The Divine Maggees

Editor’s Note: Starting today, in a new, occasional column, George Bragdon will check out up-and-coming Maine musicians and venues for hearing live music in eastern Maine.

Like most things, folk music is best when it’s stripped down to the basics, usually little more than a lonesome old guitar and one sweet voice.

Usually. But in the case of the Divine Maggees, a guitar, a fiddle and two sweet voices are just the right elements for the job.

Each of the Maggees’ songs is simple yet richly textured, showcasing mesmerizing vocal harmonies, punctuated by Cregan Montague’s haunting violin and fueled by Danielle Tibedo’s work on both acoustic and electric guitar.

Over the past year, the duo (their name comes from both having cats named Maggee when they met) have been winning over audiences from Maine to Texas with powerful, engaging live shows. The Maggees’ latest independent release, “In the Meantime…,” documents the duo’s energetic and evolving performance style with each of the album’s nine tracks recorded live and in one take.

To celebrate the album’s release, the Maggees will perform two concerts this weekend. At 7 p.m. Friday, they’ll play the Lincoln Street Center in Rockland. And at 8 p.m. Saturday, the pair will be at the State Street Church Parish Hall in Portland.

And you better catch them live while you can. The duo will soon be heading down to Austin, Texas, to work on a new studio album as well as relocating to Athens, Ga., to pursue their musical vision – although the Maggees assure that they’ll continue to play the Pine Tree State.

George Bragdon can be reached at gbragdon@bangordailynews.net. For more information about the Divine Maggees, visit www.divinemaggees.com.