Atypical Appalachian Music
I'm a North Carolina musician currently living and recording in Louisiana.
I generally use mountain dulcimer, guitar, and harmonica to play original Appalachian rock music with a dark twang. Sometimes, I bust out my gourdtar (a DIY fretless dulcimer) and my strumstick as well. Sometimes, I play stuff that's rather different than all that.
Check out the CD release from 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2010.
New Download Sales ( MP3, flac, etc.)
My 2 solo dulcimer and guitar cds are now available for sale as digital album downloads at michaelfutreal.bandcamp.com.
Find out more about each of these releases:
| 2010 | Devil's Stomping Ground | info & CD | $8 digital album |
| 2008 | Dulcimers Are Go | info & CD | $8 digital album |
"Not My Sunshine" — dark dulcimer mojo
Proving once again that I was born under a bad sign, I've embraced the darkness and twisted "You Are My Sunshine" into something more appropriately sinister:
The dulcimer is tuned DAD with a capo at fret 1. Percussion is cajon. Bass is guitar through EHX HOG.
"Another Home" — acoustic and electric dulcimer instrumental
All the mountain dulcimers here are tuned GDD, including the mysterious third electric dulcimer that is never shown.
"Desert Red" — Red Rock Canyon by guitar light
I shot the video snapshots in this piece out at Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas.
The guitar here is tuned DGDGBD — the "taro patch" slack key tuning.
"Truckaluck"
Here's a new one with charango, guitar, cajon, and couple of mountain dulciemrs:
The acoustic "rhythm" dulcimer is tuned DGC. The electric "lead" dulcimer that plays the solo at the end is tuned GDD.
Two for One Video Special
"To Morrow Mountain" — dulcimer original
This one is for DGC dulcimer. I screwed up the video recording of the guitar part, so dulcimer is all you get in this video. Morrow Mountain is a peak in the ancient Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina.
Scenes from Zion National Park
Next, some video shot in Zion National Park, set to an improvisational piece that Andy and I recorded several years ago, "Story from the Journey:"
"Crossing Thistledown" — Appalachian rock music
The dulcimer is tuned GDD; the harmonica is in the key of D; the guitar is standard tuned; the bass is guitar through the Electro-Harmonix HOG, and the percussion is cajon.
Swannanoa — original tune for mountain dulcimer
The dulcimer is tuned in the relatively unusual FDC.
Unleashing the DevilMy new CD, Devil's Stomping Ground is now available. It featuring 12 tracks recorded over the course of 2009 — instrumental music for guitar, dulcimer, and gourdtar. I also threw in some harmonica, flute, cajon, and Other Things for seasoning. What's it sound like? It's Dark Twang. It's Appalachian Rock Music. It's... uh...er... well, check out the recording session videos on the cd page and see/hear for yourself. |
"Escape" (Remix)
The same electric guitar and GCC dulcimer, but now with 100% more bass guitar and percussion to round it off.
This recording is on my cd, Devil's Stomping Ground.

