181 State St
Portland, ME 04101
USA
Taking listeners to a place where rock, backwater blues and Appalachian music come together in unexpected combinations, The Tarbox Ramblers have made a name for themselves with a rough-hewn, direct sound that’s attracted rabid fans and critical praise.
The Ramblers’ self-titled first album, on Rounder, was a juke-joint gem with a loose take on traditional songs going way back. Pushed along by a cave-man rhythm section, violin, and Michael Tarbox’s barbed-wire guitar, it was a surprise hit. The New Yorker said “Between the fiddle, string bass, drums and slide guitar, you won’t know what hit you,” while The Washington Post called the group “a force of nature.” Robert Plant asked The Tarbox Ramblers to open a US tour, and later enlisted them as the backing band for his first performance with Alison Krauss, at The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
The group’s follow-up, A Fix Back East, brought Memphis legend Jim Dickinson on board as producer. The result was a collection of atmospheric originals that extended The Ramblers’ range as they dug deeper into their roots music inspirations. MOJO gave A Fix Back East four stars, All Things Considered aired a rave review, and The Philadelphia Inquirer called it “a tour de force.” The producers of the TV show Sons of Anarchy liked what they heard too, picking up a handful of songs and introducing the band to new listeners throughout the US and Europe.
With a deep catalog of tough and surprisingly lyrical songs, The Ramblers continue to evolve. The group is at home as a rock band, a hillbilly band, and a country blues band. In fact, it’s always been all those things, simultaneously. No matter what they do, though, The Tarbox Ramblers keep it raw, and real. If that’s how like your roots music, check them out. They might just be the band for you.
All Things Considered — “Homemade rock ‘n’ roll with a dose of rattlesnake venom and gospel-drenched howling.”