding to the sonic cohesion of their traditional compositions. They also switched instruments several times throughout their set. Overall these guys were calm precise and moreover a breath of fresh air, which is ironic considering how old the music is that they play. Be sure to check them out. - Toronto Music Reviews

As we crested the hill on the way to the Valley Stage you could hear the sound of masterful banjo picking. This could mean but one thing, that Ottawa’s The Noisy Locomotive were playing. The trio sat around one communal mic and with an instrument each – banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar – gave the feeling of an old-time kitchen party. The boys play toe-tapping, oak-bar fermented bluegrass, and they do it very well. The Noisy Locomotive are originally from Ottawa, but spent some time living in Montréal and were so happy to be home. “Ottawa will always home, nice to be playing here. Nice to be playing to so many smiling faces,” said Ben Nesrallah. The band played a handful of songs off of their album The Noisy Locomotive, Vol. 1 & 2, as well as traditional country and folk songs. The original song “For Canmore” struck a chord as it was written about the devastating flooding in Alberta last year that affected their friends. They called one of their friends to check in with him and he told them “Don’t worry about us, we have a bottle of whiskey and we’ll make the best of it.” It was pretty cool as the friend that inspired the song was in the audience. As for traditional songs they played an absolutely amazing rendition of Led Belly’s “In The Pines.” (Video above) Many of you will recognize “In the Pines,” as the song Nirvana played on their unplugged album with the lyrics “my girl, my girl, don’t lie to me, tell me where did you sleep last night.” The boys in Noisy Locomotive are a must-see for any and all fans of bluegrass and real country music. - Ottawa Showbox

Beaucoup d’air frais, des randonnées en ponton et des jams de six heures, tous réunis autour d’une bouteille de « quelque chose » font de The Noisy Locomotive un nouveau groupe folk qui sonne bien plus vieux que ses deux ans et demi laisseraient soupçonner.

Composé de Ben Nesrallah à la mandoline, de Corey Pool au banjo, de Trevor Pool à la guitare et de tous les trois à la voix, ce projet nouveau et vibrant n’est qu’un chapitre dans une amitié qui remonte des décennies.

Des collaborations à l’époque de l’école secondaire entre Ben et Corey ont fait le tour de la musique punk, expérimentale, noise, alternative et métal tandis que les deux frères Pool ont beaucoup baigné dans la musique traditionnelle portugaise de leur père. Une rencontre à l’improviste suite à des déménagements à Montréal ont porté à des collaborations spontanées et il n’était pas long que le groupe commençait à s’entourer de musique Old Time et d’instruments folkloriques de tous les genres.

Sitôt que le groupe avait quelques chansons de préparées, ils se sont pointés vers les métros de Montréal afin de partager leurs talents et gagner leur pain. De ces premières prestations se sont ensuivies maintes performances à Ottawa et à Montréal, une tournée avec le Ever Lovin’ Jug Band en Ontario et au Québec ainsi que des performances de festival : le FOLK it ALL!, passé ce weekend, et le Festival Folk de Montréal, lieu du lancement de leur premier album The Noisy Locomotive Vol. 1 & 2.

Ben raconte la philosophie du groupe et des traditions desquelles il tire : « Le plus important c’est la communauté. Si tu nous entends jouer avec nos amis, tu vois à quel point on se prête et on s’emprunte des trucs. Quand les gens se réunissaient après le travail, avant le iPod, les gens jouaient. C’est ce sentiment qu’on essaye de traduire par nos performances ». Les années que Ben a passées à l’U d’O à compléter son baccalauréat en performance de piano sont aussi venues agrémenter la sauce pour rajouter une grâce particulière aux arrangements vocaux.

Les chansons qu’offre le groupe, autant originales que traditionnelles, tirent de provenances diverses mais se centrent toujours sur le Old Time, souche originelle du bluegrass, du country et en particulier des styles du Carter Family, de Leadbelly et des violoneux du West Virginia, qui ont fortement influencé le trio. « À la base, c’est de la musique de salon, de la musique de tous les jours qui n’était jamais censée être jouée sur scène », explique Ben. Ce étant dit, le public ne ressent aucune trahison à voir ces trois hommes réunis sur scène autour d’un seul micro avec aucun instrument de branché. En préservant la musique d’antan d’une main et en la créant de l’autre, The Noisy Locomotive est un groupe qui en a long de ferraille, autant dans le passé qu’a l’avenir. - La Rotonde

Do you find yourself needing some more fresh air in your life? Well, we have found a band that was borne from fresh air and moonlight. They are masters of that fresh, summer, old timey sound. It reminds me of square dancing at summer camp–in a good way. I loved square dancing at summer camp. If you didn’t like square dancing at summer camp, or never experienced that magic, it also reminds me of summer nights in the Adirondack Mountains: lakes, mountains, fresh air, campfire stories, hairy men, and timeless fun. These three guys are from Ontario, and I am sure that they are no strangers to these sorts of nights. They’ve captured them beautifully on this album.

The first song was written by the band and is definitely my favorite. I just love original music and would love to see more of it from this band. Their style matches perfectly with the classic, old time songs on the rest of the album. “For Canmore” is brisk and upbeat with lots of fingerpicking and tight three-part harmony. It’s about the actual town of Canmore, Alberta which suffered some terrible flooding in June of 2013. It’s a comforting song about waiting out the flood waters with a bottle of whisky. “Don’t you worry, baby, I’ll keep you nice and dry.”

“Frankie n’ Johnny” is famous as an Elvis song. It was originally played with brass and piano and The King’s oh-so-sweet crooning voice. Goodness, how I love Elvis, but this adaptation is just wonderful. The song itself is tragic. Frankie and Johnny were in love, he cheated, she found out, she shot him. The Noisy Locomotive’s rendition really pays attention to the storytelling. I love the upbeat banjo, the harmonies are just fantastic. It sounds older than Elvis, a pioneer, homesteader, deep forest, different kind of classic.

“Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” was sung by Flatt and Scruggs. This rendition is the same upbeat, harmonious song, but it’s been mellowed out a bit. It has some extra input from the mandolin and banjo, the melody is held up as a priority. My favorite part was an interlude featuring a fierce bit of kazoo.

The true beauty of this album is “St. Anne’s Reel” which they’ve gently pulled up from its traditional irish roots and re-planted in a patch of prosperous blue grass surrounded by stomping feet and little yellow flowers. This instrumental piece is usually carried by fiddle, but has found a new friend in the banjo and mandolin. It feels like Heidi dancing in the sweet mountain air, free, light, old-timey, beautiful.

The final song “In the Pines” is a traditional song, originally recorded by Leadbelly, but also covered by Nirvana. This rendition is closer musically to the Leadbelly version but haunting and beautiful like the Nirvana one. It’s another sad song. Many traditional songs are sad, bordering on tragic. It’s about a girl who sleeps outside in the cold under the pine trees after her husband is killed by a train. The story is presented slowly, paying attention to the emotion at hand. The instrumentals are quick and twangy. They give the music energy without lifting its spirits enough to be disrespectful.

The Noisy Locomotive has a really fantastic sound. They released their five song album about a month ago. It’s available for download on bandcamp for a name-your-price donation which is awesome. They’re putting some really fresh music into your hands. Take advantage of it, support the band. They are going to have some new, original work coming out soon–get excited. I really enjoyed the skill and passion that went into these songs. The arrangements suit the voices and instrumentals so perfectly, it’s great road trip music, camping music, canoeing music (is that a thing), perfectly suited for any time you need some fresh air. - Ear To The Ground Music