Maine:
Fire on Fire
CITY: South Portland
SONG THAT GOT US: “Hangman”
ON THE TUBES: MySpace, YouTube
RECORD LABEL: Young God
WHY THEM? Buddies with last year’s winners from Maine, Big Blood, Portland collective Fire on Fire dwell in the same freakish-folk milieu. You’ll need a compass: it’s Southern gothic bluegrass via the northern tundra, complete with hand drums, accordion, and banjo. Take it as a good sign that Swans guru Michael Gira signed them to his Young God label, calling them “a backwoods, fierce, psychedelic Mamas and the Papas or a crazed and joyously vengeful gospel string band.”
BONUS BIT! Features three members of beloved sort-of-local post-rock icons Cerberus Shoal, as well as solo folkie Micah Blue Smaldone.