Frontier Ruckus @ the IOTA

While up in Virginia for a tech conference a few weeks ago, I finally got to meet Tom Osborne of Twangville in person. Tom and I have been Internet-friends for it seems forever, but it was great finally getting to shake his hand and buy him a few beers.

Even better, Tom drove me down to the Iota Club to see Frog Holler. I'd heard good things about Frog Holler, and Tom and I wanted to talk shop, twangy music, and drink beer. We didn't realize we were about to be knocked for a loop by an opening band we'd never heard of.

My first thought when Frontier Ruckus got on stage was, "this band is too big." They had a lead singer/guitarist (who also plays harmonica), female backup singer, banjo player, bass player, drummer, and a multi-instrumentalist. And that was before the electric piano player got on stage for the second song! Seven people in total, and the first song was almost entirely the singer/songwriter Matthew Milia. I thought "what an expensive way to go on tour." Needless to say, I was wrong. In the second song, and every one thereafter, I understood why they had so many band members.

Frontier Ruckus is a dark, multi-textured band, with stellar songwriting. They seamlessly go from slow, plaintive heartbreakers to high-energy, acoustic raucous. They embody the "strange country" sound. Imagine the melancholy Avett Brother songs crossed with Conor Oberst vocals, Sufjan-like complex melodies and layering of several instruments. Oh, and take some great songwriting from all three of those amazing songwriter outfits and toss that in too. Then add a layer of Appalachian icing made of three-finger banjo picking, musical saw, scratchy fiddles, and beautiful male/female harmonizing. They're from Michigan, but I hear some mountain sound in their influences.

Frontier Ruckus kicked my ass. Grab their latest, The Orion Songbook. Highly recommended. The standout songs are "The Latter Days," "What You Are," "Mount Marcy," and "Rosemont." (Thanks Tom!)

(There's lots of great info about the band on Wikipedia.)