Rarity

Rarely do I want to purchase every book a publisher puts out. But there are exceptions to every rule.

Accessibility

 OK, so someone asked me why I had not included three bands in my Underground Americana post that seemed to fit the Americana profile: Wayfarer, Blackbraid and Wolves in the Throne Room. I guess the easiest answer is because they have had enough mainstream exposure that I didn't think of them as "underground." I'll say this about both Wayfarer and Blackbraid - their music is more polished and less experimental than the three bands I listed, but its probably fair to say that they are still far from the collective consciousness of American music listeners, so I will in fact take a moment to comment on them all in response.

Wayfarer - in some ways these guys are analogous to Grave Pilgrim: both bands take up themes in American history, though Wayfarer is more directly trying to evoke a kind of spirit of the "Old West." If you haven't heard them, they pull in influences that range from atmospheric black metal, sludge, to the alt country-ish "Denver sound." The album you want to listen to is American Gothic. I mean, its a really, really solid and original work - I like it more than their previous albums and even more so as an ex Denver resident. So, yes, they should get a mention. Wayfarer, by the way, is *way* more polished than Grave Pilgrim, so if you were put off by the rawness of the album I posted a link to, this is much different music stylistically (Grave Pilgrim remains one of my favorite rock bands recording today).

That brings me to Blackbraid. This is a one man act from the Adirondacks, which combines hard charging early black metal influences with native American themes and an attempt to evoke the surrounding landscapes of upstate NY. Its like a band made especially for me - I used to solo camp, trout fish and grouse hunt the Adirondacks in my earlier days as often as I could. The whole region has a special feel and I'd be happy if I was stuck there in a cabin for many months at a time. I don't listen to metal albums often, but Blackbraid II has probably been the one I have played on repeat more than anything else for a long while. Personal favorite: The Wolf that Guides the Hunters Hand. His cover of Bathory's A Fine Day to Die is better than the original - that may or may not be saying a lot depending on your point of view, but its a cool cover. By the way, you can't compare them to Pan Native American Front, the take on native American experience is completely different, so is the music.

Lastly, Wolves in the Throne Room. I realize they get credit for pushing local acts to try to express the Cascadian landscape sonically, but there music is consistently barely listenable, the occultish themes they weave in are just stupid, and to add insult to injury everyone I have known that has seen them live has said the shows are terrible. So the reason I didn't highlight them is simple: I don't think much of them and don't understand their appeal. Two Hunters is their best album, though.