Granfaloon Bus

Because there aren't enough drinking songs for thinkers, Granfaloon Bus has thrown their beer cap into the ring. Their folk/country twang signals an invitation to set down your 12-pack in the kitchen before you notice the flugelhorn, trombone and exotic percussion. By the time you crack your second one though, you're bobbing your head to the "oom-pa-pa" of "Heatwave Marchingband Soldier," not caring how many more surprises await you. Lyrical wordplay in songs like "South" and "Petty" reinterpret the "tear in my beer" formula as tackled by Leonard Cohen in a cowboy hat. In music and mood, they are not dissimilar from fellow brainy hayseeds like Giant Sand, Lambchop or Vic Chesnutt. Like these brethren, they have an unforced meandering quality that makes you want to call "shotgun" on the ride to see where they're headed. Be warned though, in their words, "this drive seems longer than usual. It's a two-beer trip, but one more sip makes 13." You didn't have to work tomorrow anyway, right?