Music from Washington, DC has long been a vital if often unrecognized
thread in the cultural fabric that makes up our nation. From old-time to
jazz to bluegrass to the blues to go-go to harDCore to rock to electronica,
many of the nation's best musicians have called DC home.
The name Acoustic Americana came about from our realization that the majority
of the above art forms rely on amplification and yet acoustic music,
specifically traditional American music performed without amplification, is
the unsung precursor of all that has followed.
We live in the city that produced John Phillips Sousa, Duke Ellington,
Kate Smith, Al Jolson, and Jelly Roll Morton. Alan Lomax recorded the
seminal sounds of traditional American music for Washington's Library
of Congress. Ola Belle Reed, Patsy Cline, Roy Clark, Link Wray and
Danny Gatton all called this neck of the woods home. Heck, even Maybelle
Carter lived here for a year or two in the early 30s. The years have
produced more talent than space allows.
Our history was simply too good to ignore so we started a record label.
Edison may have had his cylinders, but Washington's Emile Berliner invented
the flat discs that still exist in some form today. One hundred and eleven
years later we are honored to step into the breach by releasing our own first
recording, "Forever True," by Dead Men's Hollow. The CD encompasses original
compositions by the band as well as traditional Appalachian folk songs and
fiddle tunes. Mr. Berliner recorded one of the last, "Turkey In The Straw,"
here in 1896. Five years later he formed Victor Records, the predecessor of
RCA. We can only hope to be so successful.
We welcome you to join us as we step into the past with a broad look toward the
future!
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1860s Daguerrotype of Trinity Episcopal Church
Washington, DC
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