Les Frères Michot
La Roue Qui Pend
Swallow Records – 6174
Released – 2003
visit the band's website
also on myspace
also available on cd universe
This disc was more than 8 years in the making and the amount of work that went into it shows in every detail. There are huge amounts of information about the disc, 16 pages of liner notes to be exact. They do everything from give both the English and French versions of the songs lyrics, to giving the history of the song, to explaining the naming of the disc, who was playing what on which tune and so forth. The disc is named after the Michot family camp (secondary residence in a more remote area), it is a place the boys and family could retreat to in order to escape or take refuge, or it could host social functions that required a more rural setting. Les Frères Michot are 6 brothers playing the good old-fashioned Cajun music in an acoustic and unamplified style. This is the music of the old days, the music of house dances, of a time gone by when all came together to dance away their cares. The gathering of family and those close
enough to be considered family. They eschew drums because they feel they can be a bit over powering and thus they use the other instruments to propel the rhythm. They, in various combinations or alone, wrote 6 of the 23 tunes and the rest are traditional numbers that are arranged by one or more of the brothers. This is a genuine throw back to those times passed. There is a good bit of the old intermingling of the influences of country in their music and some pretty fair yodeling ({&La Valese de marriage}). There is a good assortment of tunes in here including some 2-steps, and fast, or double time waltzes, and, just like at the house dances, one or two slow waltzes so that the dancers could catch their breath. This disc, not only has some stunning old timey Cajun music, but will give you a glimpse into a time fast going bye.