With many thanks to those folks you suggested sites following last months You Make the Call offer, we present Mudboy Grotto, a North Mississippi Allstars fan site. Here are some thoughts from the site administrator, Little Miss Strange
If they are indeed the Allstars of North Mississippi, then the North Mississippi Allstars do not need any help from me. I am just a fanatic who saw them live because I wanted to hear what young guys did with the blues. It was the first sweet hook that hooked me, and with a roots-oriented, critically acclaimed, Grammy nominated, fan-approved new album now out for sale, their live shows are getting more exhilarant, clever, andwellcrowded.
What were these guys doing? The bluesy chords were present, but the severe slide soloing, heavy-pounding drums, and unremitting bass was a rock stew of another flavor. It was a massive sound from only three musicians.
After hearing this animalized version of the blues, I left the venue with only one thing on my mind. Despite the fact my head was heavily vibrating from the non-stop segueing, my ears were bleeding from the high volume intensity, and my body was aching from the incessant 5-hour boogie, I had only one constant, obsessive thought: I need to hear more.
This band reinvigorated my love for music again, and I wanted to know more about the musical origins and where I could hear more. I found their official community a bit abandoned compared to other musical fanatical websites creating online buzz and hype, so it wasnt until much later when I was working on a music research project that I really began finding the history surrounding this band.
Eventually, I had collected so much information and witnessed a livening of fan enthusiasm for a new album pending, that I needed to organize the material and place it permanently somewhere to be updated and accessible to everyone. At the same time, the name of this place needed to be earthy and gritty like the music, an extension of their heritage, and represent a hideout for NMA fans who wanted to know more than what was just coming from the commercial side of the music industry.
Mudboy Grotto, a fansite for the NMAs, began a little less than a year ago. It has grown immensely from suggestions and contributions by fans and from the openness of the band members themselves. Mudboy Grotto includes rare music clips from loyal veterans, concert photos from fans stretching both coasts, customizable posters, tabs and links contributed from folks overseas, accolades from musicians and craftspeople who have worked closely with the North Mississippi Allstars, news and updates from music industry folk and festival regulars, as well as fine-tuned information direct from the band members Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, and Chris Chew.
My story of the NMAs does not differ greatly from the numerous fans that continue to see their shows, collect their albums, and email me their musical experiences. We all have our fanaticism in common. As long as the NMAs keep making music, the fans will follow and spread the word, and with my gratitude I will continue to document their story on the Mudboy Grotto.
~little miss strange
Mudboygrotto.com