Luke Franks Or The Federalists are currently touring in support of their new album The Way We Ran, out November 10, 2009 on Talking House Records (San Francisco). Sounding much like an Austin band though they emerge from Northern California, they are either a blast of fresh sonic development or a reinterpretation of what made an earlier era of bands so influential.

Band bios are a funny thing, especially for groups without much history, as this is a prose format fraught with the risk of hyperbole and inflated claims that convince no one. Franks, deeply cynical about media hype and hipsters, would rather let his music speak for itself, with little said about him before anyone hears the songs. As such he washes his hands of this biography-writing exercise. With Franks giving a resigned shrug and a dismissive, scornful wave of his hand, small label Talking House takes on the challenge to provide some word-processed indication about what is special with Luke Franks Or The Federalists.

LFOTF deliver a complex and deep integration of current indie sounds (M. Ward, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band, Fleet Foxes) and increasingly popular alt country flavors (Wilco, Ryan Adams) steeped with the vibe of esteemed bands that fill the playlists of classic rock radio stations. Nuanced, heart-wrenching, and picturesque lyrics, both provocative and evocative, are sung with a self-awareness and weariness that belie Franks' 23 years, sounding more like a middle-aged Johnny Cash than a young songwriter just past the legal drinking threshold.

For inspiration and models LFOTF leans on those seminal groups of the 70's that merged rock, folk, country, and, oftentimes, R&B grooves, and did not hesitate to extend instrumental sections, to shift time signatures, to embrace a wide range of song forms, feels, and textures -- whatever fit to carry the listener on an emotional journey. But those bands did not just jam out, they were songwriters first and foremost. Franks Or the Feds captures the essence of that period of music exploration, genre-expansion, and evolving song craft.

LFOTF switches with comfort from pumped-up, overdriven rave-ups to mournful, introspective laments showcasing vocal stylings that echo the crooners of earlier eras. And like some those that Franks is compared to (Elvis Costello, Spoon, Wilco), Franks takes hold of but refuses to be held captive by traditional song structures. With a bow to classic radio pop, Franks' unexpected and immediately appealing melodies are conveyed on top of tight grooves and the intricate, woven interplay and layering of instruments. But unexpected diversions and the unleashing of more melody, and yet more melody, together forge hum-able, memorable songs, hooking listeners' attention and recall without relying on the more conventional pop song repetition.

Franks, the son of a pastor, early developed music tastes far beyond the confines of his rural and suburban environments, his peers, or current trends. He will spit hip hop lyrics, hum a hymn, belt a big rock anthem, or quote a little known singer-songwriter's gem with equal ease and conviction. Throughout, it is intensity and personal vision and a resistance to narrow musical constraints that attracts Franks to his favorite artists, and the same qualities emerge in his new album.

A name change seemed fitting to Franks just as The Way We Ran album artwork was nearing completion. With two self-released albums and an EP out as The Federalists (2006 - 2008), Franks recently found that his long-time band members (from Contra Costa County in the East Bay) were focused on hometown commitments that would keep them from the road life, so Franks' gathered a new back-up band as nationwide touring begins. As sole songwriter and lead vocalist, it was fitting now to spotlight his contribution with his name in front of the band moniker.

But never one to be pinned down, always one who admired the unique idiosyncrasies of his musical heroes, and an appreciator of the small details that differentiate a band, a singer, or a song, Franks incorporates a twist into his band name. Linking in "Or" as a sly spin on a traditional rock band name schematic, the name says much about Luke Franks Or The Federalists' recordings in a compact message: here is music that is rooted in the familiar but taken in original and unanticipated directions.