Austin Sound

Over the past couple years, there has emerged here in Austin a tight knit community of Pre-Folk players that have been upending the city’s sound with wild Appalachian stomps and Old World odes. Congealed behind the infamous, still occurring Secret Shows, groups like the McMercy Family Band, The Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang, That Damned Band, and Wax Museum Pandemonium have helped create an impressive community of wild stringers that dig well below the roots of their influences to unearth a wild and cathartic music that is at once traditional and brazenly progressive in execution. Among the forefront of this crop is Wino Vino, an octet that unleashes ribald gypsy anthems that melds Balken flair with fervent energy and attitude as their stellar musicianship brings the Old World anachronistically to bear on the modern. Following last year’s release of their eponymous full length, the group is working on their next album, but are best experienced live. You can do so twice this week, as Wino Vino takes over Spider House this Wednesday, April 22 (with the Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang and Brigante) and on Friday, April 24, as they swarm into Eastside’s Compound (1300 E. 4th St.) for the Church of the Friendly Ghost, with Jason Webley and Reverend Glasseye.

Photo by Maxx Scholten

Profile: Wino Vino

Year Formed:

2006

Members/Instruments played:

Sanford Krones-guitar/vocals, Forrest Johnson-mandolin/fiddle/vocals, Derek Hansen-drums/backing vocals, Pete Murray-upright bass/vocals, Joe Egnot-accordion/vocals, Flint Fancy-washboard/percussion, Roy Coon-clarinet, David Gilden-trumpet

Former Bands/Side Projects:

Hungover Outlaws, Brigante, Cloven Dwarf, Dreamsicle, Buscando el Monte.

Albums:

EP Down in the Dunes (2007) Independent. Self Titled LP (2008) Independent. Next album is in progress

Influences:

New Orleans brass/funk, Eastern European Balkan brass, Klezmer, Nordic folk metal, Ennio Morricone, Taraf de Haidouks, New Orleans Bingo! Show, Devotchka, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Yann Tiersenn.

Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:

“You wrote all that? Holy shit I thought you were an Albanian cover band.”

Favorite local bands:

Wax Museum Pandemonium, McMercy Family Band, Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang, Reverend Glasseye

Favorite local venue:

The Parlor (Northloop)

Upcoming shows scheduled:

April 24th at The Compound w/ Jason Webley and Reverend Glasseye,
May 3rd at the Pecan st. Festival,
May 7th at the Hole in the Wall w/ The Just Desserts and The Sideshow Tramps

Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see:

Rupa and her April Fishes,

Some of your favorite albums from the past year:

Wax Museum Pandemonium split 7″, Devotchka (A mad and faithful telling) Aimee Bobruk (The safety match journal), Luna Tart (Luna Tart died), Zydepunks (finisterre)

Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:

Man Man,

Austin Sound questions:
Vino of choice?

Anything under $8.99 or Bagley’s Peckerhead Red

What are some of the most gypsy aspects of Austin?

the land formerly known as The Enchanted Forest, the Rhizome Collective, Ararat, Gadjo Disko, Atash, Oliver Rajamani

Song Introduction:

Flarblonget. According to Sanford this song is 800 years old, (He wrote it last week)

Sound Off:

Original craigslist posting, or how we found our bassist and drummer: “This is a brand new project my friend and I started.broken tangos, out of tune marching bands, blissful ballads,carnivals,the sound of a three wheel caravan,sinking pirate ship in the desert, hell, heaven,making the women dance and cry, etc. mostly acoustic, we play guitars, violins, mandolins, sing.” (note: exact wording, spacing and punctuation of original message)

Mp3:
Flarblonget

Websites:
http://winovino.com
Myspace