Blending alt. country, Southern and indie rock, Celilo (pronounced suh-lie-low) are a curiously appealing band from Portland, Oregon. Sometimes quirky, frequently raw and vibe-y, their somber material has its mysterious and darker qualities, but the occurrence of certain brightening elements illuminate the musical landscape like rays through silver sided clouds. They are capable of organic warmth, akin to The Band or The Jayhawks, when at their most rural. And when they reach out sonically in the opposite direction they shift toward a raw, edgy sound more in league with Built To Spill or Pavement. Somewhere in the middle they find the "jammy-but-not" appeal of bands like The Mother Hips and Virgil Cane. Songwriter Sloan Martin heads up this fine quintet whose 2nd release features guest musicians Annalisa Tornfelt on fiddle and Paul Brainard of Richmond Fontaine on pedal steel, both of whom helped on their equally fantastic debut, Ricochet. -- Robinson, Miles Of Music (self-released CD-R)
