If it seems that the indie music scene in Nashville is shifting, speculations are correct. In the past few years, the folk genre has been broken down and divided into subsects of its own, and the newest division– best described as the lovechild of roots, gypsy jazz and blues– has hit the scene. With artists such as The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Humming House, and Memphis Dawls leading the way, it’s safe to say there is great company all around. One of the most recent bands to join this bill is The Flea Marketeers.
From Nashville, this six-piece band is made up of Mark Sloan, Jordan Taylor, Andrew Hunt, Kellen Wenrich, Kevin Whitsett and Stephen Puckett. The Flea Marketeers have been playing together for a few years and have played alongside fellow Nashvillians, Apache Relay. According to their website, the band name “The Flea Marketeers” is honed from their self-comparison to a flea market. “The hodgepodge of items strewn about each booth paints a picture of a previous era. Yet, as each item is purchased, it becomes new, inheriting fresh connotations it may not have had in its primordial state.”
In May of this year, the band released their full-length, self-titled album. This 10-track album is highlighted by tracks like “High Society” and “When it Rains.” “High Society” is a fun jazzy track; think champagne, pearls and a 1940s lounge singer. On the opposite but just-as-satisfying end of the spectrum, “When it Rains” is a slower and dream-like tune that spotlights the more harmonious side of the band. Although there are no shows in the immediate future, keep in contact with Flea Marketeer news via Facebook and Twitter.
The Flea Marketeers’s self-titled album is available now on iTunes and Bandcamp. –Bailey Rush