Portland Oregon based The Moonshine is an idea on the rise. An incandescent blend of guitar, autoharp, fiddle, banjo and upright bass. A rhythmic network of folks and songs from everywhere and nowhere. This is roots music born of the endless wonder of the open countryside, just as it is music meant to be heard blaring from brightly lit dancehalls on crowded city streets. During a given performance one is as likely to hear a modernist take on a Carter Family song from the 20's, as an anti-GMO song written in the new millennia with a distinctly old-time feel.The Moonshine crafts a style all their own based on applying traditional stringband techniques to the unconventional, yet instantly familiar writing of Michael Gerard Levasseur (formerly performing as “Michael The Blind”). As “Michael The Blind,” Levasseur put out two solo records and the 2012 acclaimed Alder Street Records release “Are’s and Els.” "His songs have acquired a texture that’s more British post-punk than Americana. Are’s & Els gets rowdy at times, but it’s also darkly shaded, with melodies that seem to take shape on the fly, guided by Levasseur’s trembly, angsty vocals."-- Noel Murray, Onion AV Club