The Ebony Hillbillies have been playing for a number of years, and they are all relatively old timers. The disonance of their name is a play off their African American identity, the old TV show, and their NYC audience's presumed sense of associations with their music. It works in that regard, but it is discomforting.

I think Russ is right: the name is insensitive, but perhaps more a reflection of where sensibilities were when the band first started playing than any deliberate attempt to offend.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, younger and more playfully deliberate in how they approach their AfAm identity, are a better fit for the current decade.

So when your band has been branded by a name that no longer fits the era, what do you do? Maybe we should ask the Washington Redskins!