Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Rising voices of Folk and Americana set to come together in Fargo

Music | June 29th, 2016

By Payton Berger

Folk, Roots, and the newer term, Americana, all seem to apply to a style of music that is often overlooked in modern times. Maybe it’s a preconceived notion of simplicity and homeliness that might deter people’s interest. A somewhat understandable notion when there are so many different types of music and musical ideas that are vying for your ears’ attention.

Folk and Americana music have a lot more depth and character than they are given credit for. They seek to draw from the rich history of America and the roots of its traditions. It is with that tradition that gives the music depth to describe human emotions and vast textures of living. That depth can be overlooked at times because of the patience it takes to get there. It takes longer to create that emotion than some of the catchy, and quickly forgotten, beat-driven tunes on the radio.

It is from that deep inkwell of American traditional roots that bands Dead Horses and The Lowest Pair draw ink to paint their pictures. Dead Horses is a three-piece band out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently touring with a special guest. Their lead singer, Sarah Vos, has a beautiful singing voice that shows the depth of her influence and tradition. Vos grew up singing in choirs, which translates into a fullness and richness in her voice. Listening to her sing might seem like going to church, but she creates so much more. She sharesa full spectrum of ideas and emotions that can connect a person to the the American landscape, as well as the human experience. Dead Horses also includes guitar player Peter Raboin. Raboin plays with skills that are virtually unmatched. Speed and precision are definitely important to a genre that might cross over into Bluegrass territory from time to time, but Peter can play as light and delicate as he can fast and hard. Daniel Wolff grounds the other two by playing the double bass. Wolff adds the deepness of tone needed to emphasize the full spectrum of the band’s sounds. Dead Horses are now touring with drummer Jay Spanbauer. The addition of Spanbauer shows Dead Horses’ movement into a more percussive sound.

The Lowest Pair originated as a banjo duo, which leads to a more folksy sound than the Dead Horses. The Lowest Pair hasn’t strayed much from their original inception. They’ve only added more depth and texture by playing more French harp (harmonica) and resonator guitar. Half of The Lowest Pair consists of Kendl Winter, who describes their musical location as, “a beautiful place to be, in between these rich, old, traditional sounds and modern. That's where we come from, and that's how we sound interpreting that music.” Winter’s delightful and quirky voice is balanced by Palmer T. Lee’s,which wrings with dirty and difficult emotions that may have been born in a Northern Minnesota iron mine. As a duo The Lowest Pair comes from two places. Winter hails from Olympia, Washington and Palmer from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dead Horses and The Lowest Pair both have new albums, which is good news for listeners as they can hear both bands growing. The Lowest Pair released two albums earlier this year, titled "Uncertain as it is Uneven” and "Fern Girl and Ice Man.” Dead Horses’ newest album is titled “Cartoon Moon.” The main difference from their previous albums is the addition of percussion. Ken Coomer, previously of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, played drums and worked as a producer on the album. The album isn’t due for release until September, but physical copies will be available at live shows (wink wink).

Both groups are less than five years old, so the growth they show is delightful to hear as they lend their own voices to the American songbook. Dead Horses and The Lowest Pair are only playing two shows in July together. Both groups have busy touring schedules and were only available for the pairing on two dates this time around. Vos says, “I absolutely believe that touring with other artists helps push boundaries and inspire growth. It's fascinating to look at bands from the ‘60s and ‘70s and see how they all affected one another. I feel that I've seen that happening regionally here in the scene, which has brought me a lot of joy. Music and art are about expression, and are collaborative in the most subtle, and sometimes unconscious, ways.” Sometimes people look backwards at previous generations and think they were better than the present. Yes, there was a lot of great music written in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but there is a lot of great music being written now. Music that has just as much character and expression as that of the past, and that’s a wonderful thing to watch evolve. 

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comDairy Queen restaurants across the country will raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals during Miracle Treat Day on Thursday, July 31. At least one dollar from every Blizzard…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comFM Pride Week returns to the Fargo-Moorhead metro August 3-10. A snapshot of events are listed below. Discover event descriptions and locations as well as volunteer opportunities online at…

Monday, August 11Fargo Theatre, 314 N. Broadway, Fargo “Saw The Musical” premiered Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2023, parodying the events of the first “Saw” film. It has been described as “a love story with fluidity (and…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comReagan laughed and quipped — but it has come true under our CEOPresident Reagan thought he was joking when he spoke to a 1980s political rally: “The nine most terrifying words in the English…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com The wildly talented and ambitious Zach Cregger drags us back to the basement in “Weapons,” one of the year’s most satisfying and enjoyable films of any genre. While fans of…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comPenn & Teller are returning to their roots. The legendary magic and comedy duo will appear on the Crown Stage at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota, where they first…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comCaregivers for school-aged children and teenagers are encouraged to bring them to back-to-school immunization clinics scheduled for every Tuesday in August. Fargo Cass Public Health (FCPH)…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…