Among the bands breathing new life into bluegrass without compromising its essentials, Duluth combo Trampled By Turtles blends traditional sounds with world-weary balladry that rustles around in the same emotional space as Mark Kozelek’s depressive swoons. For those who prefer bluegrass with a skip in its step, these guys do know how to hoedown too, even if it’s in a more melancholic mode than we’ve come to expect from finger-pluckin’ music.
Fittingly, this year’s Stars and Satellites launched the band into a new stratosphere of fame, which has it headlining the Newport this Wednesday with Spirit Family Reunion. It’s recommended rocking for anyone who digs the Punch Brothers.
