Family Band "Grace & Lies"

Highly recommended.

Ok, so this is not one to go to when your looking for some sunshine to lift your spirits, it pins the melancholy meter pretty much throughout. It is, however, beautifully written and played with gentle, soulful passion. I was not familiar with Family Band until I came across this review on Pitchfork a few weeks back. This album has been a favorite since. If your a fan of dark, folky, emotional stuff...it's one to give a spin.

Ironically, I was sending this recommendation to a friend this morning and noticed that Scott Hirsch played lap steel and bass on it. He's also multi-instrumentalist on Hiss Golden Messenger's "Poor Moon" album which remains my favorite release of the year.

BTW, I think we need a new music recommendation thread. I know there are a couple of "Best Rock..." etc but nothing just to throw out stuff we come across we'd like to recommend.

Anyway, hope some of you enjoy this one too. I'm going to do a little digging and see what else they have out there.