Viridian (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Viridian
Type = Studio album
Artist = The Greencards


Released = March 6, 2007
Recorded = Nashville, Tennessee
Genre = Newgrass
Length =
Label = Dualtone Records| Producer =
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusicguide.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jxfrxq8rldse link]
Last album = "Weather and Water" (2005)
This album = "Viridian" (2007)
Next album =
Misc =

"Viridian" is a Grammy nominated 2007 studio album by the Austin, Texas bluegrass band The Greencards. Their third Dualtone Records studio album, it was released on March 6, 2007. In 2007, The Greencards were joined by Matt Wingate, a guitarist from Alabama, for their work on "Viridian".cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041701577.html|title=Greencards: Bluegrass With Varied Accents|author=Buzz McClain|year=2007|publisher="The Washington Post"|accessdate=2008-06-01] On their previous albums, The Greencards had individually recorded their separate musical tracks in isolation booths of recording studios, but for "Viridian", recorded their album together in real time in an open room, which was said to be a factor in a spontaneous feel for some of the album.cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/oztrax/stories/s1870606.htm|title=Waiting On The Night|year=2007|publisher="OZtrax, ABC"|accessdate=2008-06-01] Most of the songs on "Viridian" are sung by Young, and all of the tracks on "Viridian" were written by The Greencards, with the exception of "Travel On", which was penned by Kim Richey of Nashville.cite web|url=http://www.countrystarsonline.com/reviewarchives/2007/Greencards%20_JM.htm|title= The Greencards - Viridian|author=Jim Moulton|year=2007|publisher="Country Stars Online"|accessdate=2008-06-01] cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041200771.html|title=THE GREENCARDS "Viridian" Dualtone|author=Geoffrey Himes|year=2007|publisher="The Washington Post"|accessdate=2008-06-01] Their sound, through Viridian, was likened to the Canadian alternative country band The Duhks. After its release, "Viridian" claimed the #1 position on Billboard Magazine's Bluegrass Music Chart.cite web|url=http://www.newbernsj.com/entertainment/pamlico_36962___article.html/bluegrass_music.html|title=The Greencards blend bluegrass, country and pop in Bayboro|author=Tom Mayer|year=2007|publisher="Sun Journal"|accessdate=2008-06-01] The Greencards are the first international musical act to ever reach #1 on the Bluegrass Music Chart.cite web|url=http://www.middletownjournal.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/04/27/go042707greencards.html|title=Bluegrass chart toppers perform at Southgate House|author=Richard O Jones|year=2007|publisher="Middletown Journal"|accessdate=2008-06-01]

The recordings on "Viridian", in particular the songs "River of Sand", "Waiting on the Night" and "When I Was in Love With You," were said to evoke the sounds of progressive folk rock that emerged in the 1960s. The progressive nature of The Greencards' bluegrass sound has been compared to Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss & Union Station's own musical work to expand bluegrass.cite web|url=http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/wfaa/stories/DN-greencards_1102gui.ART.State.Edition1.426cc06.html|title=The Greencards|author=Mario Tarradell|year=2007|publisher=WFAA Dallas-Forth Worth|accessdate=2008-06-01] The lyrics on "When I Was in Love With You" were cited as among the most striking on "Viridian", and were based in part by McLoughlin on an 1896 poem, "A Shropshire Lad", by Alfred Edward Housman, the English poet.cite news|author=Naila Francis|title=The Greencards' musical meanderings tend to influences from far and wide, with an eye always toward tradition.|date=August 16, 2007|publisher="The Philadelphia Intelligencer"|accessdate=2008-06-08] The song was described as a "Pogues-like romp." In a review of "Viridian", Embo Blake of "Hybrid Magazine" noted Carol Young's vocal skill, as she "effortlessly diphthongs cadence" on the track "Waiting On The Night".cite web|url=http://www.hybridmagazine.com/reviews/0507/greencards.shtml|author=Embo Blake|title=The Greencards Viridian|year=2007|publisher="Hybrid Magazine"|accessdate=2008-06-08] According to ABC News in Dallas/Fort Worth, the album has a traditional bluegrass core, with a worldly flavor. Doug Lancio, a producer who had previously worked with Patty Griffin, was said to have been a positive factor in the success of "Viridian". Prior to the 2007 album, Lancio had not previously worked with The Greencards.cite web|url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,665193587,00.html|title= Greencards drawn to American roots music|author=Scott Iwasaki|year=2007|publisher="Deseret News"|accessdate=2008-06-01] Bruce Elder of the "Sydney Morning Herald" called "Viridian" a tour de force.cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459962722.html|author=Bruce Elder|title=Viridian|year=2007|publisher="Sydney Morning Herald"|accessdate=2008-06-08]

In December 2007, it was announced that their song "Mucky the Duck" from "Viridian" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards, but ultimately lost to Brad Paisley's "Throttleneck." Written by Warner, the song was inspired by one of the band's favorite Austin musical venues, The Mucky Duck.cite web|url=http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/feb/21/international_musicians_unite_greencards/|title=International musicians unite with ‘Greencards'|author=Keith Ryan Cartwright|year=2008|publisher="The Post and Courier"|accessdate=2008-06-01] Eamon McLoughlin is a regular blogger for Country Music Television.cite web|url=http://blog.cmt.com/author/mcloughlin/|title=Country Music Blog: Eamon McLoughlin|year=2008|publisher="Country Music Television"|accessdate=2008-06-01] After the Grammy Awards, he wrote about the band's experience at the event.cite web|url=http://blog.cmt.com/2008-02-15/grammy-nomination-raises-the-bar/|title=Grammy Nomination Raises the Bar|author=Eamon McLoughlin|year=2008|publisher="Country Music Television"|accessdate=2008-06-01]

In the wake of "Viridian", The Greencards have been internationally referred to as one of the most popular Americana musical acts in the United States. Bruce Elder went on to say that the band may after this album be the best country music performers to ever come out of Australia.

References

External links

* [http://www.thegreencards.com/ Official site, thegreencards.com]
* [http://www.myspace.com/thegreencards Official MySpace for the Greencards]
* [http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/greencards/artist.jhtml Country Music Television Profile]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/TheGreencards The Greencards collection] at the Internet Archive's live music archive