In my book there is no other band that compares to Frontier Ruckus; with that said Branches comes pretty close to a West Coast version of the band. First off the music is folk based (although on this record they have added ukulele, trombone, trumpet, violin, toy organ), the lyrics are flowery/poetic, and the band exudes a sense of community. But unlike Frontier Ruckus who seem to be writing about the barren and collapsing midwest, Branches writes about the open spaces and natural surroundings of Northern California. There’s no better example of this than the song “Helicopter” from the band’s just released record Thou Art The Dream with it’s allusions to pebbles, streams, and saplings.
Buy the band’s debut full length here via CD Baby.
Bonus songs from previous eps:
In The Morning
O Come All Ye Faithful
Silent Night
New album EPK
Great live video of the song “In The Morning” (with slamming door as bass drum)