To all fans of indie rock/folk/psychedelic music (I think just about everyone is a fan of at least one of those genres): The Terrace this Friday hosts three bands that coincide beautifully with their distinct sound. Starting at 9pm, Bailiff starts off the night and to follow will be Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts. Then to end the night, These United States will perform for your enjoyment.

A band from Washington D.C., These United States have the complete package of acoustic folk and rock ‘n roll. Their earlier album Crimes received a 6.0 rating from Pitchfork and later on, with their release of Everything Touches Everything, These United States were praised an 8/10 from SPIN. This June, These United States released a self-titled album that also includes collaborative songs with other artists. Their new album has received many reviews, including this quote from Relix, “Elliott reaffirms his appetite for life and adventure but with an added sense of urgency [...] TSU’s most up beat album.” Their songs, for instance “Dead and Gone,” are energetic, but also include rustic, acoustic tones. A slight comparison could be the combination of Cold War Kids and The Avett Brothers. However, in some songs they do add a psychedelic flair, as in the song “First Sight,” where it is quiet and peaceful, but also enticingly eerie.

Before we hear from These Untied States though, Chicago’s Will Phalen and The Stereo Addicts will grab your attention with their own rendition of midwestern folk rock. Their most recent album release was Middle West. As it sounds, it can be interpreted to be a representation of their homeland since most songs include lyrical descriptions of the midwest. It would only make sense then that Madison is one of Will Phalen’s favorite cities- Phalen is a UW-Madison alumnus, after all. Songs such as “I Can’t Run,” or “I Like Rain” have a classic folk characteristic with enlightening beats and calming acoustics. While listening to “I Like Rain,” it is not hard to imagine yourself driving through the countryside.

To shake things up on the indie scale, Bailiff will peform before these two bands with a more rock ‘n roll feel. The song “In The Reverie” is a solid representation of Bailiff’s chill guitar tones, swanky sound, and pleasantly raspy voice of Josh Siegel. This tight, new band has just recorded songs in Chicago and now will share with you their intoxicating music.

So, obviously after learning how wickedly awesome these bands are, your plans have been made for this Friday night. Hope to see you all there. Check out puppet scarecrows and corn-stalk band members in the video for “Everything Touches Everything” below.