An interesting trend has developed over the past couple of decades — Punk bands have inexplicably become a reliable farm system for acoustic Folk/Americana/Bluegrass explorations.
The reasons for the conversion are varied, but Punk musicians who pursue this path often cite honesty and passion as the connective tissue between their seemingly disparate genres. There are few better examples of the paradigm than British Folk banger Frank Turner.
Although influenced by Nebraska and versed in the ways of Billy Bragg, Turner has never strayed too far from his Rock roots, as evidenced by his propulsive 2011 commercial breakthrough, England Keep My Bones, and his infectiously brilliant new album Tape Deck Heart, which just missed hitting the very top of the British charts and nearly cracked the Top 50 in the U.S.
Regardless of your musical inclinations, if you’re looking for honesty and passion (and volume, in both of its contexts), Frank Turner is the man to see and hear.
Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls play Wednesday, Nov. 20 with The Smith Street Band and Koo Koo Kanga Roo at the Ballroom in the Taft Theatre downtown. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
