What do you get when you combine a guitar, drums, bass, and a singing-saw? You get Michigan folk-rockers, Frontier ckuRus. Shades of country and bluegrass are only a light coloring of what pours out of this young quintet. Their new album, Deadmalls and Nightfalls, is a gloomy and often sad reflection of an area that was once booming as an industrial mecca. Adolescence, family, and life in the northern Midwest is sung through convincing story telling and true emotion. Brilliant song writing and melancholic melodies make it relatable. It's easy to picture yourself driving by the crumbling strip malls and vacant factories. With all the gloominess there is room for the singing beauty of changing seasons and Great Lakes. They are currently touring around the Midwest. I was fortunate enough to see them live on Novemeber 1st. It was incredible. I met all five of them and got to visit for a bit. Very friendly and humble guys. They are the bearded guys on campus that you would bet play an instrument and might shop at the local thrift, or for that matter, the thrift of the town they're passing through. They seem to be excited for the future and happy to be playing music. At times it may only be in front of a hand full of people but I have a distinct feeling that wont be for much longer. If fortune cookies serve to be true, opportunity lurks closely. Have a listen and see what you think. Here are a couple I selected off the new album.
Download: Frontier Ruckus – Nerves of the Nightmind
Download: Frontier Ruckus – I Do Need Saving
Download: Frontier Ruckus – Silverfishes
