Pinmonkey

Pinmonkey, the Nashville-based outfit, has coined the label progressive country for its sound, yet that phrase falls well short of conveying the ensemble’s full stylistic breadth. The group weaves together an eclectic array of country and Americana threads, from traditional Southern gospel and Appalachian folk to the close-harmony approach of the Carter Family, Muscle Shoals pop-soul, and faint echoes of 1970s rock. Early in 2002 the band issued its first long-player, Speak No Evil.

Virginia-born frontman Michael Reynolds initially headed to Nashville intent on establishing himself as a Music City tunesmith. Following a prolonged stretch of hardship and low-paying work, he began testing material at modest writers’-night showcases. There he connected with siblings Chad Jeffers and Michael Jeffers—respectively handling Dobro and lap steel plus bass—and with drummer Rick Schell, whose soaring soprano vocals had previously graced recordings and tours by Steve Earle and Allison Moorer. Reynolds originals shared space on the debut with songs by Gillian Welch and Duane Jarvis. The self-released effort, together with the band’s energetic stage performances, drew the ear of RCA Records, which extended a contract soon after the independent disc appeared. The follow-up, Big Shiny Cars, surfaced in 2006.