In the history books, the Ross Sea Party refers to a little known yet heroic chapter of the Ernest Shackleton trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914, where a group of men were sent to navigate the immense, unpredictable continent. Like its namesake, the Los Angeles-based quintet strives to explore the unexplored, but of course, in the musical sense. The band produces folk music, and yes, folk’s been done before, especially in LA, but there’s a charm about the Ross Sea Party that makes you want to continue listening. It may be the family band-type energy of the fivesome’s live shows, or it may be the storytelling nature of vocalist Brady Erickson’s lyrics, or maybe it’s the melodic instrumentation, but there’s something that sets this outfit apart from other local folk troupes. If you don’t believe me, go listen for yourself. The Ross Sea Party is in the middle of a FREE Mondays in August residency at the Silverlake Lounge, and the band’s not only playing tracks from its impressive self-released EP, Plains of Id, but Erickson and company are previewing tunes from a debut LP that they will begin recording following the residency. – Katrina Nattress
