Frog Holler

Frog Holler has been described as a "Philadelphia country band," which is misleading because the group isn't actually from Philadelphia proper -- Frog Holler is from Berks County, PA, which is two counties away from Philadelphia County in southeastern Pennsylvania. And even though Berks County is only a few hours from Center City (Philly's busy, congested downtown area), it's a very different type of place -- a place that, like most of the areas between Philly and Pittsburgh, is very Middle America. It's also a place that has done a lot to shape the work of Frog Holler, which has been responsible for some of the most interesting alternative country-rock, No Depression music, and Americana of the '90s and 2000s. While other alt-country and No Depression artists have written about life in the Deep South, Texas, New Mexico, or Arizona, Frog Holler never pretends to be from any of those southern or western places -- instead, they wear their Pennsylvania heritage like a badge of honor and vividly describe life in the small towns and rural areas of their state. Lead vocalist Darren Schlappich (who does most of the writing) sings about his experiences in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and his songs bring to life an environment that is quite different from the urban jungles of Philly and Pittsburgh. It's an environment that is as different from those cities as Bakersfield, CA, is from Los Angeles or San Francisco -- and on Frog Holler's albums, that more rural side of Pennsylvania sounds every bit as country as anywhere below the Mason-Dixon Line. Formed by Schlappich in 1996 in Shoemakersville, PA (one of the small towns in Berks County), Frog Holler started out as an acoustic bluegrass trio. But when Frog Holler became a sextet and went electric, the band shifted its focus...