Erik's Random 10

The Osborne Brothers are the kind of band that is the antidote to my frequent complaining about the bastardization of bluegrass. To recap my opinion on bluegrass, we've seen two negative phenomenon. First, hippies have taken it over and turned it into jam music. Second, people like Ricky Skaggs have tried to turn it corporate. The Osborne Brothers never went down either of those roads. They were open to change and kept their music contemporary and popular. They have the highest selling recording in bluegrass history, "Rocky Top," which became the unofficial University of Tennessee fight song. That's pretty annoying in its own right (see the techno versions of the song played in the UT Bookstore) but it's hardly the band's fault. Bluegrass is a great form of American music but it's essence is so often lost with the American public who claim to be fans.

1. The Osborne Brothers, We Could
2. Dry Branch Fire Squad, Midnight on the Stormy Deep
3. Orchestra Baobab, Foire Internationale
4. Derek Bailey, Saturday Dance, Part 5
5. Stevie Wonder, You and I
6. Mark Dresser/Fred Frith/Ikue Mori, Pocket
7. Mike Patton, Ford Mustang
8. BR 5-49, Play That Fast Thing (One More Time)
9. Beck, E-Pro
10. Edgar Varese, Octandre II, Orchestre National de France, Kent Nagano, cond.