Bluegrass folk revivalists Joy Kills Sorrow celebrate stripped down acoustic melodies and rich, earthy vocals, while adding an original freshness to their sound. The Boston and Brooklyn-based five piece formed in 2005, finding their sound in the Boston area and soon releasing their self-titled debut. Their current line-up solidified in 2009: singer Emma Beaton’s mellow country noir voice is the absolute star here, but the banjo and mandolin set the overall tone with their rustic quality. The band’s most recent album, “This Unknown Science,” was released in 2011, showcasing a finely tuned melodic bluegrass with somewhat reminiscent of female-led Punch Brothers. Joy Kills Sorrow will be touring the Northeast this fall, including a December 5 appearance at The Rock Shop in NYC and a few show in New England – see here for the full schedule. – Devon Antonetti
