Punch Brothers - Where to Begin?

[Davein VA]

I really enjoyed the Punch Bothers Elks Park set.  The musicianship was excellent and it was just plain fun.

Can someone recommend where to begin in terms of exploring their albums?

Thanks, Dave

[zack_adcock]

The How To Grow A Woman From The Ground album is their unofficial first album (billed as Chris Thile).

My favorite album is Antifogmatic and I think it represents the spectrum of the band best of their work proper. Not sure if that's a common opinion though. They are all fun and interesting, though. Punch has a really cool experimental/classical sequence on it, for example.

The documentary is streaming on Netflix now, too, which will give you some first hand insight.

Have fun!!

[Linds]

I think for their more bluegrassy stuff, How to Grow a Woman is great.  Punch, like the last poster said, is more experimental, with a classical bent.  The centerpiece is a 40 minute, 4-movement "bluegrass string quintet" about Thile's divorce.  It may take a few listens, but it's really beautiful.  Antifogmatic and Who's Feeling Young Now have more of the stuff that they play onstage now.  Get the deluxe versions.  And Ahoy!, the new EP they just released in November, is pretty wonderful, too.

Spend some time on youtube to find some of their fun covers that they haven't recorded.  My favorites are when they've played Radiohead's "Morning Bell" and Of Montreal's "Gronlandic Edit".

The documentary is pretty entertaining, too.  It's called "How to Grow a Band".

[Sunnyand70]

I recommend you listen in release order and throw in the movie How to Grow A Band directly after you listen to Punch. 

[3-Fan]

I have quite a few live recordings of theirs.  Drop me a line if you are interested in any.

[completejohn]

May I also recommend the album that Thile did with Mike marshall.  Wow, that is a great sounding album!

[upthecanyon]

Their Sheridan shows are usually one of the highlights of the festival for me.

There was definitely someone taping in the center balcony this year. Does anyone have a line on this show, or for that matter, ANY of their Sheridan shows from the last couple years?

Thanks

[KaraJean]

Ahoy! 
I have not always "got" Punch.
But after hearing the love story of the "Annabel Lee" and captain, I finally fell in love myself.
 

[3-Fan]

I recorded their Nightgrass show in 2010.  That was a night I won't forget.  Punch Brothers playing with Vasen was fantastic.

I have a couple other years floating around too.  Let me know if interested and I can hook you up. 

I have to agree that Annabel Lee is a song I just can't get enough of.  Their Beatles cover of Paperback Writer is pretty great too.

[ShatteredArm]

Annabel Lee?  You're talking about their excellent cover of Josh Ritter's "Another New World," right?

[HuckinFappy]

One of my crew described how I feel about Punch Bros. sets at TBF perfectly.   he said, "They'll play a few songs that make your jaw drop, a couple of amazing ones, a few average ones (in a world where "average" is still awesome), a couple that make you say "WTF?", and a couple that make you wish you were somewhere far away, out of earshot.   They're equal opportunity"

[KaraJean]

Annabel Lee?  You're talking about their excellent cover of Josh Ritter's "Another New World," right?

Yes! 
No tears with Josh Ritter's version, but thankful he wrote it. Thank you for setting me straight.