Formed in Bloomington a dozen years ago, the band blends dark subjects -- death, violence, booze and isolation both emotional and physical -- with glimpses of brightness borrowed from vaudeville and wild west melodrama. That's where their genre-bending begins. Turla's crackly guitar modernizes their sound, giving them a foothold among indie counterparts like Calexico and Iron and Wine.
The recent permanent addition of multi-instrumentalist touring partner Scott Brackett (Okkervil River) promises to add more historical leanings with his penchant for accordion, mandolin and cornet. Despite this old-timey link, the band recently funded vinyl production of their forthcoming sixth album, "Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon," via the most modern method -- Kickstarter.
All photos by Louis Kwok.
