Frontier Ruckus

Frontier Ruckus and Samantha Crain are two shiny new Americana acts handpicked by Ramseur Records (better known as the folks who brought us banjo-driven balladeers the Avett Brothers). Frontier Ruckus is the folk-rock project of Matthew Milia, inspired by abandoned malls and vacant suburban landscapes. Milia must have been inspired by the blank expanse of the Midwestern plains, too, because he pens melodies that recall the rustic warmth of Omaha’s Mogis brothers (of Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, M. Ward, and the Good Life). The result: big, sticky hooks abetted by horns, fiddle and banjo flourishes. Frontier Ruckus is on tour supporting its second release, Deadmalls and Nightfalls, out the same day as the band’s Bottleneck appearance. Samantha Crain recently released her own second album. It’s called You (Understood), and its country twang and indie-rock clamor glimmer beneath Crain’s lithe, quavering vocals.