The M SHANGHAI STRING BAND of Brooklyn, New York, started in 2002 as a
monthly show in the basement of a local chinese restaurant, the M Shanghai
Bistro. Locals began to call the band "M Shanghai". The name stuck. The crowds
grew. Their debut album, “Up From the Ground Below” (20 songs recorded in
one day in the restaurant’s dining room) set the mission in motion: timeless
original music played with a sense of abandon, captured completely live.
"The banjos spit fire, the acoustics soothe the soul, and the vocals tell
honest tales- every song from "Up From the Ground Below" is a perfect combo of
old time American folk and the music as it stands today... a musical
performance that is enduring."
-Chris Lewis SHUT EYE
With an adventurous take on Americana, the MSSB are not easily classified.
They belong with progressive contemporaries (Gillian Welch, Be Good Tanyas)
who emphasize distinctive songwriting above the constraints of genre.
Lyrically smart and modern, their songs feel both classic and new.
"The M Shanghai String Band have first-rate original songs. Their performances
are highly entertaining, like a modern day medicine show."
-Tommy Ramone, of The RAMONES & UNCLE MONK
"From the Air", the band's second album, captures the raw, all acoustic energy,
yet this time in higher fidelity. Although the band uses the classic bluegrass
approach: live around a single microphone for recordings and live shows, the
music is an eclectic blend that draws from many genres- traditional and modern.
Both MSSB albums will be available worldwide on May 29th, from Red Parlor
Records (Chris Whitley, David Olney, Reed Foehl, etc.).
"Vigourous, heartfelt, acoustic country with all the fixins!"
-TIME OUT, NY
"M Shanghai's "Devil You and Me" sounds like a mix of Yonder Mountain String
Band and Squirrel Nut Zippers, and that's a winner in my book."
-POP WILL EAT ITSELF, Pick of the Day: Devil, You and Me
"Sophisticated and passionate old-timey sounding tunes from this freewheeling Brooklyn collective"
-Greg Haymes, ALBANY TIMES UNION Best CD's of 2007
"Absolutely timeless music...the most joyous musical celebration of the year" -ALBANY TIMES UNION Best gigs of 2007
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