Active from 2002 Record label MayApple Records | Genre Bluegrass | |
Albums A New Timey Thrill, Arkamo Rangers | ||
The Arkamo Rangers were a Springfield, Missouri bluegrass band with simple and traditional sound yet rebellious and questioning lyrics celebrating modern life with traditional ways. Their name combines the namesakes of the states of Arkansas and Missouri, both of which share the Ozark Mountains, a region the Rangers considered "theirs" and named "The Arkamo."
Contents
The Arkamo Rangers formed in 2002 and produced two albums: self-titled Arkamo Rangers (2004) and more recently, A New Timey Thrill (Mayapple, 2006). They disbanded in 2008.
Their newer album, A New Timey Thrill, is by far the more professional of their two albums, but their original self-titled album gets the Rangers' point across with exceedingly rebellious songs such as "Summertime and Whiskey," which celebrates Ozark moonshine, and the sardonic Underneath a Smile (is just a set of teeth). The original band members have diverse and distinct personalities.
Original Members
Later Members
Members Mark Cassidy, Jim Rea, and Gary Rea, Chad Graves formed the Hillbenders with Nolan Lawrence on mandolin and vocals when the Rangers disbanded in 2008 [1]. The Hillbenders won the 2009 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition.
Arkamo Rangers
This, their first album, appears to have been self-released in 2004, possibly with the help of a Nashville benefactor. It shows a record label logo of a farm tractor and a buggy (Amish horse-drawn buggies are a common site near Springfield), but no label name. It is available from Mayapple Records.
Also includes Bo Brown on dobro and Molly Healey on fiddle.
Songs:
New Timey Thrill
Label: Maypole label, 2006
Songs:
Songs
Can ManA New Timey Thrill · 2006
Big StarA New Timey Thrill · 2006
Haulin HayA New Timey Thrill · 2006