Chicago's Califone have been very quiet since their stellar 2006 release Roots and Crowns. Then again, Califone aren't the type of band to go trumpeting from every hilltop in vivid technicolor; rather, they remain understated, choosing an auditory palette of muted hues. Their music is dense, complex, and challenging, often involving deconstructed folk and blues motifs to create a very off-kilter amalgamation of new and old sounds.
"Funeral Singers" is from their upcoming October 6 release All My Friends Are Funeral Singers. It's an example of frontman Tim Rutili's humble intelligence as a songwriter and arranger: using only four chords, the band builds and builds on top of rich acoustic guitar work, the constant forward motion carrying them to the song's pseudo-campfire sing-along end. It's more upbeat than much of Califone's past work; in fact, it pays homage to Rutili's work in his previous band, Red Red Meat (whose stellar album Bunny Gets Paid was re-released this year).
The album was written as a companion to Rutili's film of the same name. When the band tours this fall, they plan to play the film as well, thus recreating the soundtrack live every night of the tour. You can pre-order the album at Califone's website (and through their label, Dead Oceans).
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