You and Me and the Mountain

I stumbled upon an mp3 download for Chicago tech-indie/math-rock guys Maps & Atlases "Big Bopper Anthems" from the album Trees, Swallows, Houses (2006). Every member of this quartet is an honorary virtuoso for achieving this eccentric, organic and infectiously charming sound, at times reminiscent of old Minus the Bear and Hella. You can listen to a ton of their songs, including the latest album, You and Me and the Mountain (2008) at their Myspace or iLike (<- excellent music resource.) They'll give you the impression that you're hearing more instruments than they're playing and that their timings are more odd than they actually are. In short, Maps & Atlases is a freshly unique and captivating listen on many levels.