Texas contemporary bluegrass trio
the Greencards are aptly named. After coming to the realization that their English and Australian homelands were not so conducive to their uniquely American style of music, mandolin player
Kim Warner, fiddler
Eamon McLoughlin, and bass player
Carol Young took their love of
Ricky Skaggs and
Bob Dylan, mixed it with a little
Fairport Convention and
David Bowie, and began hitting clubs in the Lone Star State. By 2004 they had earned themselves the Best New Band award at the Austin Music Awards, as well as a devoted fan base that included
Robert Earl Keen. Their debut, the self-released
Movin' On, arrived that same year and managed to sneak its way up the Americana charts, eventually peaking at number five. The grouped signed with Dualtone the following year and went into the studio to begin work on the follow-up. Highly sought-after engineer
Gary Paczosa (
Dolly Parton) was brought in and
Weather and Water was born. Released in June of 2005, it's an impeccably recorded collection of ballads, instrumentals, and harmonious melodies that holds its own against contemporaries like
Alison Krauss and
Nickel Creek. It was followed in 2007 by
Viridian. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide