I had a fun weekend, thanks for asking.  I guess I'll talk about it, or, technically, blog about it.  I visited New Orleans this weekend and I got to see my fiance and some old friends.  A stop by Dos Jefes cigar bar and Harrah's casino trigger a certain tune about a nun-named-Maria's favorite things.  I ate brunch at a place called Surrey's which featured some eclectic but distinctly New Orleansy artwork, with clay sculptures of architecture and paintings of skeletons, alligators and birds playing brass instruments all colored with bright pastels.  Yes, the food was great too.

My fiance got me some Beats by Dre headphones, and they are everything they are hyped to be.  Super distinct sound with low bass and bright treble, the clarity and definition is hard to beat in any sound environment.  As I simultaneously tested my new headphones and checked the Twitterverse, I ran into a tweet by Dierks Bentley and CMT promoting Dierks' newest album, "Riser"  and the album's namesake song (yes, "Riser") and I am really excited about it.  The album will be released, at least on iTunes, on 25 Feb and I will be putting "Riser" in my country playlist.  It features an awesome set of guitars with combinations of picking and strumming that was nothing if not enhanced by my new Beats.  Dierks talks about it being an inspirational song and album, about rising after failure.  Wait for it... maybe Kentucky's Basketball team will be a "Riser" after that miserable showing on Saturday.  There it is.

I watched the promotional video, which is great, linked from the tweet. but you can click straight to it here.
This album includes his newest singles "Bourbon in Kentucky" and "I Hold On", and Dierks has proven he is more than relevant.  This is going to be a great new album of country music.

I was lucky enough to visit Colorado with my family this winter.  We went to Steamboat Springs, a big gorgeous mountain that's famous for its consistent "champagne powder" snow.  Even during "mild" winters when we visited there was deep powder to be found just off the beaten trails, but usually we would get fresh, dry powder dumped on us more than once during a 5-or-so-day visit.  See below.

We all (7 in our group, with 5 to join us later in one packed condo) flew into Hayden/Steamboat Springs airport, a tiny little tarmac that I think was converted from a helicopter pad.  Some 20-somethings had been drinking and talking loudly with each other throughout the flight, all with slight but noticeable Texas drawls, and when we piled into the shuttle I was slightly dismayed to find they were joining us for the 30-45 minute ride into town.  You see, Steamboat was promoting their mountain with a big Texas music festival, so there were more cowboy hats than usual (even for a western Colorado town) and these boisterous folks were in town to listen to local Texas country stars.  I thought, "Great!  I love country music!"  After my personable brother befriended and lent the group his mini-speaker to use to play music, we learned that this wasn't what we were used to hearing in the South.

You see, there is Nashville country, and there's Texas country, and now I'm sure there are plenty of other sects where the local sound differs from other regions.  I think our (somewhat ironically) favorite song that was played was called "Snake Farm" (click to watch the YouTube video and listen to this weird song).  It's kind of hard to describe sounds, but either trust me when I say this ISN'T Nashville country, or watch the video.  There were some comments about Nashville being superior, but mostly the odd western twang and the inebriated early-20s girl trying to sing every word with an exaggerated drawl drowned them out.

But we did find a diamond-in-the-rough.  The photo above is inside a ski-in bar and grill where we were gathered to watch the Florida State/Auburn BCS Championship (RIP BCS Championship, welcome NCAA Playoffs!).  The first picture has the name of one Josh Ward.  He's the guy playing in this photo.  His big album is called "Promises" and features some great songs; some of hurtin', some of cryin', some of whiskey and some of love.  There are great fiddles crescendoing throughout a western Texas twang, but I swear to you the man sounds like Travis Tritt, and that's what I loved so much about him.  I recommend "Promises," "Pony Town," and of course "Hard Whiskey."  The album is on Spotify, so if you want to hear a new country singer that you won't hear on southern radios and sounds like the guitars and pianos are echoing off of wooden slats in a small western saloon, give it a listen.  You won't regret it.  

I attached a GoPro to my helmet and snowboard while I rode on the mountain all week, and yes, it's as awesome as it sounds!  I'm currently cutting the video with some music that I hope to show to friends and family.  I'll definitely try to embed a video here when it's ready!

As I figure out what to do with my life after another disappointing Kentucky Wildcats Football performance, I'll take a friend up on his suggestion to talk about the lead guitarist from Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey Buckingham.

The video above is more than worth the two minutes of your life to turn off the TV and listen and watch.  Lindsey Buckingham is phenomenal in his performance of "Big Love".  I've heard some people sing that should honestly just sing louder, pouring out their heart and soul, but they are nervous or afraid and so they restrain the beauty and energy that lies within.  Sometimes you need to just open your mouth and let your gut force out the incredible sounds you are capable of making.  Lindsey's energy here is palpable; he sings and picks that guitar with a gusto to which few people pay much attention.  

As I fill these posts I am quickly understanding the challenges in writing about bourbon.  Reading about alcohol, or any sort of food or beverage for that matter, is boring to most and there are definitely a finite number of brands and distilleries.  That won't stop me from figuring out the interesting conversations, the things that pique your interest about bourbon and your after-work joys and vices, but when I hear different styles of music my eyes are opened to a literally infinite supply of guitarists.  And that's not to mean that good guitarists and musicians are a dime a dozen; on the contrary, they are hard to find, but each one is unique and talented.  I'm not really a fan or follower of Fleetwood Mac, but here I am, enthralled in watching Lindsey's fingers and hearing the music they make.  Let this open your eyes and ears to the magic of music.  So sit back, and if you have some fancy TV where you can make your internets appear on a big screen and the sound come through loud expensive speakers, do that.  If not, hit the mute button and watch your computer for a few minutes.

Eagles are beautiful and impressive animals; they are graceful and powerful birds that soar, sweep, swirl, and dive over forests and rivers.  They are at the top of their food chain (what bear catches eagles?) but they are elusive and rare.  And so I could describe Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.  Eagle Rare is distilled and bottled in Frankfort, KY at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.  There's a 10-year and a 17-year bourbon (both of which are aged much longer than the average 5-7 years for a decent bourbon) and the version I'm drinking tonight is the 10-year.  

Eagle Rare soars, sweeps, swirls, and dives smoothly; I would describe it as sweet with an orange spice tone, and the pros at Eagle Rare describe it thus:  

(photo courtesy of http://sippingwithsmoth.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-bangin-single-barrel-bourbon-eagle.html)

To the left you see Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, the lead singer and guitarist (respectively, right to left) of Aerosmith, arguably one of the best rock 'n roll bands of all time, and certainly one of the best selling rock 'n roll bands of all time.  

The band's history is storied; a dynamic and explosive start, several years of success, then Joe Perry and Brad Whitford (the other guitarist) leave the band, followed later by their return and a Rare return to success and continued fame.  But you can read about the band Aerosmith on Wikipedia.  Perry is a brilliant guitarist, writing much of the music with Tyler and even lead singing in a few of their songs.  His style is smooth and sweet, like the bourbon in this feature; just listen to songs like "Sweet Emotion", "Same Old Song and Dance", "Rag Doll" and "Dude Looks Like  a Lady" (can't hear this song without picturing Robin Williams in an old lady costume air-guitaring and dancing in pumps with a vacuum cleaner in "Mrs. Doubtfire").  The amplifier settings no-doubt feature some crunching riffs that rock 'n roll enthusiasts long for, but the notes flow and sweep through the songs, creating a very enjoyable sound most people can tap their feet to.

My favorite Aerosmith song, however, is "Last Child".  Steven Tyler's almost sassy voice weaves in and out of the strong notes played by Perry through the verses, taking off to his almost wailing of "Last Child!" during the chorus, perfectly complementing the warm and resonating strings being plucked by Perry.  Perry steps up and down on the neck of his guitar, sometimes soaring with Tyler's voice, sometimes swirling and sweeping through brief solos and riffs, and sometimes diving like a Rare eagle aiming for its prey.  

There's no question that Eagle Rare is a fantastic bourbon, reasonably priced for such an aged whiskey.  Its sweet flavors are perfect for the beginner bourbon connoisseur and complex enough to be enjoyed by long-time bourbon enthusiasts with its spice and bite.  Joe Perry is a perfect pairing, offering gentle but still edgy noise to the ears of rock listeners.  

Kentucky.  It's known as the Bluegrass State because of its beautiful strain of grass that grows out of the rich soil.  It's known as the Bourbon State because we make it.  It's the 15th state admitted to the Union, and the year was 1792.

That's where the heritage of this great whiskey starts, but it's far from where it ends.  It is an 8-year, small batch bourbon and the rye recipe keeps the flavor strong and dry for those who drink a lot of scotches, but like all bourbons keeps its dark honey-brown color and finishes smooth.  Speaking of honey, I think I caught a note of honey, along with cinnamon, pepper and just the tiniest hint of vanilla.  In my laymen's terms I think I would describe this as a transitional bourbon between the sweeter, wheat bourbons like Maker's Mark, and the drier, lighter-in-color scotches that leave the weak crinkling their face as it bites their palate.  

I had a hard time finding this bourbon at first, out in San Diego, but I soon remembered a small liquor store near SDSU called Keg N Bottle.  Below are a couple of photos of their wall of majesty, a.k.a. their whiskey selection.

It's reasonably priced, but it's more of a premium than a value.  Keep in mind this is San Diego and it was a small liquor store, but I paid around $40 for it.  Still not bad for a rich, complex and smooth bourbon straight from Bardstown, KY.

How do I transition from a top-notch bourbon to Slash?  Because he's a top-notch guitarist.  1792 has the sweet smoothness we enjoy in our bourbons that separate them from scotch and "plain" American whiskey (think the "Sweet Child 'O Mine" intro), but keeps our tongues swirling with a dry spiciness that is unique and bites just enough to offend a few (the song "Ghost", performed by Slash and featuring Ian Astbury has a catchy, up-beat guitar riff that is as classic as it is unique, see lyrics clip above).  

Doctor Alibi is another great song on Slash's 2010 compilation album (called, creatively, "Slash").  Lemmy Kilmister's raspy voice matches the crunch on the guitar and the almost choppy but steady rhythm. As I've mentioned before, I recommend Spotify for listening to music, but you can also YoutTube, or iTunes if you like pain.  

I'll be trying to write more "guitarist and bourbon pairings".  It was a great concept given to me by family, and I hope I can mold it into something interesting, unique, and enjoyable, like a slightly chilled glass of 1792 and some Slash guitar riffs.

Two last-minute thoughts:  If you like scotches, try Red Breast.  It's a smooth, cinnamon-y and spicy whiskey.  And you may recognize the song "By the Sword" on "Slash".  

Today was a solid day of golfing and sitting on my rear trying to come up with something to write about.  

So here's a new list of some country songs that are pretty new that are deserving of my noble recommendation, as well as one of Mumford and Sons' newest songs, and lastly an under-rated song with a link to the music video because VEVO hates free internet.

Dierks Bentley:  if you know anything about country, you've heard this guy.  Maybe not the best, but he has longevity.  This is a newer one that's on the top 40 right now.  I love any song that references Kentucky, and I'm sure most of you guys appreciate a little bourbon reference.  The song is called "Bourbon in Kentucky", and it features a modern country/rock guitar sound but in the spirit of the sad old country songs "There ain't enough bourbon in Kentucky for me to forget you".  Listen on youtube, Spotify, or iTunes if you must, but listen to it somewhere.

Have I really not talked about any of Mumford and Sons' songs on here yet?  I know I've mentioned the group at least, but maybe this is the first full song recommendation.  Anyway, one of the most amazing things about Mumford is that all of their songs sound almost the same, but are still unique and incredible to listen to.  A funny meme parodies the band here: http://cheezburger.com/7264897280.  I can't guarantee that that link is G-rated, there's some enthusiastic language, but it definitely made me laugh.  If you have go to restaurants or bars like normal humans, or have access to the radio, you've probably already heard this song.  Let this be a reminder that it's awesome.

Mumford and Sons "I Will Wait" from the album "Babel".

I can't get over how alike this guy sounds to George Strait.  It's uncanny.  It's also great for our ears.  The song "All Over the Road" is kind of a humorous romantic song where Corbin sings about a woman distracting him while driving.  It's not explicit, but the music video is definitely a bit suggestive, but still fun.  I believe the last time I mentioned him I recommended "Roll With It."  The guy just has a great voice, you should listen to him if you haven't.



Easton Corbin "All over the Road"
Photo from this Site: http://bigfrog104.com/inside-easton-corbins-tour-bus-video/

Now, finally, the most under-rated song and music video of the decade:  Brad Paisley and Keith Urban "Start a Band."  I know, I know, it's not a new song, but this isn't your blog.

The song starts like a few other of Paisley's storylines, like "Cooler Online", but the beauty of this song is with the guitars and the video.  (Also that beautiful Telecaster that Paisley plays, seen to the left!).  You can hear some nice, twangy riffs that song distinctly like Keith Urban and Brad Paisley (Watch Keith Urban's "Stupid Boy" video on YouTube to hear how his guitar usually sounds).  Come about 2:45 into the song, the two start going into solo-battles, and if you watch the video you can just see how much fun they are having, playing off of each other's leads and even playing each other's guitars in the middle of the solos.  It's incredible, and these two are easily the best guitarists in mainstream country music.  The video has great shots of their hands while they are playing and folks who have played guitar know what's going on and folks that haven't should get a little better appreciation for what goes into learning these instruments.  So like I said, click here to watch the YouTube video of these two in action and maybe you'll see what I'm talking about.  

Remember, I'd love to hear any of your own recommendations or thoughts on music, country or otherwise.  

Today I'd like to talk about some of the conversations I've read recently regarding the music industry, musical artists, and the role that the internet, technology, and ever-changing expectations play in them.

I'll start by stating something that should be obvious:  most musicians are poor, broke, or don't make their money through their music.  In the past, musicians have made money through record deals and concerts.  That's about it.  Now we have iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, Slacker, and even Google and Amazon have music services; so don't musicians have all sorts of new revenue streams which just feed them money as they lay back and enjoy the ride?  Well, here's the problem:  These guys care just as much about musicians as record labels.

I've read a few articles recently which address these phenomena, and people have lots of things to say, like "shouldn't musicians be paid 'fairly'?"  or other complaints about either the corporate monster or the poor, victimized musician.  Now, I can understand both of the sides here.  After all, if grown men can play sports and get paid 6, 7 and 8 figures a year, why can't musicians get paid for their hard work?  You guys know that I love music just as much if not more than your average American, but I'm not so sure I would be willing to pay more than I currently do for my music.  And that's the other side, the corporate side, which knows that people want their music in mass quantities, and they want it all the time, and they don't want to pay a dime out of their own pocket for it.

So what can we do?  Well, for one, musicians will always make the most money from concerts.  That's why concerts cost so much, and so many people are packed in, and beer and booze are marked up 8,000%.  Musicians make some money there.  They also used to make money from CDs or "albums".  This isn't a totally dead technology, but anybody under the age of 40 should know that CDs are dying like the VHS before it, and the digital age has provided people not only the capability to pirate music, but the opportunity to carry gigabytes of songs on their arm or in their pocket.  Soon it will terabytes, and our ability to shrink data will be second only to Rick Moranis.

And here I reach my point about musicians making money:  people don't WANT to buy music, but they are willing to pay for entertainment.  It's important to understand the difference, and for aspiring musicians, you need to understand that record labels and companies don't owe you anything.  I've read that companies like Spotify pay musicians fractions of a cent per play on a song; the bottom line is, for most of you, it's a waste of your time fighting that process.  Take the exposure and publicity for what it is, and focus on delivering the entertainment that people will pay for.  Oh, and if you aren't a musician, don't fight companies like iTunes and Spotify; you'll ruin the cheap, legal music for the rest of us ;)

I promised you guys a post this weekend, so I won't disappoint all 3 of my viewers ;).  Where to begin?  I have several different topics to cover, and only so much time to hold your attention...

I'll start with how beautiful a day it was here in sunny San Diego.  I know, it's selfish and annoying that I get this beautiful weather while many of my friends and family  from the south are still dealing with rain and coldish weather before the summer... but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy my beautiful sunshine!

Look right to the left and you'll see my view from my apartment balcony.  It's gorgeous, isn't it?  I'll talk about the pipe in a little bit.  But I woke up this morning and it was cool but bright and mild, so I expected it to warm up significantly, and I was right!  I really haven't taken advantage of my pool at my apartment the way it should be, but today I decided it was about time!  Looking below you will probably want to kick me, since it took me almost a year before I really enjoyed this gorgeous pool patio...

This is a nasty view from my apartment.  I don't really know how to talk about this without bragging, so if you're jealous, just get over it.  But seriously, part of the reason I don't get to enjoy this is that I work all the time.  Yea I know, cry me a river, you guys all work all the time too.  So we all are screwed.

The beauty of this summer-esque weather brings to mind several things, but not the least of which being cold, golden beers.  My local supermarket has good deals on alcohol when bought in large-ish amounts, which means bottles of liquor by the 6 and 6-packs of beer by the fours.  So I got four 6-packs yesterday as follows:

That's Beck's (mentioned in Beerfest!  Watch that movie!), Kona Longboard, a great Hawaiian Lager, Sierra Nevada Kellerweis, a Hefeweizen, (pronounced "Heff-uh-vizen"), and Sam Adams Summer Ale.  Now, I'm open to more suggestions for great summer beers, but if you are looking for great beers to enjoy out in the sun, these are four fantastic choices.  Beck's is very light, a classic German-style, very light and enjoyable.  Kona Longboard is like Budweiser, but they put more effort into it.  That's all I can really describe for it.  It's a full-flavored lager.  Classic.  The 'Hef is light, crisp and citrusy, as are most 'Hefs, but some of them are too sweet, or too bland; Sierra Nevada did a great job creating something light and citrusy while still biting back a bit.  It has a crisp bite while giving you a refreshing flavor and feeling as it goes down in the hot sun.  And Samuel Adams Summer Lager is again light, crisp and citrusy, but it is very specific in that it tastes like an Ale, with a lemony-citrus flavor, and not as cloudy as the Hef.  All of these beers are different in their own right, but similar profiles that compliment the heat and relaxation by the water.  Enjoy!

The picture you see to the left is pretty standard for the employees at Racine and Laramie.  Don't ask me how to pronounce that name.  Also, I don't know if it is a requirement to sport a curled mustache like shown in the picture to work there, but let's just say that when I visited, I saw a similar mustache on an employee that is not featured in the photo to the left.  

This is the smoke shop in Old Town, San Diego, CA.  It is located in an historic district (yea I pronouned "historic" as 'istoric', sue me) which looks like an old western village.  There are lots of old museum-esque buildings as well as refurbished restaurants and modern cigar bars.  This particular establishment, however, is particularly awesome.  The clothing that the man to the left is wearing isn't because his style is queer, it's because the smoke shop is not just a shop, but a sort of museum!

The above photos shoe the smoke shop, Racine and Laramie (I still have to read it every time in order to spell it, and I can't even feel confident while saying the name out loud, so don't feel bad if you can't either...)

The shop is amazing for smokers; they have a walk-in humidor and cigar section where one can smoke a delicious cigar in-house.  They have glass cases where they display not only gorgeous ancient artifact-type pipes that aren't for sale, but also expensive-to-cheap pipes for purchase and smoking.  The best and most customer-friendly aspect, is the in-shop blends of pipe tobacco.  One of the photos above shows some jars with labels; these are filled with said tobacco for pipes.  The shop allows a customer to walk in, pull out his own pipe, and grab tobacco from the jars and sample a smoke!  They provide matches, ashtrays and everything!  It's a really great shop and a great experience if you like cigars or pipes!

Knob Creek.  I've talked about it before.  Tonight I am drinking it after coming in from the heat and those delicious beers above.  It's just a classic bourbon.  Smoke and vanilla, oak and just a hint of cinnamon, this is a whiskey man's whiskey.  From Kentucky.  I find myself listening to a combo of country (Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Brooks and Dunn, Eric Church, etc) and Rock, such as Third Eye Blind and Mission South.  My taste in music is sorta eclectic, but my favorites are similar styles.  Where are your favorite smoke shops?  Do you have favorite bands or musicians to listen to while smoking or drinking?  Do you have a favorite bourbon or whiskey that I haven't mentioned yet in my short tenure?  Do you have suggestions for music?  Post, share, talk, anything!

This article was inspired by a Time Magazine article, and in respect to them, I won't just re-package the article here.  That would be unethical.  And probably illegal, despite me not generating revenue from this website.  The article describes the controversial topic of online streaming and peer-to-peer file sharing, in laymen's terms, Illegal Music Downloading.  (Let's be honest, what in the funky butt-loving kind of files would people need to be sharing in mass quantities besides really awesome things, like music that hasn't been paid for?)

Two notes:  1st) the photo above was taken from this website; I picked it purely because it looked cool, and I'm graphically lazy.  2nd) I am currently drinking Bulleit Bourbon, like literally, as I am typing these words.  Yes this is relevant, the dang blog is called "guitarsandbourbon".  I've had it before tonight, but I have been itching to drink some different bourbons around my apartment.  It has a full flavor, with some spicy, smoky tones.  I'm looking forward to smoking my pipe with it this weekend.  (This reminds me, I owe you guys a post about a local smoke shop that is really unique and awesome!)

This is the only thing I will copy and paste directly.  But I think it's missing the bigger point here.  Before you get too deep into this topic, go read the whole article.  I now have two links to it on this page.  Go do it now.  ...Okay, welcome back!  Anyway, the bigger point is the underlying concept of missed opportunities; if somebody takes something that they didn't intend to originally purchase, it is still theft, but when it occurs on this large of a scale, maybe there's something the music industry could learn.  Take for instance, the idea of free samples, and if you want to use the candy example, all the better.  If somebody gets a small amount of free candy, is it likely that they will never pay for candy ever again?  No.  The vast majority of people will either be exposed to the deliciousness of it, and return to purchase it, or they will be reminded of the same and act accordingly.  The same thing goes for music.


I posted earlier about The Tilt, a blues/rock/country band out of San Diego, CA.  Their website is a perfect example of giving out their music for free.  Artists and record labels need to utilize these opportunities to expose their music, giving people free tastes, showing people the great music out there, and then more people will crave and be more likely to buy music.  The bottom line is, the music industry record labels are about as highly-regarded as politicians, and people feel screwed by them.  They want to pay for music, but they don't think the price is fair, and most people don't want to buy a record with 10-20 songs for around $15 if they really only like 2 of those songs.  Individual song downloading only partly addresses this problem.  


I guess I could harp on this for years, but instead I'll cut off this post and ask what you guys think!

I often use stumbleupon.com and while "stumbling" I sometimes run into a website by the name of www.buzzfeed.com; my girlfriend just sent me a link to one of their posts about South by Southwest and the hottest new bands of 2013 (you can view the original post here).

Now, the list is eclectic and I don't really like most of these artists myself, but I did find a couple of gems and I'd still like to point out some talent where credit is due.  The first important mention is "Dawes".

Here's an official VEVO music video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HctNdDxXa-A.  This one is actually my favorite I've heard of theirs.  The most recent one I could find is this one here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bxwEscWZEI.  This song, called "From a Window Seat" makes the singer sound like Bob Seger, and the smooth alternative rock style is pleasant to most people's ear-palate (not a scientific term).

Okay, this is Kendrick Lamar.  I am hesitant to mention him on my blog, because he isn't what most people would consider "clean".  He uses strong language and his music isn't what I expect most of my readers would listen to, but he's a very talented up and coming rapper, and this is a perfect example of recognizing talent, pure and raw.  If you are offended by strong language, please ignore this artist and don't try to listen to this music, but if you are open-minded or like rap music, check out "Swimming Pools" here on VEVO:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ejyHzz3XE

Natural Child is what Buzzfeed calls "garage rock" and "if the dudes in lynyrd skynyrd had children that were raised on a strict diet of coffee and candy."  To me that brings to mind something much more hectic and harsh sounding.  These guys sound a little more mellow than that, maybe just kids that had too many sodas that were influenced by Skynyrd.  But have a listen for yourself and make your own call.  Here's "Ain't Gonna Stop".

Folks, I hope y'all did bear with me, because I've saved the best for last.  This is my personal recommendation and MUST LISTEN TO for new bands in 2013.  Also, I use the term 2013 loosely.  But they are just starting to break out among crowds, and their spooky, whispy-sounding name is like an allusion to their music.  It's smooth, with roots in bluegrass, folk and rock, and their best song, "Beggar's Guild", even has some jazz with a trumpet sounding somewhere in the last third of the song.  The lead singer is the guy second from the right in this American Flag photo, with long brown hair and a mustache.  I'd just like to say that I'm very grateful that his voice, with a smooth, high-pitched twang and strong carry, is much better than that mustache.  But to each his own.  

They are from Florida, and this is a very easy song for me to fall in love with when they start out with so much twang using a banjo and acoustic guitar.  The song appears to be slowing and beginning what we call the "outro" before the 2:30 mark, but they bring it right back with power and finesse in what is effectively the second half of the song.  Enjoy their great sound and help me cheer on new artists and encourage their continued contributions to music!  Below is "Beggar's Guild".