Civil Wars, Not What You WereThinking.

April 25, 2011

Let me start this blog by saying that I am the person who doesn't listen to country music, but occasionally I bend my own rules and open my horizons (for the official record, you'll find me listening to a lot of folk and alternative). A few months ago, I read about the Civil Wars in a magazine and decided to give this country-folk group a listen. If we want to talk about something that is literally music to the ears, the duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White is it. While each of these artists had a solo career before coming together for a song writing camp in Nashville two and a half years ago, they have been inseparable since. Both Williams and White are married to other people, but their stage presence is so intimate that people often think that they are, in fact, married to each other--apparently White finds this flattering, but who wouldn't?

I can speak from first-hand experience when I say that these two have something special and if they ever stop writing music together, the world will be a sad place. I had the pleasure of seeing them at The Bottleneck in Lawrence last weekend, and I was in the front row amongst a sold out crowd--saying that it was life-changing might be a stretch, but it was one of the best shows I've seen (Brandi Carlile is a close second).

The library has received debut album, Barton Hollow. Even though it is not available for checkout yet, you can put a hold on it. Otherwise, you can rely on Amazon or iTunes to purchase their album. If you're pinching your pennies these days and only want to buy a few tracks, let me recommend the following: Barton Hollow, Poison and Wine, and 20 Years. If you like what you hear, then you're in luck because the duo just added a Kansas City date to their tour and you can catch them at Crossroad Station on June 30th for $16 plus handling fees. Needless to say, these two do not disappoint and I highly recommend you give them a listen even if country music is not your thing. 
 

Lauren W.
North Independence Branch