The twang of Zoe Muth

Published 5:00 am Friday, August 17, 2012

With no big country stars at Les Schwab Amphitheater this season and only Chris Young at the Deschutes County Fair, local fans of the traditionally twangy genre must have more tears in their beers than usual.

Here is the antidote: Tonight, The Horned Hand will host Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers, a Seattle-based band that does true country music as well or better than anyone else visiting our region anytime soon.

Muth is a celebrated young songwriter from Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, a haven for Americana artists. She’s equally skilled at old-school honky-tonk songs or more contemporary folk-rock tunes, and her band — named after a 40-year-old Townes Van Zandt turn of phrase — sounds mighty skilled.

The star of the show, though, is Muth’s beautiful voice, a smooth and stirring instrument that has been compared to Iris DeMent and Kitty Wells. And if that isn’t enough, how ‘bout this: Seattle Weekly called Muth “our own Emmylou.”

Yeah, she’s pretty good.

Catch up with her at www .zoemuth.com.

Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers, with Hawkmeat; 8 tonight; $5; The Horned Hand, 507 N.W. Colorado Ave., Bend; www.reverbnation .com/venue/thehornedhand.

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