Robinella

Robinella is the band of singer Robin Ella Contreras. The band was first formed as Robinella and the CCstringband in the late 1990s by Robin Ella and husband Cruz Contreras (the "CC" in CCstringband) at the University of Tennessee. They released three albums under that name before shortening it to simply Robinella with the 2006 release of Solace for the Lonely, an album which began to explore areas of pop and funk. The eclectic release includes a unique cover of '70s pop singer Melanie's "Brand New Key," the pop-tinged "Oh So Sexy" and the hauntingly beautiful country weeper "Teardrops." Prior to that, much of the band's work could be described as a mixture of progressive bluegrass and jazz blues. Notable early songs include a faithful remake of Nanci Griffith's "Love at the Five and Dime," a cover of "Flashdance (What A Feeling)" and the fan favorite "Man Over." Band members include violin player Billy Contreras (Cruz's brother), guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, and bassist Taylor Coker. Robinella continues to perform regularly most Sunday nights at Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria in the Old City section of Knoxville.