Gypsy Bandwagon plays true to the Appalachian tradition
By Joe Hooten
Throughout the 1700s, immigrants from European nations began pouring into the 13 colonies with dreams that were as unique as the people themselves, they fanned out all across the eastern seaboard and eventually made their way into the backcountry of our great state.
One of the main groups were the Scots-Irish, a group that had been encouraged to leave Ireland under British policy. They were displaced from their homes and eventually made their way to the Appalachian Mountains via the Great Wagon Road. The Scots-Irish, German Protestants, and Highland Scots not only brought their religion and cultural traits, but they also brought their music, which has survived and flourished to this day.
Clearly adhering to their musical brethren before them, the genre blending and bending sounds of Gypsy Bandwagon are on full display with their respectable self-released debut album Gypsy Bandwagon.
Formed in 2004 in the Great Smoky Mountains, Gypsy Bandwagon is the concept of Carissa Moore, whose talents on the fiddle and piano are one of the musical highlights within many of the songs on the debut album. Her husband, Lance Moore, is responsible for the impressive guitar work heard throughout and lends his vocals to several tracks as well. “Uncle Biscuit,” a.k.a. James Lyle, responsible for drums and percussion, and Karin Lyle, who adds bass, mandolin, and vocals to the mix round out the entire group.
On their self-released album, Gypsy Bandwagon incorporates a wide variety of styles of music ranging from the Greek inspired jam of “Yiko” to the Irish acoustic tunes found on “Walls of Liscarroll\Old Joe’s Jig” and “Scollay’s Reel.” You’ll immediately find yourself tapping your feet and wishing there was a dance floor nearby upon listening to the first five tracks.
Members share lead vocal duties throughout the disc, Carissa Moore’s sunny voice shines on “Morning Sun” with her uplifting words of hope echoing: “A new beginning, a new day\Saying goodbye to yesterday.” Lance Moore’s train song, “Heaven’s Train” finds him sounding a lot like Brian Henneman of The Bottle Rockets, with some furious acoustic guitar licks filling out the rest of the song.
If you ever have a chance to catch Gypsy Bandwagon live, you should make plans to go see them, but I would highly recommend supporting a local Western North Carolina band by buying their new CD at your local record store.
