On The Verge

Family of the Year

Los Angeles, Calif.
An All-Americana Family
www.familyoftheyear.net

Family of the Year embraces many platonic elements of the all-American family; however, they defect structural classifications—neither nuclear nor extended. Like some families in their preliminary stages, these folks reside under the same roof, “literally sleeping in a pile” in their tiny one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles. “We really live like a family,” says drummer Sebastian Keefe, “and do family things like camping, going to the zoo and sharing large bottles of wine.” But besides brothers’ Sebastion and Joe Keefe, the sextet is “unrelated” beyond their common will to produce quality music. The group marries the sounds of classic late-era Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Paul Simon with contemporaries like The Shins, Fleet Foxes and Ben Folds. Since its inception last year, the band has released two EPs and one LP—most recent is the five track folk-tronic record Through the Trees, which it self-financed through fundraising. Ands its current tour is supported via sales of postcards available on the band’s website. How’s that for grassroots Americana?