Originally a solo project for displaced singer/songwriter Jim Elkington, Chicago's the Zincs draw heavily from the multi-instrumentalist's English homeland, mixing the wry and windswept sounds of British folk with the equally despondent tones of the American Midwest. Elkington arrived in the Illinois metropolis in 2000 after stints with British bands Elevate and Sophia. He released the largely solo Zincs debut, Moth and Marriage, on the Ohio Gold label in 2002, followed by the full-band-driven Dimmer. in 2005 on Thrill Jockey. The Zincs' bigger lineup made itself felt on 2007's Black Pompadour, which edged the band toward a more rock-oriented sound. ~ James Christopher Monger