LIFE DURING: WARTIME BLUES

For long (or even part) time Missoula residents, the mere mention of chamber-folk juggernaut Wartime Blues will elicit a wave of feeling. For you non-Missoulians, I'm here to tell you that the wave of feeling(s) are pretty much guaranteed. Wartime Blues are a force of nature, a surprisingly weird force of nature, in a consistently staid genre of music. They're also one of the few Missoula bands in recent memory to have made a name for themselves in national circles, especially those circles that run counter to much of Total Fest's classical "genre." We haven't been the same festival for years, people. Wartime Blues isn't your run-of-the-mill cello-a-guitar-and-a-folk-song jumble. They're 1,000x the greatest band you haven't seen. They're as sprawling as their subject matter and absolutely HUGE live. It's always been a treat to see 'em and you're in luck because they're totally playing Total Fest XIV.

SAY 'YES' TO BIRD'S MILE HOME
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, you've probably gotten the opportunity to have had Missoula's own Bird's Mile Home send you on your way completely worn out and unable to get their damn songs out of your head no matter how many times you hum them. What can't this band do? From getting a hall full of seniors shakin' their butts on the dance floor to whipping the kids into a fury with Circle Jerks covers and thrashing originals, these guys bring to mind the best elements of the Minutemen, Fifteen, hell even the Boss. The semi-recent addition of cellist Genevieve Smith completes the picture by perfectly fleshing out the songs and adding a hint of melody to the addictingly gruff delievery of Bird's Mile Home's rolickin' jams.

With lyrics that tell a rollercoaster ride of a story - goddamn I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff - and songs that make it nearly impossible to pinpoint their sound (folk? punk? weird?), Bird's Mile Home's recently released debut LP on local upstart Minor Bird Records (Total Organizer Marty Hill, yes!) sets the bar for Missoula's underground music scene. Don't sit on this - get a head start by picking up the record now and learn the songs so you too can impress your friends by finger-pointing at all the right places and adding your own drunken rendition to the songs' chorus.