Clever, hotfooted, Brooklyn-born bluegrass septet The DEFiBULATORS bring the mix du jour of punky energy and hipster insouciance, doing hillbilly with wry humor. Theres a playful junkyard raggednessnot to mention pretty duet vocal harmoniesbetween Erin Bru and Bug Jennings that brings a homey charm to their debut LP Corn Money. They wander a bit about the Americana atlas, exploring some of the jazzier and torchier climes: imagine the Squirrel Nut Zippers with a yen for Buck Owens. Theres more than a little musicianship at work, which helps compensate for the occasionally put-on, Hee Haw-derived minstrelsy that almost inevitably accompanies the phrase Brooklyn country act. But even when youre tempted to question the depth of their backwoods passions, the sounds keenly rendered and rife with foot-stomping verve. 8
Sun., July 5, 8 p.m., 2009
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