Indiana's own Reverend Peyton continues to follow his vision of purveying unadorned southern hill-country blues with a slightly modern touch. While the Reverend successfully self-released the Big Damn Band's first three albums, a major independent came calling, so the band is now signed to SideOneDummy (home to Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello, and other disciples of traditional types of music updated for modern times). Those who might think this would entail some sort of major change in the band's approach need only take one listen to the new disc to find that their concerns are unfounded. Continuing to steep themselves in their well-developed sound of dobro and acoustic guitars, washboard, and drums, The Whole Fam Damily simply presents the Big Damn Band's music with a slightly higher sheen, along with a new-found liking for harmonica and, on "Walmart Killed The Country Store," distaff harmonies (!) from the queen of the washboard, Breezy Peyton. What is new is a somewhat more pointed and modern political slant within the lyrics of a few of the tunes. In addition to singing about the blues-generating potential of Walmart (the above-mentioned title), the Reverend also looks in on the high cost of healthcare ("Can't Pay The Bill"-"Lord keep me right/Build my endurance/Because I can't afford/The health insurance") and the blues caused by pollution ("The Creek's Are all Bad"-"PVC's in the catfish and mercury in the bass/Can't eat the fish cause the creek's are all bad'). Too, there is a funny Indiana-referencing take on reality TV on "Your Cousin's On Cops". However, whether the lyrical focus is more modern or traditional in outlining the "hard times but good living" stories conveyed by the band, The Whole Dam Family truly shines when the musical genius of the Reverend's guitar and dobro work is put to the fore. Whether it be his acoustic picking on "Worn Out Shoe" or his sublime dobro slide on "Mama's Fried Potatoes," the Reverend continues to develop and deploy his amazing chops throughout. This is especially evident when both he picks and slides on the same tune, as on the hard-rockin' "DT's Or The Devil" (with great rhythms from Jamie and Breezy) or the mellower "John Hughes (The Water Tower's Heart Is Sore)," making for a knockout sound that is more prominent than on the band's earlier recordings. Few bands are able to take a traditional sound and truly make it entertaining for a modern audience over the course of an entire album (or a show) as well as the Reverend and his family. Now, with some label funding, the Big Damn Band will be taking their show around the world, as well as continuing to spread their hill-country enthusiasm throughout the States. The Whole Fam Damily contains yet another great example of what they have to offer.

Six years on from their masterpiece, Neon Golden, the brothers Markus and Mika Archer, along with programmer Martin Gretschman, return with another indie/electronica gem. Starting out as a hardcore metal outfit, Notwist eventually morphed into purveyors of sad and sweet laptop-pop romanticism, stuttering beats, and dreamy, hushed vocals. While their latest is not quite the equal of Neon Golden (but then no one else has equaled it, either), The Devil, You & Me is still a beautiful outing filled with lyrics which focus on resignation and longing. The "down" nature of the lyrics are set off by the band's music, filled with uplifting melodies, quiet soundscapes, and slightly jagged programmed beats, clicks, and cuts, all combining to sound like a less dramatic (but equally melodic) version of Radiohead's forays into the electronic side of things. Opener "Good Lies" sets the template, with strummed guitar chords in each channel, a slow drum build, breathy, beautiful vocals, all backgrounded by keyboard washes and slight digital "static" popping in and out of the mix. The song builds as more synths/keys and guitars are added, layer upon layer, but the band holds back (here, as always) from truly exploding into a full-tilt rock sound. Even when throwing in glockenspiel and a 21-piece orchestra (the wonderfully named Andromeda Meg Express Orchestra), Notwist always maintains a tense, understated edge to their music that allows it to grow with each listen.