Berlin is an unlikely home for an American roots & bluegrass band, but that is where the members of The New Prohibition Band--four from the USA and one from Poland--met. Some followed love, some followed music, some blew in on a wind off the sea, and at least one didn’t see eye to eye with the local sheriff back home. Steeped in the acoustic roots music and bewitching mountain harmonies of the American backwoods, The New Prohibition Band tip their hats to tradition while forging their own songs with a fresh and personal perspective. Their set mixes old ballads of love, murder, lawlessness, and betrayal with original, intimate songs about whiskey, troubles, sisterhood, and of course the New Prohibition. WARNING: they have also been known launch into barn-burning dance tunes without provocation.
REVIEWS FOR OUR CD 'BUSTED'.....
+VICTORY REVIEW MAGAZINE, January 2008, Seattle, WA, USA
The New Prohibition Band's new CD Busted, has something old, something new, something original and 13 tracks worth listening to. Self described as 'psychedelic old-time & haunting maladies', it's an apt description for this band's brand of bootleg bluegrass that delivers its songs with chilling effectiveness. They do it with Cera Impala on banjo and vocals, Dirk Ronneburg on fiddle and vocals and Phil Post on upright bass. The CD begins with the traditional foot stomping instrumental, "Remember What You Told Me," and includes excellent versions of other well known traditionals � "Shady Grove," "Wayfaring Stranger", "Angeline the Baker", "Say darling Say," and "Valley Forge." Impala and Ronneburg have worked out some beautiful harmonies. Their version of "Shady Grove," is a good example. Ronneburg has written lyrics to "Angeline the Baker." Turns out Angeline has been growing something illegal on the back forty. He also wrote "Informant 559," a dance tune about a guy who spills the beans on his friends when he gets caught growing the same thing as Angeline. The other six songs on Busted were written by Impala. She's got some real good ones too, but "River Song," and "Jihad," are my favorites. Her voice and songs are eerie, graceful and a little odd. It's like she's living with a back woods secret she's determined to keep. It's too bad the CD doesn't come with a lyric sheet. If it did I'd be reading the lyrics to "Jihad," very carefully. The middle- eastern melody and Impala's vocals are tragically beautiful, but I can't make out all the words. The New Prohibition Band was Olympia based but they've relocated to Berlin, Germany...So, if you find yourself in Berlin, go and see The New Prohibition Band. They are scheduled to play at venues all around the city. Otherwise you'll just have to listen to Busted or check them out at www.thenewprohibitionband.com.
Hats off to The New Prohibition Band and Busted.
(Heidi Fosner)
+EAST BANK RADIO, Nashville, TN, USA, April 2, 2008
(link: http://eastbankmedia.com/blog/archives/5 )
The New Prohibition Band, based in Berlin, Germany, plays old time string band music with a flair that indicates a sincerity and dedication to the genre. Mixing originals with traditional standards, they’ve made a splash with the 2007 release of Busted on Nana Nana Boo Boo Records.
They’ve since added to the band’s line-up, but when this album was released, the band consisted of Cera Impala, Dirk Ronneburg and Phil Post. While each member is apparently an accomplished artist in their own right, the trio blends their skills to produce a winning product. If there is any question about their approach to their craft, refer to the album cover. It proudly proclaims that “This CD is 100% Guitar Free”.
What the band does bring instrumentally is a banjo, fiddle and upright bass. Despite their relatively small numbers on this project, they give us plenty of bang for the buck. The album kick offs with a traditional number, “Remember What You Told Me”, setting things off with an uptempo instrumental. In fact, their treatment of traditional songs on this disc is one of their strong points. Their unique version of “Wayfaring Stranger” is a standout track and “Angeline the Baker” is a worthwhile footstomper.
When it comes to originals, Impala provides most of the writing talent. She contributes six songs to the project. Ronneburg provides the only other original tune on the album, as well as penning lyrics to the traditional “Angeline the Baker”. Stylistically, The New Prohibition Band doesn’t miss a step between their originals and their covers. There is a continuity between all of the songs to the point where you may not be sure whether they wrote all of them, or whether they are all old time traditionals.
Impala’s “Troubles” and Ronneburg’s “Informant 559″ are, in my opinion, the strongest of the original material. That’s not to say that there are any particularly weak spots on the disc. The quality holds up well throughout the album. Overall, The New Prohibition Band delivers authentic sounding old time music, with a fresh, contemporary sensibility.
If you like good ol’ fiddle driven string band music, Busted is a solid effort that is well worth having. Since the release of this album, the band has doubled in size. I’ll definitely be on the look out for anything new from this group. If they are this good as a trio, the expanded version should be busting at the seams with old timey goodness.
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