The Meat Purveyors All Relationships are Doomed to Fail

Back in the day of the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" frenzy, there was a lot of talk about how bluegrass was back. The Meat Purveyors were there to make sure that it wasn't done too sweetly, too kindly or too safely. Using all the tools they had handy—mandolins, fiddles, crack songwriting and a baaad-ass singer—they created a record that pays due reverence to the giants of bluegrass like Ralph Stanley, RATT and ABBA.

It took no less than the violation of FOUR restraining orders to bring you this album. You better have a better excuse than that for not buying it.

“Frontwoman Jo Walston sounds fragile, dissolute, determined, and mean in unpredictable combinations. She’s never more winning than when warning a ‘little sister’ who may or may not be her kin against guys who leave bruises on your arm, and come to think of it, men in general are piss-poor, and didn’t you like it better living with me anyway? A minus.” —Robert Christgau, The Village Voice

”They use every tool at their disposal, combining raucous strings, smart and funny lyrics and transcendent two-part female harmonies. In sum, TMP narrow the gap between the spirited, the mean and the joyous.” —Riverfront Times

”TMP pull it off with a nudge, a wink and some ruthless picking. Anyone looking for the pure, high lonesome sound is urged to look elsewhere. However, if bluegrass with an edge sounds more appealing, this CD may be the shot of whiskey you’ve been searching for.” —Pulse