The band has always played music by its own set of rules. Bending bluegrass, rock and countless other influences that the band cites, Yonder has pioneered a sound of their own. With their traditional lineup of instruments, the band may look like a traditional bluegrass band at first glance but they’ve created their own music that transcends any genre. Dave Johnston points out “What could be more pure than making your own music.” Yonder’s sound cannot be classified purely as “bluegrass” or “string music” but rather it’s an original sound created from “looking at music from [their] own experiences and doing the best job possible.” The band continues to play by their own rules on their new record The Show.
The Colorado-based foursome has crisscrossed the country over the past eleven years playing such varied settings as festivals, rock clubs, Red Rocks Amphitheater in the band’s home state, and recently the Democratic National Convention in Denver at Mile High Stadium opening for Barack Obama. Their loyal fanbase has been built from this diverse setting of music venues as fans latched on to their genre-defying original sound.
In between tours the band spent time this last year working on its fifth studio album. Set for a September 1 release on the band’s own label, The Show is the second album with rock producer Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliott Smith, Foo Fighters). While some might scratch their heads as to why a string band would want a rock producer, this decision was a natural choice for the band. “We don’t have a lot of nostalgia for the past,” says banjo player Dave Johnston. “You shouldn’t try to recreate the 1940s. I like to think of us as informed by the past and all the great performers before us. But we also want to look forward rather than give people something that has already been perfected.”
The Show has the similar acoustic instrumentation (Adam Aijala on guitar, Johnston on banjo, Jeff Austin on mandolin and Ben Kaufman on bass with all four singing) as many of its classic bluegrass forefathers. Though once again drums are present (as with the self-titled fourth album) with the great Pete Thomas of Elvis Costello’s bands adding a rhythmic backdrop to Yonder’s still-acoustic sound on six of the tracks. The record consists of thirteen songs all written by Yonder.
The band has long cited such varied influences as the bluegrass of Del McCoury, Johnson Mountain Boys, Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, Osborne Brothers as well as the punk rock of Bad Religion, Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. Somewhere in between these two tent poles are early 20th Century composers and alternative rock bands like Grandaddy and Postal Service. It’s all funneled through the band’s unique chemistry, honed since they first met at an informal club performance in 1998. With band members writing individually, in different pairings and as a collective, the album proves that this group is a collection of creative peers and you can hear it in the rich tapestry of music that makes up The Show.
Here Yonder offers such traditional bluegrass sounding fare as “Out Of The Blue” and “Casualty.” The band has explored its country roots in the past and does so again this time on “Steep Grade, Sharp Curves,” a song that describes the roads around its home base in Nederland as well as a particularly dangerous femme fatale. A little further from the roots is the impressionistic “Isolate” with its simple but ominous bass line and minimal arrangement. There is also a bevy of rockers like “Complicated,” “Fingerprints” and “Belle Parker,” a gem of a song about a hard-hearted woman. The band even finds some excellent middle ground between bluegrass and rock on “Fine Excuses” thanks in part to a scorching guitar solo from Adam Aijala. There is also the extended “Honestly” -- at eight-minutes, the longest song on the album, with a middle section that is an excellent platform for lengthier live excursions that are as improvisatory as any electric band on the live music circuit.
The band is a regular at bluegrass festivals like the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the band's own Northwest String Summit as well as massive multi-stage events like Austin City Limits Festival, Bonnaroo and Rothbury. Fans are no doubt drawn to Yonder’s anything goes attitude, its humor and passion about music, and the band’s ability to stretch out live. “We love that people come to see us,” Johnston points out. “Everyone appreciates good music. Some people want to go to a recital and some people want to party.”
But as its fans know, Yonder Mountain String Band does something a little different, more than just a musical party. The Show is the band’s most varied and versatile album to date, and the summation of the journey that these guys are on together. It’s bluegrass for the masses, acoustic tunes filled with dazzling chops, and it’s fun to boot. The humble Johnston sounds as surprised as anyone by the band’s success, but knows that it all boiled down to chemistry, which has never changed. “Somewhere down there we all kind of recognized that we had something unique,” he explains. “But there is no way I could have imagined the amount of success that the band has had.”
Sidewalk Stars
Yonder Mountain String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And said, "Dust is all I know"
And you're so clean and I'm so tired
Like lovers' smiles and green marker miles
Chorus:
Can't go back that's much too far
I'm asking you to laugh
But after all
You love a tragedy
Hope remains a sidewalk star
Could you stay right where you are
You're so smooth, and I'm on fire
Holding on, just watching it unwind
[ Chorus x2 ]
The first verse of Yonder Mountain String Band's Sidewalk Stars is about two individuals. One looks through old windows and comments that all she knows is dust. The other individual feels exhausted, as if their time is up, and compares themselves to the contrast of a clean person. The line "lovers' smiles and green marker miles" is interesting because it can be interpreted in various ways. One possible interpretation is that lovers' smiles and green marker miles represent happy and adventurous moments, which are now in the past, thus making the singer feel nostalgic. Another interpretation is that green marker miles represent the distance a person has traveled on the road, and lovers' smiles represent romantic encounters during the journey that have now come to an end. The second verse does not present any new information but repeats the same sentiments.
The chorus is where the song shifts its focus. It says that it is impossible to go back, and the singer is asking the other person to laugh. The line "after all, you love a tragedy" is an interesting one because it implies that the person being addressed has a tendency to enjoy things that are sad or dramatic. The chorus also brings up the line "hope remains a sidewalk star," which makes it seem like the singer is trying to hold on to a shred of hope in a bleak situation. The last line of the chorus implies that the singer is hoping the other person stays where they are.
Overall, the song seems to express a sense of sorrow or regret over opportunities lost and a longing for simpler times. Still, there is a glimmer of hope that comes through, which suggests that the singer is not entirely resigned to their fate but is instead seeking some sort of escape or release.
Line by Line Meaning
You looked at me through old windows
You gazed at me through aged panes of glass
And said, "Dust is all I know"
You declared that your knowledge is limited to dust
And you're so clean and I'm so tired
You are pure while I am exhausted
Like lovers' smiles and green marker miles
Similar to the way lovers smile and green markers outline distance
Chorus:
Refrain:
Can't go back that's much too far
It is impossible to return, as it is much too distant
I'm asking you to laugh
I implore you to express joy
But after all
However, ultimately
You love a tragedy
You are fond of tragedy
Hope remains a sidewalk star
Optimism persists as a star on the pavement
Could you stay right where you are
Would you remain in your current position
You're so smooth, and I'm on fire
You are sleek while I am burning
Holding on, just watching it unwind
Grasping tightly, merely observing it unravel
[ Chorus x2 ]
[ Refrain repeated twice ]
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: ADAM R AIJALA, DAVID H JOHNSTON, JEFF W AUSTIN, JOHN KAUFMANN, TOM ROTHROCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind