Brokeback "Illinois River Valley Blues"
Douglas McCombs has been recording with his instrumental band Brokeback in some capacity since ’95. Not a bad side gig, eh? Well, that last sentence means he has a main gig, right? Yup. He sure does. Tortoise! How’s that for a one-two punch? I’m sure you are well familiar with the sounds of Tortoise, but Brokeback somehow seems to fly under the radar. It’s a shame, too, since they have been making some of the most evocative instrumental rock of the last 20+ years. If David Lynch were to direct a Kids In The Hall project, the music would almost certainly sound like Illinois River Valley Blues (Thrill Jockey). If you find that statement hard to believe, than you haven’t listened to “Cairo Levee.”