River Whyless Gathers Many Musical Tributaries

When we promoted River Whyless' headline show at Rough Trade a few weeks ago, listener Jim commented on the Gig Alert page: "Fabulous. Just fabulous." We couldn't agree more. The group's razor-honed songwriting and thoughtful vocal harmonies steal the spotlight, but equally impressive is the nuanced musical arsenal they deploy. Of particular note is the Asheville, N.C., band's melding of hill folk with the syncopated rhythms and staccato guitars of the so-called "desert blues" tradition of Mali. Taken as a whole, the band's new record "We All the Light" is a triumph of emotional connection and musical alchemy. The group visits the studio to play from the album and talk about their many influences.