Twisted South Radio welcomes Freddie Vanderford,The Kopecky Family and The Dirty Guv'nahs

Growing up in Buffalo, SC, Vanderford first learned to play the harp from his grandfather. Initially, Vanderford blended the country style of his grandfather with the sound of the Chicago blues. One day on the way to school, however, Vanderford turned on the radio to hear Arthur “Peg Leg Sam” Jackson play the Piedmont Blues. Once the teenage Vanderford discovered that the blues harpist and former medicine show performer lived nearby, he set out to meet him, eventually developed a close relationship and learned something of Peg Leg Sam’s skills and his style. Like all families, Kopecky Family Band beats with the same heart and writes in the same blood. The Family began creating music together in Nashville, Tennessee in the Fall of 2007. What started as late night talks about life and dreams gradually flowed into eccentric and beautiful music that has propelled this band into the forefront of the fast-moving Nashville music scene. Leading the family are singers Gabe and Kelsey, along with Steven (lead guitar), Corey (bass), Markus (cello), Benjamin (violin), and David (drums). The emotion of their music is raw and vulnerable whilst maintaining an unmistakable power and presence. The sounds created by the booming and orchestral septet challenge the listener’s ear while still offering simply melodies to sing along with. The Dirty Guv’nahs new CD, Youth Is In Our Blood, produced by two-time Grammy-winner Justin Guip (Levon Helm, The Black Crowes) at Helm’s renowned barn/studio in Woodstock, NY is the follow-up to their eponymous 2009 debut. It is a hot, roiling stew of gritty, soul-influenced rock ‘n’ roll, mixed with a hefty helping of roots, funk, blues and country. It’s the sound that has earned them the distinction of being voted Knoxville’s Best Ban —three years in a row—by the readers of that city’s alternative weekly, Metro Pulse.