One of the elements of bluegrass music that often seduces certain listeners is its alleged non-commercial purity. Frank Lee, banjoist for the Freight Hoppers, abandoned his considerable three-finger ...

When actress Alicia Silverstone told MTV that her favorite band is The Freight Hoppers, no doubt most of the millions of the cable station’s trend-conscious viewers had to be scratching their heads.

At the close of the 20th century, the Freight Hoppers blew the dust off Appalachian old-time music with a youthful spark and a hell-for-leather abandon that won over bluegrassers, punk rockers and ...