The Grapes of Wrath Essentials

While R.E.M. was racking up accolades in the United States, their Canadian counterparts in Grapes of Wrath were perfecting a similar blend of haunted pop and acoustic instrumentation. Over the course of four albums (and two excellent comeback efforts) this quartet from British Columbia crafted timeless roots-rock that has aged like a handmade oak table. Look closely and you can practically feel the fine-grain texture of these tunes. Listen to this playlist and see why some of the best Americana music of the last 30 years comes from north of the border.