Album Notes

About the Pine Beetles: As the only TinPanCeltiCowboyFolkGrass trio in the Austin area, The Pine Beetles tear it up on the songs you love to hear, from Celtic ballads to Tin Pan Alley jazz. The trio cumulatively plays 12 different instruments, including ukulele, walkabout dulcimer, English concertina, clawhammer banjo, tenor guitar, octave mandolin, and bodhran. Originally formed in late 2006 by Lisa Alexander, George Traugott, and Vanessa Webb, the group hit its stride with the 2007 addition of Bob Guz on ukulele. They quickly became regulars on the local music scene, and after Vanessa Webb left the group, the Pine Beetles discarded the shackles of genre and started a musical free-for-all that continues to this day. Expect the unexpected: Irish tunes on the ukulele, torch songs, cowboy songs, and anything else that strikes their fancy. About the CD: The Pine Beetles were featured regional performers at the 2008 Austin Celtic Festival. Seizing a golden marketing opportunity, they conceived, recorded, and released their first CD—a collection called Celtic Heartland—concurrent with their festival appearance. Their unconventional approach to traditional Celtic music has been described by fans as "beautiful" and "unabashedly American."