The music of The Woes is a stew of Delta blues and early Country, of bluegrass and New Orleans marching band music, dished out by banjo, harmonica, accordion, French Horn and organ. The five piece hails from New York City.

At the center of their distinctive sound is frontman Osei Essed's inimitable voice and expert songwriting. The songs are alternately chant-like, rhythmically driving, lyrical, haunting; his voice is sweetly controlled or as frightening as (the early blues preacher) Blind Willie Johnson.

Alongside Essed is his longtime musical collaborator, Cicero Jones, a French Horn player and gospel organist. The two formed The Woes in 2002, inspired by a love of traditional American music. Their idiosyncratic approach to those roots, however, is what defines The Woes sound, which Essed tellingly terms "Post-Apocalyptic traditional music." The addition of Ronen Ben, an accordionist and blues harpist, completed the frontline, and also allowed Essed and Jones more drink tickets.

In 2004, The Woes and producer Dan Romer entered the studio and recorded four songs, included on the debut EP Coalmine. The Woes and Romer have recently completed their second collaboration, That Coke Oven March, on which they are joined by drummer Oscar Chabebe and bassist Jesse Newman. The album documents the evolution of their sound, with - remarkably for a band named The Woes - more raucous and uptempo songs. That Coke Oven March also features a few new instruments, namely Fender Rhodes keyboard, clarinet, melodica and banjo-mandolin.

Four years after forming, The Woes continue to hop genres and cross boundaries, quite literally, with monthly gigs in both East and West Village. The Woes often start out Friday or Saturday nights opening for blues and soul acts such as Michael Powers Frequency and The Holmes Brothers at the Bleecker Street blues haven, Terra Blues. They then quickly move east to rock the midnight show at Avenue A's indie and "antifolk" hotspot, Sidewalk Cafe, where they rang in 2006 with a performance that had the audience defying Cabaret license laws by openly and drunkenly waltzing in the cramped, dusty, back room.

In addition to finishing That Coke Oven March, their first full length album, they are also at work on film music for Spirit of '79, a documentary about the American agricultural movement. The documentary is being made by Keith Maitland for Illegalfilms and features interviews with, and songs by Willie Nelson and Arlo Guthrie.

And Coming up at Common Ground:

5/16 - The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Preview Show, with Abi Tapia and Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers: Buy Tickets
6/6 - The Rivertowns Jazz and Blues Festival, with The Holmes Brothers, also Kemp Harris and the Hastings Blues Mothers: Buy Tickets
6/6 - The Rivertowns Jazz and Blues Festival, with The First U Rock and Soul Revue and Ralph Gunderman: Buy Tickets
6/12 - The Rivertowns Jazz and Blues Festival, with Pete Kennedy and the Matt Munisteri Trio: Buy Tickets
6/13 - The Rivertowns Jazz and Blues Festival, with Bethany and Rufus, The Mandingo Ambassadors, and Hazmat Modine: Buy Tickets