Podcast: These United States

These United States get around. The local alt-folk-pop band is wrapping up a six-week national tour Sunday at the Black Cat. Led by Jesse Elliott, the band features a rotating cast of characters that almost always includes multi-instrumentalist J. Tom Hnatow, usually includes drummer Robby Cosenza and fills in the rest of its spots depending on date, city and mood. This isn't the first extended trek for the band that's the most visible member of the Federal Reserve Collective. Elliott and Co. can have traversed the country and parts of Europe before, but for this latest tour they actually had an album to support.

"A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden" is sometimes as wordy as its title, but since Elliott knows how to spin a phrase, that's not a bad thing. It's also diverse in its musical stylings, offering more than simple singer-songwriter fare, including the subtle electro-flourishes of "First Sight" and the restrained roadhouse rock of "The Business." You can hear both of those songs in full on a special City Guide podcast, linked below. We talked to Elliott, Hnatow and Cosenza about the new album, the next album, life on the road and more, just before they embarked on this most recent road trip.

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