With a flair for drama and darkness, San Francisco-based trio the Tunnel channel the gothic blues of luminaries like Nick Cave and the Birthday Party, taking listeners on a discordant journey through smoky dive bar darkness that exists in the pages of pulp novels and David Lynch films. Consisting of Jeff Wagner (vocals/guitar), Patrick Crawford (drums), and Sam Black (bass/keyboards), the band takes the stripped-down blues of bands like the White Stripes and the Black Keys and runs it through a filter of back alley seediness, dialing down the tempo in the name of atmosphere. The trio made their full-length debut in 2009 with Carver Brothers Lullaby, released on Glorious Alchemical, following up two years later with Fathoms Deep. ~ Gregory Heaney