Dangermuffin’s Moonscapes – Representing Coffin Island
By Blake Bunch
A palpable flow of positive energy surged through the lofts and rafters of the Music Farm on March 20 as our local boys, Dangermuffin, took to the stage following an opening set by James Justin and Company. “This is our town,” they proclaimed, and with nearly 600 drinkers, dancers, and a local roller derby crew in attendance for their CD release celebration, their message was obvious through the crowd’s ecstatic anticipation.
Dangermuffin has been setting the bar (no pun intended) for island roots rock/folk/Americana/reggae even before the release of their debut album, Beermuda, in 2007. Despite their obvious popularity, Dan, Steven, and Mike have retained their humble “playing for a bar tab” attitude. It is obvious at their shows – the Moonscape release party in particular – that they are having as much, if not more, fun than those of us lucky enough to be in attendance. Do not let this laid-back attitude mislead you, however, as these guys take their music very seriously. This is all made very clear in the content of their songs which are constructed through the musical chops of drummer/student-of-the-game Steven Sandifer, guitarist/banjo player Mike Sivilli, and songwriter Dan Lotti: oh yeah, they all sing very well, too.
Their knack for keeping very precise timing in their live sets is one of their driving forces. They can start a song at a bluegrass rhythm, transfer into reggae chords, then rock out if they want to, all while gettin’ funky and harmonizing without breaking stride. Their jams are not excessively played out as it is with most groups dubbed “jam-band.” During their acoustic sets as Ramblemuffins, Sandifer will often slide from his kit to the upright bass, Sivilli from his electric to slide guitar or banjo, and Lotti will hold strong on his acoustic. Sometimes they’ll play sets strictly in this manner, applying their multiple layers of musical talent to the crowd of melomaniacs.
If you have seen them live before, this is all well understood. Dangermuffin’s new album, Moonscapes, displays all of the guys’ musical abilities, simultaneously covering a lot of ground style-wise. “We started recording in February [2009] between Charleston and Nashville, Tennessee,” Lotti says. On this album, there are songs like “Walk Into the Wind,” “Mystery Repeating,” and “Lawman”, which display their bluegrass chops. “Lawman,” despite its ironically comical lyrics such as, “’Cause when we see you speeding the wrong way, you truly are stirring up some concern, it’s concerning,” is rowdy yet precisely timed. Though the term is redundant, there are “jam” songs like “Moonscapes,” and “Gutter Dance.” In these songs, Sandifer’s rhythms are a bit more elaborate, as well as Sivilli’s guitar licks. They also throw in some very mellow reggae tunes, as very well-written folk tunes. Folly local Shannon Whitworth joins the boys on “Coffin Island,” lending a little more depth to a great song about the island.
The path that Dangermuffin is heading on right now is definitely looking bright. This new album’s out and they are embarking on two national tours this summer, playing festivals in the Midwest, as well as dates all over Oregon and the Pacific Northwest throughout the summer. “We are really grateful to have met some good people over the years. They definitely have experience in the game, and are really steering us in the right direction,” says Lotti. The band has recently joined up with New Frontier Touring, a Nashville-based booking agency which represents the likes of The Avett Brothers, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, and The Bridge, where before, they were basically booking their own gigs. “In the big picture, we could keep trying to book things ourselves,” says Lotti. “What they do is ‘bring you up’; they have an extensively proven track record.” Dangermuffin is playing throughout all of Summercamp, a festival over the Memorial Day weekend in Illinois, then heading out Northwest and basically covering all of Oregon with 13 set dates in June. They are also going to be at the Jazz Aspen festival in Colorado, which they played in 2008. On the Fourth of July they are playing at the Floyd Fandango, a food and wine festival, and playing at Floydfest in Floyd, Virginia, afterwards.
“We’re just going to keep doing what we’ve always done, we’re ready for whatever,” says Lotti. Well, what they’ve been doing is working, so it only seems natural. If you get the chance go out and pick up this album, it’s very impressive.
