Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem in concert

All of roots music is a stage for Daisy mayhem, and this four-piece string band loves nothing more than choreographing a jubilant mix of traditional, original and contemporary sounds. With Rani Arbo's bewitching alto at the helm, stunning vocal harmonies, a 100 percent recycled drum set, fiddle, guitar and bass, Daisy mayhem "has a grand knack for pumping new blood into old music" says a Boston Globe reviewer. Imagine, for example, a pre-Civil War song from the Georgia Sea Islands sung over a New Orleans style groove. Or, an old Irish fiddle tune with new lyrics, capped with a solo on a South American box drum. A Stephen Sondheim tune done jug band style? An original Unitarian funk gospel song? You begin to get the idea. With influences from Doc Watson to Django Reinhardt, from Ghanaian drumming to the funky Meters, and from Fiddlin' John Carson to Bob Dylan, Daisy mayhem celebrates America's rich musical past and brings it into the present with good humor, impeccable musicianship, powerful songwriting and a clear love of playing together. Here are four musicians who pick up what's lying around – from tin cans to old songs and wry observations of modern life – and create something new.