Fiddle + guitars + sweet harmonies + a fun dive bar vibe — it all adds up to The Federales, a Minneapolis-based collaboration between six longtime friends and players. Since 2012, fans in the Twin Cities and beyond have lined up for this band’s infectious take on old-school country music. It began some years back, when guitarist James Gould and songwriter Ben Miller started running into each other at parties and found that the talk inevitably turned to Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons or the Flying Burrito Brothers. They sought out like-minded musician friends and in 2012 formed The Federales. The band captures the warm sonic textures of the ‘60s and ‘70s recordings they’re drawn to. Think a boisterous Bakersfield dance hall or a music-basted Austin barbecue circa 1975. While their debut album Blues, Bourbon & Burritos took a straight-ahead approach to Midwestern country sounds and songwriting, their new release Honkytonks & Hangovers leans woozily across a wider swath of American styles — rooted in the present but never jilting the past. Come to any of their shows and just try not to tap your feet. Try harder not to dance. A good time? That’s a given.
