Your Town

• Tracklist

Django Amerson and Brian Miller met at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1998 and started performing as 5 Mile Chase in 2001. They performed at festivals and clubs from Seattle to Boston and made a name for themselves especially in the Midwest with their vibrant interpretations of traditional music. 5 Mile Chase approached Irish traditional music with sensitivity and creativity, sometimes carefully walking the line between authenticity with innovation and sometimes stepping firmly to either side. Their sophomore release, 'Your Town', ranges from straight ahead driving reel medleys to hornpipes that deviate into quirky bossa novas and songs from such non-Irish sources as Tom Waits and The Replacements. A number of the traditional tunes on the album take on a distinct swing feel that is highlighted on some tracks by percussionist Owen Weaver on snare and hi hat. Two tunes composed by Amerson, 'Blame the Dog' and 'Nine to Eleven', incorporate the distinctive modes and uneven rhythms of eastern European music while the title track 'Your Town' (composed by Miller) sounds akin to the American old-time music based songwriting of Gillian Welch. The Irish tradition meets northern Minnesota in Miller's humorous a cappella ode to his hometown of Bemidji. Recorded by Pete Swalley at the Mengelkoch House Studio in Minneapolis, 'Your Town' also features Miller's Irish flute, whistle and piano accordion playing with Amerson trading his fiddle for a bouzouki on the song Franklin.