My Denton Music spotlight: The O’s

by Josh Hogan of My Denton Music

I have always had a soft spot for good bluegrass music. It seems odd, me an urbanite if you have ever met one, a person who strays away from traditional country, would fall so deeply in love with the bluegrass genre. However, it is true. The Dillards, in my opinion, were one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time, and I remember listening to Ricky Skaggs when I was just a kid. And more recently, Old Crow Medicine Show has found a home in my iPod.

Well, the time has come for me to add another band to my list of bluegrass guilty pleasures. And they are called The O's.

After a few spins through their debut album, I am starting to understand all the buzz and excitement surrounding this Dallas duo. The O's released their appropriately named debut album, We Are The O's, about six months ago, and have been slowly building a name for themselves ever since.

Taylor Young on guitar and John Pedigo on banjo have created an album that blends the familiar bluegrass sound with contemporary pop and folk. It is a perfect alchemy, as the product is some of the most fun and entertaining music in Dallas.

"I Still Wait" is the most outstanding song on the album. It starts with a lonely banjo playing under the yearning vocals of a seemingly even lonelier man. Eventually, the sounds of heartache heed way to the hollers of frustration and anger by the end of the track.

I could go on and on about just how good their debut work is. Each song is well thought out and they all stay within the overall sound of the album, which is a loose, free flowing, popgrass amalgamation.

For all they have accomplished musically on this album, The O's have certainly garnered a fair share of attention locally. They have been featured in both the Dallas Observer as well as the Dallas Morning News' Quick. It seems that every critic that has heard the album has loved it. And the consensus seems to be that this band is on its way to great things.

With the haul of a national tour already behind them, The O's will be bouncing around their home state for the next couple of months with the majority of their shows being in Dallas. However, we do have word that they will be making two stops in Denton in the near future. This week, on the 12th of the month, they will be playing over on Texas St. at The Bee's Fifth Collective then a show at The Boiler Room in October.

And do not forget to check them out this later on this month at the wonderful Granada Theater in Dallas on Aug. 29!