Southerly

Originating in 2001 as Krist Krueger’s personal outlet—the Madison, WI native—the Portland, OR-based indie rock project Southerly cultivates a brooding, ornate, and orchestral brand of pop that spread across the rugged Pacific Northwest throughout the mid-2000s. Frequently likened to the National and Tindersticks, the outfit shares the lush, conceptual ambitions of other West Coast ensembles such as the Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, favoring grand, atmospheric constructions. Its 2004 debut, the intimate Best Dressed and Expressionless, explored the loss of close friends and relatives, whereas 2007’s Storyteller and the Gossip Columnist incorporated a complete band, orchestral sections, and horn charts. In similar thematic territory, Champion of the Noisy Negativists arrived in 2010.