Deadboy & the Elephantmen

Deadboy & the Elephantmen may be on Fat Possum records, but don't let that fool you: There's nothing gut-bucket-bluesy about this guitar-and-drums duo. In fact, despite such a simple set-up, the band defies easy categorization: too raw for rock & roll, too fuzzed-out for blues, too urgent for swamp-boogie. Guitarist Dax Riggs (of the late metal band Acid Bath) sings in a low-slung, quasi-gothic register, somewhere between Nick Cave's gravitas and Britt Daniel's howl. Tessie Brunet keeps things anchored on the drums while providing sweet, ethereal harmony vocals. The pair are responsible for the sounds on this year's We Are Night Sky, but on this tour expect bassist Alex Bergeron to round out the band's tunes.