The Tunnel

Hailing from San Francisco, the trio known as the Tunnel specializes in dramatic, shadowy sounds that echo the gothic blues pioneered by figures such as Nick Cave and the Birthday Party. Their music guides audiences through jarring passages of murky, low-lit barroom grit drawn from pulp fiction and the cinematic worlds of David Lynch. Jeff Wagner handles vocals and guitar, Patrick Crawford manages drums, and Sam Black covers bass along with keyboards. The group starts from the lean blues approach heard in acts like the White Stripes and the Black Keys, then subjects it to an overlay of seedy back-alley grit while slowing the pace to heighten mood. Their first full-length album, Carver Brothers Lullaby, appeared in 2009 via Glorious Alchemical, with the follow-up Fathoms Deep arriving two years afterward.