The Rural Alberta Advantage

Every once in a while, you hear a band that truly captivates you from the first second you start listening. One band that most certainly falls neatly into this category is The Rural Alberta Advantage. Hailing from Alberta, this Canadian band is currently so under the radar their myspace page has 58,000 views. Compare that number to 3,425,000 views for Fleet Foxes and The Shins with 6,773,000 views. The band's debut LP, Hometowns, was released early this year and enthralls from start to finish. Lead singer Nils Edenloff channels Jeff Magnum throughout the entire album, and while the similarity is something the band will probably try to avoid, but is undeniable. The band sounds like Neutral Milk Hotel and Arcade Fire combined, if that's possible. The real star of the show is Paul Banwatt, whose drumming may be among the most amazing performances I've ever heard on an album. His precision and energy is fantastic on every song, the standout being "Don't Haunt This Place." The RAA is unsigned, which is insane given not only their potential, but the actual material they've produced. If there's any justice in the world, this band is going to become huge, but for right now, consider them the best band nobody's heard of.

Don't Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage

Frank AB - The Rural Alberta Advantage

-Donovan