In a wood-paneled country dive bar in the shadow of the San Francisco skyline, Front Country forged a sound that lies somewhere between indie folk and Americana—a genre some might call “Roots Pop”: the past is discernible with a wink and a nod, and the future is here. Like a carpenter building a rocket ship, there is a whimsy to Front Country’s perspective that takes an active, imaginative listener to appreciate. It’s not a sound based on current trends of what any mainstream audience has asked for, it is a new perspective looking to find a new audience. On their latest album, Other Love Songs, Front Country melds the ferocious energy of lead singer Melody Walker with a band of wickedly creative instrumentalists, building on songwriting influences as far afield as King Crimson or tUnE-yArDs. They’re working to translate the incredibly intricate arrangements and structures of the best pop songs into an organic, on-the-fly acoustic string band.
Tennessee Shines Radio Show is performed for a live audience every Wednesday at 7pm at Boyd's Jig & Reel musical pub in Knoxville's historic Old City. The show is broadcast live on WDVX FM and WDVX.com. Tickets are $7 plus applicable fees in advance, available at http://jigandreel.ticketleap.com/ or $10 at the door starting at 6pm.