The Carolina Chocolate Drops' Grammy-nominated album Genuine Negro Jig has landed at No. 4 on the Top 10 album list from Jim Harrington, music critic of the San Jose Mercury News, Oakland Tribune, and Contra Costa Times—a best-of list that puts the band in the company of such names as Eminem, Kanye West, and Big Boi. This follow a number of year-end accolades, including best-of lists from All Music Guide, Paste, and two from NPR.

Speaking of NPR, "Don't let the NPR-friendly nature of the project scare you away," Harrington advises, writing with figurative tongue in cheek. "Yes, there is a scholarly element ... but it's carried off in a way that is accessible to all. The arrangements, which use kazoo, jug, fiddle and other old-timey instruments, somehow manage to sound strikingly contemporary. Then there's Rhiannon Giddens, whose Beyoncé-big voice can sell just about anything." Read more and see Harrington's complete list at mercurynews.com.

In honor of the Grammy nomination for Genuine Negro Jig, the Carolina Chocolate Drops' Nonesuch debut, for Best Traditional Folk Album, and in celebration of the banner year the band has had, we're offering a free download of the album track "Trouble in Your Mind" here:

The band recently closed out their tour schedule for the year with concerts in and nearby their home base of North Carolina. The Independent Weekly out of Durham fittingly described 2010 as a "whirlwind year" for the band, during which they "have achieved a cross-cultural recognition that's well-deserved."

Reviewing the band's recent Nashville show for No Depression, Dustin Ogdin concurs:

The dramatic success of this young trio over the past year is well-deserved (including their Grammy nomination). They are all talented multi-instrumentalists. They are true professionals who know how to work a crowd. They exude a deep reverence for the older musical forms upon which they've built their sound but aren't afraid to innovate and experiment to sculpt something wholly new and unique to themselves. Lastly, the Chocolate Drops are just plain fun, even in the context of showcasing some serious musical chops, a combination not always easy to find.

There's much more in the complete concert review at nodepression.com.

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You can pick up a copy of Genuine Negro Jig on vinyl and CD in the Nonesuch Store, where all CDs, LPs, and DVDs are now 33% off as part of the store's 3rd anniversary sale, including the band's forthcoming EP with Luminescent Orchestrii. Nonesuch Store orders of Genuine Negro Jig also include seven exclusive live bonus tracks.