Zischkale Says:
Monday, June 2, 2014 @10:51:07 PM

Great original, I like it. Got a tinge of bluegrass to it with those hammer-ons.

Mad Jack Gallows Says:
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 @9:03:06 AM

Thanks a lot. I think it was one of the first little diddies I came up with when I first started banjo. I never gave it a name, Gun River is just a small river that winds all over heck where I grew up, trout fishin it a lot with my old man, there's very many streams, creeks and rivers around here, I just picked one fer the name cuz my imagination couldn't come up with anything hahaha...

Although I pretty much only play clawhammer and OT music, I also listen to a lot of the new "roots" music or "Streetgrass" as the now defunct .357 String Band described their music. Stuff like Jayke Orvis and the Broken Band, Hank Williams III (yup, grandson of ol Hank Sr., great honky tonk, outlaw, hillbilly music) Highlonesome, Devil Makes Three, Goddamn Gallows, Graham Lindsey, Scott H. Biram, William Elliott Whitmore... Farmageddon Records is an independent label that is responsible for putting out A LOT of that kind of stuff. There's a ton of REALLY great music being played by alot of semi underground bands made up from mostly 30 something year old punk rockers who've musically outgrown listening or playing nothing but hard fast simple music and such, and are now into playing bluegrass, old time, and outlaw country kinda music, influenced by the rock n roll and punk rock stuff that they've been devoted to for so long. Basically the same path I've taken.

That, mixed with busking for a living, I've found that regular folks, passersby, are more impressed by playing fast and distinct and of course loud, that's all kinda what forms or influences my playing style when writing my own tunes and the kinda tone I go for on my main banjo, a 40 yr old shoe bracket NON-bottlecap aluminum rim with a resonator, which is perfect for busking and playing that kinda style. But of course I love a tubbier, plunky old timey tone just as much, if not more, but its not quite as attention grabbing as playing Cripple Creek as fast as you accurately can with a loud as heck banjo on the sidewalk.

Man, my comments and such are so darn long and rambly... ALWAYS. Anyway, thanks again man, compliments or comments mean a lot and are much appreciated!

Zischkale Says:
Tuesday, June 3, 2014 @9:48:55 AM

I've heard a lot of those names, and saw you post a few in a topic about dark banjo tunes, but it helps to know there's a label that specializes in it--might give me a good starting point. I've blown most of my spending money on LPs lately, but I'll have to listen to some of this stuff on Youtube in the meantime, for inspiration. I definitely can imagine hybrids of rock and old-time that would work really well, that I haven't heard on record yet.

Good point on the resonator--a busking dream (having no experience I only dream at this point) of mine would be to fit a small amplifier to a banjo with a vibration pickup, so it would have volume but still retain the sound of a banjo, and put that set up out on the street. Maybe fit the amplifier with a battery--not sure, but it's a picture that's always in the back of my head while I learn this stuff.

Keep up the good work--post more when it's the right time, and nothing wrong with fast and loud!