The unique thing about this band is it’s musical roots steeped in civil wartime history. Band guitars and musical project manager as it were, Haynes Brooke’s great-grandfather founded the band in it’s original incarnation as the “Smythe County Mongrels Society” in 1866.
Carrying on this 100 plus year old family tradition into the modern age has produced a band with a name change, new sound and a new musical mission. Haynes Brooke re-imagined the group/society with the original by-laws from the 1866 charter. “The New Mongrels” now updated sound has transformed from mountain Americana to a more folk rock, indie sound.
The New Mongrels as it is today is more than it once was….now an underground musical collective with musicians , writers,and artists from around the country. Their latest album “Raised Incorruptible” pieced together in different locales with contributions from various members of the band/collective.
The album’s inception found itself in Oregon in a house on the Rogue River. In true collective form impromptu musical sessions recorded traveled to and fro between the members for creative review and re-creation. America to Canada the collective combined their talents and birthed this newest project.
The band mainly consists of :
Haynes Brooke: guitar, vocals, mandolin, piano, ukelele, percussion
Katie Green: vocals, violin
Kubilay Uner: bass, keyboards
Jeff Mosier: drums, vocals
Michael Lorant: vocals
Michelle Malone: vocals, guitar
Amy Ray: vocals
Laura Hall: vocals, accordion
Rick Hall: vocals
Lucy Brooke: vocals
Mike Moynihan: trumpet, vocals
Ken Palmer: drums, vocals, harmonica
Nicolas Green: guitar
Songs that I took notice of….Dogs and Kings, with it’s 70’s rock poetic sound, about just trying to get through another day with body and soul intact, classic blue collars blues.
I also found a strong appreciation for the title track Raised Incorruptible….a smooth folksy, sweet piece about finding salvation and who you will be at your end of days.
Don’t take my word for it, listen for yourself.