The Dirty River Boys

The Dirty River Boys, an El Paso, Texas outfit, apply the label “outlaw folk American” to their sound. That sound fuses taut storytelling numbers, bluegrass propulsion, layered vocal harmonies, gospel fervor, and a healthy measure of rock & roll swagger, all delivered through a wholly acoustic arrangement that heightens the impact. Nino Cooper, Marco Gutierrez, Travis Stearns, and Colton James function as multi-instrumentalists, rotating among guitars, banjos, mandolins, fiddles, harmonicas, snare drums, and the cajon while supplying three- and four-part vocal harmonies to compact compositions populated by vivid characters and narratives. After issuing the EPs Long Cold Fall and Train Station, the group unveiled its debut full-length, Science of Flight, in 2012.