The Low Anthem at Baeble's Guest Apartment

We caught the Low Anthem hustling down to Bonnaroo. That alone should serve a pretty solid indication of the promising trajectory this Rhode Island trio appear to be traveling. The other? An incredibly romantic batch of wooded folk tunes titled Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. Nonesuch Records was apparently so impressed with the band's sophomore release they recently decided to remaster/repackage/retouch it for a widespread release.

Pulling the band off the highway, we put the band up in our Guest Apartment. While they were here, Ben Knox Miller, Jeffrey Prystowsky, and Jocie Adams showed off some beautiful instruments (a 100+ year old, a "pocket" pump organ, a set of crotales, a double bass, a clarinet, an alto horn, a pair of cell phones), strolling through a number of tunes from both Charlie Darwin, and its' predecessor What the Crow Brings along the way. Here is the promised performance. - David Pitz

The Low Anthem's unique brand of Americana makes room for gospel, folk, and blues, a blend that began taking shape in the trio's hometown of Providence, RI. Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky -- both students at Brown University, as well as late-night DJs at the school's radio station -- formed the group in 2006, drawing upon their background as classical composers to help mold the eclectic music. Jocie Adams joined one year later, and the Low Anthem began widening their arsenal of instruments accordingly, utilizing everything from World War I pump organs to crotales in the process. After making their independent debut with 2007's What the Crow Brings, the band rang in 2008 by temporarily relocating to Block Island -- a remote location 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast -- to record an album with producer Jesse Lauter. The stark, serene environment proved to be an appropriate for the music, which the band initially self-released under the title Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. As their buzz continued to build, and the Low Anthem signed a contract with Nonesuch Recordings and reissued Oh My God in 2009, supporting the release with a string of performances at summer festivals. - all music guide