The Meat Purveyors Sweet in the Pants

Puttin' the ass back in bluegrass, these Austin-ites arm themselves with fiddles, mandolins, and guitars and run headlong into the battle of Left Hand Hate and Right Hand Love with their debut CD. On the right hand, there are exquisite renditions of anthems from Merle, Elvis, and Bill (Monroe, that is). On the left hand, there are the profane gutter brawls with songs about shallow graves, winning the Sweepstakes, pot-smoking, and other topics deemed unsavory by contemporary bluegrass standards. All of this (as if it weren't enough already!!) is fronted by a singer who's a little bit Hazel Dickens, a little bit Janis Joplin, and a little bit Squeaky Fromme. Features the fiddle work of Ralph White (ex-Bad Livers) and Steve Rosen (he played on Robbie Fulks' first record). Join the battle, brothers and sisters: the choice is yours.

"It's obvious that each member of TMP is a topnotch talent. Brilliant songwriting, near hypnotizing harmonies, and some of the hottest picking and fiddling ... filled with reverie, sadness, and the pioneer spirit." —Pitch Weekly

"The deconstruction/reconstruction of such a well-known form is a risk, and the ability to pull it off successfully is rare. The contemporization of such age-old bluegrass and country themes as crime, loss, murder, and infidelity comes with ease for the Purveyors." —Creative Loafing