By Noah W. Bailey
Picking the best folk and Americana records of the year isn't nearly as hard as discarding those great records that just didn't feel right stuck in the category.
Releases by Calexico and DeVotchKa felt far too worldly to pigeonhole as folk or country, for instance, while Blitzen Trapper's fantastic Furr smells more like the Kinks than Neil Young. [Editor's note: That's why we put it on our indie-rock list.] We likewise discarded Shearwater's near-masterpiece Rook, despite the
AlisonWhat is in the water in Nevada City? That old gold rush town is a hotbed for Bay Area expats (Tim Green) and general musical creativity (Joanna Newsom, Alela Diane) that goes well with what's popular back here (freaky folk, pastoral pop). Tonight Casual Fog comes down from the hills with a hearty collection of musicians mixing those aforementioned genres together. The band is our pick for the Mission Creek showcase tonight. They play the Knockout with stoner rockers Hot Lunch, as well as P
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