Somewhere near the intersection of roots, blues, Americana and the dark, raw side of indie rock you'll find the music of acclaimed Minneapolis duo David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey of The Pines. On their August 11 third album Tremolo (Red House) - and first since 2007's critically praised Sparrows in the Bell - Huckfelt and Ramsey pull off the notable feat of sounding both dust-bowl traditional and cutting-edge contemporary, similar in many ways to the more recent works of fellow Minnesotan Bob Dylan.

The acoustic blues twang, ticking snare and grizzled, raspy vocals on tracks such as the politically charged "Pray Tell" or Ramsey ballad "Hearts and Bones" have a sound that one critic described as "spooky country noir" and Q called "silky smooth, dark folk...clever, witty, vivid and inspired." Produced by Benson's father Bo Ramsey (Greg Brown, Lucinda Williams), Tremolo keeps the roots exposed but never overly reverential to influences, allowing The Pines to strike their own distinctive chord even on a pair of well-chosen, brilliantly realized covers: Spider John Koerner's "Skipper and His Wife" and Mississippi John Hurt's "Spike Driver Blues". Highly recommended.

"Like the great folk rock bands of yesteryear, The Pines simultaneously command tradition and the moment...I didn't hear a better band in 2008." - Dave Marsh (Rolling Stone, The Village Voice)

Myspace Artist Site Red House Records

The Pines - "Pray Tell" (from the album Tremolo)