Anathallo

I can't believe I'm behind on this one. This band hails from Michigan, former home turf for me. I've just heard their latest album "Floating World" and they're every bit as good as I remember and probably even better. I remember seeing these guys in a rec center in Mount Pleasant opening for my friends Juneau. Most members were still in high school at the time but their intensity stole the show even then. They are a sprawling eight piece who write epic masterpieces packed with fragile melodies that build to towering finishes. This album is a bit of a concept based around a Japanese Folktale but the concept never distracts from the overall quality of the music. On stage they bring a new meaning to their self description as a "marching band gone haywire," like Sufjan sitting in for an improptu session with the Arcade Fire for lack of a better comparison. Certainly one of the best bands to come out of Michigan recently (and that's saying something). You can buy the album from their site or check them out at myspace.

Download these tracks from "Floating World"
Dokkoise House (With Face Covered)
Hanasakajijii (Four: A Great Wind, More Ash)
Hanasakajijii (One: The Angry Neighbor)