July 24, 2013
Vancouver, Washington is a perfect place for alternative
Americana. It's a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, and a
weird mix of blue collar, white collar and red ... well, you get the
idea.
Lincoln's Beard is a folk rock band that appeals to all of the above. The group started playing in 2006 as an alternative bluegrass band. It moved more toward indie rock with each new release, and lately has settled into an alt-folk groove with a recent lineup change.
Lincoln’s Beard is one of those bands where individuals talented in their own right come together for a wholly different sound.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kris Chrisopulos fronted a grunge group before forming the band with Bethel Dwayne Spence (bass, banjo) and former member Tyler Morgan. Crisopulos’ unique crooning set against smooth folk rock helps the band stand apart. Spence once labeled the sound "urgent folk." Any fan of Eddie Vedder’s ventures into folk will approve.
Aram Arslanian (electric guitar, lap steel) and Abe Holderman (drums) round out Lincoln’s Beard’s lineup today. Arslanian, the elder statesman of Lincoln’s Beard, is from Boston and arrived in Vancouver with his wife, Sarah (lead singer of Ladytown), via Los Angeles. His 1997 debut album “East of Western” earned him praise in the adult alternative radio audience. This year, he released “Electric Junk,” the second album as his rock ‘n’ folk-pop project, Orphan Train.
Spence also has an intriguing solo career, with recordings that hold true to the heart of underground singer/songwriters — intimate, lo-fi and darn hard to find.
Altogether, the group's sound fits somewhere between Wilco, Gram Parsons and Uncle Tupelo.
Lincoln's Beard is a folk rock band that appeals to all of the above. The group started playing in 2006 as an alternative bluegrass band. It moved more toward indie rock with each new release, and lately has settled into an alt-folk groove with a recent lineup change.
Lincoln’s Beard is one of those bands where individuals talented in their own right come together for a wholly different sound.
Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kris Chrisopulos fronted a grunge group before forming the band with Bethel Dwayne Spence (bass, banjo) and former member Tyler Morgan. Crisopulos’ unique crooning set against smooth folk rock helps the band stand apart. Spence once labeled the sound "urgent folk." Any fan of Eddie Vedder’s ventures into folk will approve.
Aram Arslanian (electric guitar, lap steel) and Abe Holderman (drums) round out Lincoln’s Beard’s lineup today. Arslanian, the elder statesman of Lincoln’s Beard, is from Boston and arrived in Vancouver with his wife, Sarah (lead singer of Ladytown), via Los Angeles. His 1997 debut album “East of Western” earned him praise in the adult alternative radio audience. This year, he released “Electric Junk,” the second album as his rock ‘n’ folk-pop project, Orphan Train.
Spence also has an intriguing solo career, with recordings that hold true to the heart of underground singer/songwriters — intimate, lo-fi and darn hard to find.
Altogether, the group's sound fits somewhere between Wilco, Gram Parsons and Uncle Tupelo.
This is cool!
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