Hillstomp with Rats In The Grass and Sassparilla

Hillstomp

Portland Oregon junkbox blues duo HILLSTOMP is infamous for digging through the dumps and forgotten backwoods of American music, recycling traditional elements into a refreshing and distinctive brand of do-it-yourself hill country blues stomp. North Mississippi trance blues, a bit of Appalachia, and a dash of punkabilly come clanging and tumbling from assorted buckets, cans and BBQ lids, all drenched in rambunctious slide guitar. Somehow it works.

Despite their homemade instruments and novel approach, Hillstomp is no novelty act.

Hillstomp's memorable live performances tap into a magic that cannot be rehearsed, converting outlaws and traditionalists alike from skeptics into preechers. This has been witnessed in most of the 50 states as well as England, Ireland and Italy. Denmark and Ireland, we're coming for you again soon!

After two widely-acclaimed studio albums, the band hopes to capture some of that live energy on a new album titled After Two but Before Five. The album was recorded live recently on two nights in the Northwest.

Rats in the grass

Rats In The Grass is what happens when two local punk rock bands decide to get all bluegrass on you. Local bands Rat City Ruckus and Poop Attack helped form Rats In The Grass and it really will amaze you on how talented these punk rockers are with a mandolin. 

Sassparilla

Portland, Oregon-based outfit Sassparilla has been referred to as
indie-roots, punk-Americana, and punk-roots. Though it is the subtleties
and folk-pop leanings of their latest, The Darndest Thing, that find this
five-piece band slowing things down a bit - and growing up musically.

Comprised of Kevin "Gus" Blackwell (vocals, cigar box guitar, national
resonator guitar), the father and son combo of Ross "Dagger" Macdonald
(harmonica) and Colin "Sweet Pea" Macdonald (washtub bass), Naima (vocals,
accordian, washboard), and Justin Burkhart (drums), Sassparilla offers one
of the most entertaining, sweaty live shows in the Pacific Northwest.
Complete with dancing, sing-along numbers, and plenty of good times. And
now, with The Darndest Thing, they deliver a record that gives fans a new
side of the band, centered on the structure of the song and the lyrics
more so than the party groove and liveliness of their earlier recordings.