Speaking of Scott Thile...

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georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
6,088
16,692
Here he is a decade before he started making pipes, playing bass with his son Chris and two of Chris's friends, Sara and Sean Watkins.

Chris and Sara are fourteen---ninth graders(!!!)---and Sean would be a high school senior.

Holy shit

 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
10,727
37,714
SE WI
Nickle creek is one of my favorite groups of all time. Been listening to them for many many years. I was shocked to hear Chris's son was making pipes! Watching Chris play, sometimes looks like he's not even on this planet anymore....
 
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Sam Gamgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2022
649
1,696
50
DFW, Texas
Nickel Creek's self-titled album from 2000 or so is, in my opinion, one of the finest acoustic albums of all time. The songs and songwriting, the playing, the production -- all top shelf. I still go back to this album and can hardly believe it was/is that good. Definitely a magical moment in time.
 
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kg.legat0

Lifer
Sep 6, 2019
1,050
10,667
Southwestern PA
Very cool - I have been a fan of Chris Thile's playing for quite a while ...his stage presence make me cringe pretty hard, but people love cheesy shit.

That said, he is a devastatingly impressive player on a technical level - he absolutely transcends the Mandolin with his musicality, he just knows the language of music deeply and it shows. Listening to him play Bach is a personal favorite - his work with Edgar Meyer is not to be missed, too.
 
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Sam Gamgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2022
649
1,696
50
DFW, Texas
Very cool - I have been a fan of Chris Thile's playing for quite a while ...his stage presence make me cringe pretty hard, but people love cheesy shit.

That said, he is a devastatingly impressive player on a technical level - he absolutely transcends the Mandolin with his musicality, he just knows the language of music deeply and it shows. Listening to him play Bach is a personal favorite - his work with Edgar Meyer is not to be missed, too.
I'm a mandolin player myself, but what I do vs what Thile does with the instrument is like comparing a taxi driver to an Indy car driver. I honestly believe he operates on a level few in the realm of music ever reach. Having said that, someone like him isn't going to be satisfied with simple melodies but will end up exploring music in ways many simply will not understand. I am one of those people, therefore the stuff Thile did early on speaks deeply to me, but it's been a good while since I've been able to connect with him. All said, he still amazes me. And, man, that first Nickel Creek record (and even his first few solos albums)...
 
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canucklehead

Lifer
Aug 1, 2018
2,862
15,355
Alberta
Alright, I checked out a few things on YouTube. I'm sorry, and please don't take offense, but it is pretty much unlistenable for me. It fiercely triggers my misophonia, all the clicking, tapping, scratching, scraping, clanging, strumming, buzzing, high vocal ranges, and general cacophony of multiple layers of said sounds are like nails on a chalkboard to me and make me extremely upset and want to slam my face into a brick wall. I can't parse the music from the noise. That's most likely just a problem with my defective brain though, not really reflective of their musical abilities.
 

Sam Gamgee

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 24, 2022
649
1,696
50
DFW, Texas
Alright, I checked out a few things on YouTube. I'm sorry, and please don't take offense, but it is pretty much unlistenable for me. It fiercely triggers my misophonia, all the clicking, tapping, scratching, scraping, clanging, strumming, buzzing, high vocal ranges, and general cacophony of multiple layers of said sounds are like nails on a chalkboard to me and make me extremely upset and want to slam my face into a brick wall. I can't parse the music from the noise. That's most likely just a problem with my defective brain though, not really reflective of their musical abilities.
I get that. Check out the first Nickel Creek record. It's nothing like that. Nothing.
 

SBC

Lifer
Oct 6, 2021
1,637
7,727
NE Wisconsin
Ok so I am listening to that right now and you are right, it's not like that at all, I'm quite enjoying it. I liked the Tom Bombadil bit. If you are curious the song that I really had problems listening to was this one:



I really dislike that. They started playing with some of the vibes of other hipster, neo-folk bands. Shame.

The only two albums that I liked were "Nickle Creek" and "This Side." Actually I'd stop short of saying that I liked "This Side" -- even there we find some of Chris's weirdness, as in "Spit on a Stranger" (super weird, really dislike it). There's nothing on "This Side" that I love -- they were already changing -- but I do like some of it.

But that first album ... oh man. How did "When You Come Back Down" not top all the charts? Or who will ever not be haunted by Chris's brilliant rendition of "Sweet Afton"?
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,211
60,638
Chris is a brilliant musician. He just needs to stay away from the inappropriate side gigs like radio host which are not his thing. He'll never want for an audience for his serious music, I don't think. Know thyself, and all that.
 
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Feb 12, 2022
3,591
50,694
32
North Georgia mountains.
I was ecstatic for the newest PM episode with him. He's a fantastic carver, and I'm a big fan of Chris. Nickel Creek, Punch Bros, etc. One of the best living mandolin players, if not the best.
Was great to hear Scott touch on the music in the podcast. Great episode and a great dude with many talents.