CSMN0167 – Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses

By Centerstage MN host Doug MacRostie. It's not too often that the debut release from a band is a double CD, but Matt Ray and Those Damn Horses aren't typical. Complete with washtub bass, harmonica, washboard, spoons, guitar, fiddle and banjo, these guys are a high energy string band from the Iron Range playing roots, Americana, and old time music with a modern twist. Matt Ray will be joining me this week on Centerstage MN to talk about the new album "Then and Now". The first CD, "Then", is a collection of traditional tunes they reworked for modern times. Songs that defined their time and built the foundation of the music we hear today. The second CD, "Now", is all original tunes with that same throw-back style under contemporary currents. And the new Sara Softich CD "Highway to the Sun" arrived this week - it's haunting and beautiful, so we'll check out a song from that - Sara and I have been working out details to have her on Centerstage MN sometime soon. Sara is originally from Virginia and operates out of Duluth. She and Jason Wussow have a duo called Yeltzi, and we'll hear from them as well. And we'll hear a demo-fragment of Dylan playing Man in the Street in the early 60's from the new Bootleg Series Vol. 9: the Witmark Years 1962-1964. And have you Dylan lovers heard of Little Diamonds? At the age of 13, this kid was writing (and sounding) just like folkie-Dylan of old. But this isn't just a cheap imitation, the music and lyrics are way more mature and intelligent than what I was expecting, and I hope to have him on sometime soon to talk about what he's doing with music.