Trampled Under Foot

Trampled Under Foot, the excellent Kansas City blues band consisting of two brothers and a sister, recently won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. It appears, from the buzz, they might get a lot more well deserved exposure this year.

Check TUF’s killer vocals and ever-impressive musicianship at their MySpace (particularly my mom’s favorite track, the soulful Honey Bee) or you can also stream a bunch of great blues tunes on their website.

They have a new release, The Philadelphia Sessions, that I have yet to buy. Since they’re constantly improving (to the point of ridiculous goodness), I believe it will be a better disc than their others.

The point of TUF, though, is to enjoy them live. They have a great sense of how to put together a set, and the covers they sprinkle throughout (Etta James’ At Last original courtesy of Motel de Moka, Bob Marley and The Wailers’ I Shot the Sheriff original courtesy of Aquarium Drunkard) the show, as well as the extended solos, really get a crowd going. The female vocalist/bassist Danielle Schnebelen is magnetic! The few YouTube clips available do not do them justice at all, but if you’re curious, see here, here, here, and here.

They’re hard working local musicians with no “tour” to speak of; they do constantly play a variety of shows in the greater KC area and the midwest generally. I recommend seeing them (and practically any other show) at Kansas City’s BB’s Lawnside Bar B.Q. They’ll be rocking the indoor picnic tables February 15, March 15, and May 30.