2006, Musical Family Tree
Delicious Berries, the first compilation release from Musical Family Tree, a project started in 2004 that aims to archive the Indiana music scene, is a dazzling display of variety and real care that most compilations lack; there's a lot of heart in this release.
Consisting heavily in alt.country and indie rock, Delicious Berries is a breath of fresh air from Indiana -- an area of the United States certainly not known for an illustrious music scene, to be sure. John Strohm, who offers the track "Rise and Shine," is an excellent example of the fusing of the two sounds; with more than just a tinge of apparent influence from Wilco and kin, Strohm, who is a major player in the Indiana music scene, at the third track on the disc, provides an interesting and insightful example of the music Musical Family Tree covers.
There's an indelible depth to this compilation that really drives home the point of Musical Family Tree. Despite being an assortment of artists, the tracks feel intensely related to one another -- even though the styles are widely differing, there is more than just a casual feel to the relationship between one song and another. Even the remarkedly jazzy and funky "Overboogie," as performed by Emperor Penguin, doesn't feel out of place in the flow of the music.
Musical Family Tree, admirable not only for archiving a music scene, and, essentially, a big part of musical history, but also managing to create a successful, coherent compilation that is sure to not disappoint.
Check out Musical Family Tree at MusicalFamilyTree.com.