The remarkable rise of BBC Radio 2 award winning trio The Trials of Cato on the UK folk-scene has been the subject of massive critical attention. Dubbed "the Sex Pistols of folk,” (J Davis) they pay clear homage to the tradition whilst twisting old bones into something febrile and modern, with stomping tunes and captivating stories.
Some traditions die hard; others just continue to survive despite all odds. The latter is the case with the Cadillac Cowboys. When the Country Volunteers first took the stage of Mr. Flood’s Party in Ann Arbor, back in 1974 no one ever knew what assortment of rag-tag volunteers would show up from one week to the next. Eventually, the lineup began to solidify into a regular outfit that came to be known as the Cadillac Cowboys and, 50 years later, here they are playing the western swing, boogie woogie, classic country and rock & roll that’s as comfortable as an old pair of cowboy boots. Amazing enough. But what’s more amazing is that the Cadillac Cowboys play their tunes with the same freshness, rawness, and energy that they brought to the stage in those early years.
