Frank Fairfield may sound like he was born in the Appalachians, his voice as old as the hills as he scratches out old forgotten blues pieces and murder ballads on banjo, guitar, or fiddle, but he hails from the San Joaquin Valley. He settled in Los Angeles, where he discovered he was pretty good at busking and developed as a performer. After touring as the opening act on a Fleet Foxes tour, he signed to Tompkins Square, which released his self-titled debut album in 2009. Released in 2010, Unheard Ofs & Forgotten Abouts was actually an archival sampling of his massive collection of old 78s. A proper second album, Out on the Open West, appeared in 2011. ~ Steve Leggett