Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette - upright bass, vocals
Parrish Ellis - resonator and archtop guitars, guitjo, banjo, ukulele, vocals
Michael Farkas - washboard, harmonica, kazoo, vocals, sound effects
Teddy Webber - steel guitar, guitar, vocals
Influences
victrolas, mountains, cities, silent films, street-corner musicians from the last 100 years. ragtime and piedmont blues, stringbands, jugbands, washboard swing. We love amalgamating music from early 20th century America and writing our own songs inspired by those various musical idioms.
Sounds Like
The Hoosier Hotshots, Washboard Rhythm Kings, Milton Brown & His Musical Brownies, Fats Waller, Arthur Blake, The Swingbillies, Spike Jones, Willie McTell, Anglin Brothers, The Skillet Lickers, Gary Davis, Gus Cannon & The Jug Stompers, The Carolina Tarheels, Casey Bill Weldon, The Lightcrust Doughboys, Pink Anderson, The Mississippi Sheiks, Bill Boyd & The Cowboy Ramblers, John Hurt, Joe & Charlie McCoy ......time to stop geeking out
In their five-year lifespan, The Wiyos have driven over 400,000 miles in seven countries and played over a thousand shows. They have released three full-length albums, seamlessly blending their original songwriting with a wide spectrum of vernacular American music. The New Yorker says "the group brings exuberance and intensity to these vintage styles, and its performances are layered with vaudevillian stage antics." Originally an acoustic trio, they are in the process of expanding to a quartet and focusing on increased creative collaboration and broadening their sonic palette. They have built a reputation for riveting live performances. Americana UK reports that "their musicianship is outstanding", and Sing Out calls them "tons of fun".
Just letting you know that our EP “Or Am I A Nightmare?” is up and available for purchase online at CDbaby, Amazon, iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and many of your other favorite internet music stores! Check it out and let us know what you think!
Back from another great Hiawatha weekend. We missed you guys! Steppin' in It was fantastic. I talked them up as much as I could based on your tip. We had The Duhks, Guy Davis, Dixie Hummingbirds, Zydocology ... It was unbelievable. Can't wait to see you guys above the 45th parallel again!
yip yip yipee yi yo! if it wasnt for endlessly listening to porcupine last year i wouldnt have named my daughter Ida. So she has you to thank for a lifetime of the same old crap jokes. Idaknow ida behind the sofa. mm there will be others. but she sure sweet as the apple cider. cheers - CLINK! and would love to help out sorting you guys some gigs here in south west uk when you next make it in 2009. tim
