Very Interesting, Ganey.

I have watched the "elders" of Cajun music wring their hands collectively at the "nerve of the young whippersnappers" and their "disrespect" for the heart of "real" Cajun music. I have shared some of their concerns. But I agree with you, PLB have really emerged and are keeping the music alive and growing. The young'uns who are playing Cajun music seem to start at the roots and then inject their youth and enthusiasm into the mix. And it's bringing alot of their peer group into the mix. That seems like a good thing, right? But it makes dancing a bit hard with the mosh pit that ensues....
Roger

Both Drew and Jamie play at Randols every Monday nite. They used to be called the cypress bottom boys with Michael Tucker on accordion. Mike has since quit and Drew now plays accordion with Jamie on drums. At times Jimmy Breaux plays with them mostly on drums but last nite he played accordion as Drew is on tour with the PLBs. I believe they call themselves Low Maintenance. As for the PLBs I love their music Wilson is one of the best on accordion and now that they have Courtney on fiddle they are even better than before I feel.

I've been impressed with the PLB ever since I saw them at the Liberty, before I had ever heard of them. They're definitely not playing the old standards the same old way (I happen to love the same old way), but I feel they pay respectful homage to the tradition. They are connecting with the younger crowd and keeping them interested in the music, and that's a good thing, and they can definitely play traditional when they want to.

I didn't know they were coming out with a new cd, thanks for the notice.

Well, I guess I'll be the dissenting voice here.

My favorite album of theirs was the first. And I've felt like they've been falling off a bit ever since. Their 2nd and 3rd albums felt really "studio" to me, whereas their 1st album had a raw energy that I really liked.

Lately, though, I've also found their performances lacking in energy, too.

I wish they'd pull back a bit instead of touring non-stop and cranking out album after album. They'd probably be better for it.

I do agree with Ganey about Drew. To me, he's the best of what's left from the original group.

I can understand what Ganey is saying about finding their sound, but I'd like to see them fuse that sound with their old energy.

That is a good point, Jude. I've not seen them live, and I don't know when I might be able to. I think it is true, as with a lot of bands, a great deal of time is spent in creating the final project (because it is so FINAL), and the end result is sometimes not representative of the live performance. I like the product, though.

I do communicate with the three original members from time to time, and hope that one day I will be able to catch them live.

Good points by all. I have been a fan of Pine Leaf Boys for a while now. I, like Bryan like the way the old standards are played. But they play them their way without crossing over the line into cajun-rock or whatever they call it now. The same with Lost Bayou Ramblers. And their bringing a younger audience to french music which is a plus. I also like the fact that they are all fluent in french allowing them to put more emotion into the songs they play.
Ganey is right about Drew's vocal's. Great sound. And for a drummer, he's a dang good accordion player.

Maybe it's a minor point but I hope that the producer is a bit more careful with listing credits on this one. On a previous cd it left out Octa Clark's name as the author of Valse de Jamboree, which he recorded again years later with some new lyrics as Valse de Festival Ecrevisse. PLBs changed maybe 4 words total from the Ecrevisse song, but the producer called it Valse de Festival Acadiens without mentioning Clark's two previous versions of the same tune! How's that for bringing in new energy!

I look forward to hearing it! One of my favorite current groups.

Just looked again at my liner notes for Valse de Festival Acadien and they DO indeed mention that Octa Clark wrote the original tune! My mistake! Sorrry!

I guess you're following them closer than I am. I only saw them once and it was when they first got together, and I was impressed that a bunch of young guys were doing what they were doing. I have the 1st 2 cd's and also prefer the first. I still will support them even it it's not always my favorite type of music just because of the fact that they are keeping interest going in the young folks. They are all great musicians, and no matter what is on the recordings, they are well versed in the tradition.

You touched on one thing that has been a minor turn off for me with Cajun recordings, and that's that studio sound. It might work for other kinds of music, but I like my Cajun music raw, imperfect, and spontaneous, and that only comes from living rooms, porches and back yards. I wish more was recorded that way.

Bryan,
Don't get me wrong; I'll support them as long as they're doing the music justice. And I'm glad they're bringing a younger crowd to the music.

I'm fearful, though, that they're going to burn themselves out within a few years since they're making the music their career.

No I didn't get you wrong, and I've wondered (worried?) about the same thing. I wish them the best and hope that doesn't happen.

Thanks for bringing this up. I didn't realize they had a new'n out. Sounds great from the sound clips I heard. It's good to hear Courtney on some vocals, too.

Drew Simon is the man! I'd say that both he and Cedric Watson are my favorite modern singers.

But about "I'll Always Take Care of You", hot dog! That is the perfect way to end a CD, because just those few opening seconds, where they bust out with everything they have when they open the song, lets you know that these guys aren't going anywhere anytime soon. It's a bittersweet song because the CD ends after the song ends, but it's such a hopeful song that it leaves you eagerly awaiting more. I feel that just that opening alone promises you that the PLBs are already contemplating / making their next album.

For me, listening to Homage au Passé and then especially that last song, it's like being at a concert for a band who isn't local, where you're only focused on the music, but as the concert comes to a close you don't want to go because it means that you've got to go back to whatever it was that you left to go to the concert. But with that last song, it's like them saying, "tracasse-toi pas, on vas r'venir back l'année qui vient.", leaving you - as I said above - eagerly awaiting to hear more.

Haha, if you can't tell, I'm a HUGE Pine Leaf Boys fan! (although I still think La Musique is a masterpiece of an album and the best they've done, but regardless...).