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Frog Holler

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Frog Holler
Frog Holler at Godfrey Daniels
Background information
OriginVirginville, Pennsylvania U.S.
GenresAlternative country
Alternative rock
Americana
Years active1996–present
LabelsZoBird Records
Record Cellar
MembersDaniel Bower
Cory Heller
John Kilgore
Mike Lavdanski
Josh Sceurman
Darren Schlappich
Past membersTodd Bartolo
Will Dennis
Ted Fenstermacher
Toby Martin
WebsiteFrogHoller.com

Frog Holler is an American alternative country/rock, Americana band from Berks County in southeastern Pennsylvania.[1][2]

Background

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In 1996, Darren Schlappich started the band Chigliac Feedhorn in Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania, with local bluegrass musician Van Wagner as a duo that played original acoustic bluegrass at area open mic nights.[3] They released the record, Dunawetter, of which seven songs were written by Schlappich. Wagner went to college and the band became an acoustic trio made up of Schlappich, Mike Lavdanski on banjo, and Will Dennis on acoustic bass.[4]

The trio eventually became an electric six-piece band that performed original songs written by Schlappich.[5] Some of the band members came from Kutztown University while others are from the local community.[6] Guitarist John Kilgore, formerly from the Kutztown bluegrass jam band, the Saucony Creek Ramblers, joined, as did drummer Toby Martin. Dennis left the band and Josh Sceurman joined, playing electric bass.

Frog Holler

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The core band evolved into its present-day Frog Holler lineup of bandleader Schlappich on vocals and left-handed guitar, Lavdanski on banjo and vocal harmonies,[7] Daniel Bower on drums, Kilgore on guitar, Cory Heller on keyboard, and Sceurman on bass, and often incorporate mandolin and steel guitar in their music.[4]

Because many members of the band are of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, they are sometimes affectionately referred to as Pennsylvania Dutch rock.[4]

Frog Holler self-released its debut album, Couldn't Get Along. The record is dedicated to "The three Jays," possibly Jay Farrar, Jay Bennett, and J Mascis. The band followed their debut with three releases on the local label. Record Cellar. As they built up a following regionally, the band began touring extensively, playing gigs from Boston to the Carolinas.[8] Frog Holler released three records through the small independent label from Philadelphia, Record Cellar, run by Neil Drucker. Improved visibility and the release of their positively reviewed fourth record, Railings,[9] led to the band touring the industrial midwest as well as the Netherlands.[2][10] Frog Holler has been mostly regionally focused,[11][12] while maintaining annual residencies at the now defunct New York City Rodeo Bar[13][14] as well as an upstate New York music festival.[15]

Many of their songs reflect the small rural community of their origins, with the song "Pennsylvania" off their third record, Idiots, an ode to tension between modern life and the more conservative, set-in-its-way, German-American lifestyle of past generations.[4] Idiots charted 34 on Americana radio charts and was well-reviewed.[16][17] Throughout Frog Holler's music there are local references to landmarks and evocative descriptions of rural life.[2] Their fourth record, Railings, was recorded at Edan Cohen's Soundgun Studios in Philadelphia.[16]

In 2016, seven years after their prior record, Frog Holler celebrated their 20-year anniversary as a band,[18] releasing their seventh full-length record called Souvenir. The record was recorded between March 2015 and February 2016 with Bruce Siekmann, engineer and owner of Amoeba Studio in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania.[2]

Critical response

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Rachel Maddow saw Frog Holler open for Marah and became an avid fan, which led to her inviting Schlappich to perform on her Air America Radio show.[19] Writer Meredith Ochs cites Frog Holler's live performances and high level of musicianship,[20] as does Fred Mills, describing them as a "killer live band."[21] Andy Turner in No Depression calls Schlappich a "real-deal storyteller."[22] Peter Bothum from the York Daily Record says the music comes from a rare place of honesty.[23] Doug Wallen from Philadelphia Weekly liked their genuine, "down-home sweetness of their loose, melodic strain of alt-country."[24] Geoffrey Himes, writing in The Washington Post, described Frog Holler as a secret treasure.[25]

Ataloft

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In 2012, Schlappich, Lavdanski, and Bruce Siekmann formed the pop-rock band Ataloft as a side project.[26] The band released a self-titled album called Ataloft in 2014.[27]

Dem Hills

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In May 2017, Schlappich released Maybe Life Is Sweet in a new band collaboration project with Bruce Siekmann (Ameoba Audio) on guitar, Schlappich and Mike Lavdanski on vocals, Josh Kanusky on drums, Nick Franclik on bass and Cory Heller on keyboards. Siekmann and Schlappich wrote the songs and the band includes members of Frog Holler, Ataloft, and the David Bromberg Band.

Discography

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Chigliac Feedhorn
  • 1996: Dunawetter (self-released)
Frog Holler
  • 1998: Couldn't Get Along (ZoBird Records)
  • 1999: Adams Hotel Road (Record Cellar Productions)
  • 2001: Idiots (Record Cellar Productions)
  • 2003: Railings (Record Cellar Productions)
  • 2004: The High Highs and the Low Lows (EP) (ZoBird Records)
  • 2006: Haywire (ZoBird Records)
  • 2009: Believe It or Not (ZoBird Records)
  • 2016: Souvenir (ZoBird Records)
Ataloft
  • 2014: Ataloft (ZoBird Records)
Dem Hills
  • 2017: Maybe Life Is Sweet (ZoBird Records)
Collaborations / contributions
  • 1996: Buildin' the Rails Life of a Gandy Dancer at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania (video). Music by Darren Schlappich, Van Wagner, Rich Pawling
  • 2001: Papa Nez: A Loose Salute To The Work Of Michael Nesmith (Dren Records) – "Different Drum"
  • 2002: Chooglin' A Tribute to the Songs of John Fogerty (Dren Records) – "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"

References

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  1. ^ Henderson, Alex. "Frog Holler Biography & History". AllMusic.
  2. ^ a b c d Botch, Don (2 June 2016). "Frog Holler keeps time with the music". Reading Eagle.
  3. ^ Farr, Sarah (1 January 2002). "Frog Holler takes its small-town roots big time: Frog Holler". Prefix Magazine.
  4. ^ a b c d Himes, Geoffrey (6 January 2002). "Old roles, new rock in Pa. Dutch country Frog Holler gives voice to a generation's conflict". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015.
  5. ^ Speese, Jim (12 December 1997). "Frog Holler makes the leap from bluegrass to punk-rock". Reading Eagle/Reading Times. p. W2.
  6. ^ Dechert, S. Renee (2001). "Frog Holler: Idiots. Modern PA Dutchmen". PopMatters.
  7. ^ Speese, Jim (23 March 2001). "Frog Holler earns more kudos with release of third CD, 'idiots'". Reading Eagle. p. W2.
  8. ^ Speese, Jim (2 December 2004). "Cover Story: Berks County Boys". Reading Eagle. p. 19.
  9. ^ Tatasciore, David (8 April 2004). "Frog Holler hops into Zeno's for an evening of alt-country". The Daily Collegian. Pennsylvania State University.
  10. ^ Train, John (June 2002). "Words from Jon (Archive June 2002)". Train Army.
  11. ^ Speese, Jim (18 September 2003). "Local faves Frog Holler at it again". Reading Eagle. pp. 6–7.
  12. ^ "Frog Holler to perform at Kutztown Park". The Berks-Mont News. 30 May 2016.
  13. ^ Aradillas, Elaine (13 October 2004). "Urban, and Looking for the Cowboys". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Pareles, Jon (14 January 2005). "The Listings: Frog Holler". The New York Times.
  15. ^ Brown, Jake (4 November 2003). "Interview with an Independent Tour Manager". Glorious Noise.
  16. ^ a b Howard, Brian (4 September 2003). "Darren Schlappich". Philadelphia City Paper.
  17. ^ Cohen, Bill (25 April 2001). "Frog Holler - Idiots". Philadelphia Weekly.
  18. ^ "Back to the farm: Philadelphia Folk Festival ready to fest again". Ticket Entertainment. 11 August 2016.
  19. ^ Maddow, Rachel (21 June 2006). "TRMS 06-21-2006: Darren Schlappich / Lead Singer of Frog Holler" (MP3). The Rachel Maddow Show (radio program). Air America Radio. Download to play -- Starts at 00:58:15 out of 01:15:02
  20. ^ Ochs, Meredith (30 April 2000). "Frog Holler - In the heart of Dutch country". No Depression. No. 27.
  21. ^ Mills, Fred (31 October 2003). "Frog Holler - Railings". No Depression. No. 48.
  22. ^ Turner, Andy (28 February 2006). "Frog Holler - Haywire". No Depression. No. 62.
  23. ^ Bothum, Peter (3 December 2004). "Content at their home pad". York Magazine. York Daily Record. p. 4. ProQuest 209393537.
  24. ^ Wallen, Doug (22 March 2006). "A List: Frog Holler". Philadelphia Weekly.
  25. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (29 May 2009). "CD Review: Frog Holler 'Believe It or Not'". The Washington Post.
  26. ^ Vettese, John (24 April 2014). "Unlocked: Darren Schlappich on the unexpected origins of Ataloft". WXPN The Key.
  27. ^ Botch, Don (10 April 2014). "The rise of Berks County's promising new band Ataloft". Reading Eagle.
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