Yes, it’s a tad blizzardly out today, and that’s good news because what sounds better than sitting in the Rath with friends drinking beer and listening to some great music? Exactly, nothing. Tonight we’re lucky to have two great bands serenading us, Lost Lander and Paper Thick Walls.

Portland, Oregon’s Lost Lander has been getting considerable love from all over the music scene including the blogosphere and some favorite music sources including Spin and Rolling Stone. Just to solidify those sentiments, they were just recently named Best Emerging Act of 2011 in the Best of Portland series.

Last month their debut LP, DRRT, premiered and it echoes beautiful yet sometimes mysterious places and emotions; together it’s resonant of a symphonic brilliance that proves what good music can do not only for your ears but for your soul as well.
Frontman Matt Sheehy, part lyricist and part forester, was inspired by the Pacific Northwest with sounds that some have been compared to Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes. Also having pride in his Alaskan roots it’s no surprise Lost Lander has an earthy, experimental feel to them (the physical cd actually folds into a mini planetarium, KOOL).

One of the standout tracks, ‘Afraid of Summer’, is graceful and unrestrained. Sheehy speaking with Rolling Stone described it as having a “spooky, mesmerizing” force that had him in a trance while working on it.

Also performing tonight is Chicago’s Paper Thick Walls who are sure to start the night on a good note with their unique mix of guitars, fiddle, mandolin, and bass. Their debut album ‘A Thousand Novels’ came out last year and has already been well received with orchestral melodies and compelling stories.

Tune in to 91.7fm WSUM online or over the air at 4pm today to hear Lost Lander perform live in studio and make sure to check out the show tonight, 9:30 at the Rath in Memorial Union.

Download Cold Feet by Lost Lander