The name Arlo immediately conjures up images of the great "Alice's Restaurant" songwriter Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody. Columbus, Ohio,'s Arlo & the Otter's multifaceted folk band core isn't a far cry from Guthrie — a lot's going on here. The story goes that the group started as Our Cat Philip, a poppier project, before growing into something more palatable, a little bigger, and a lot more complex.
Now, when the horns kick in on "Passing Lane," you want to dance. "You Do Not Exist...," on the other hand, is slow strumming and classically folky for a few moments before forging into heavier territory with marching drums and an aggressive fiddle. These boys have quite a range, even a touch of the freak-folk. Touring to promote the release of their debut on Irish label Indiecater Records, they'll be joined by Everymen, Lake Worth's banjo-playing punkabilly quintet of pirates.
