Formed in 2002 by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brian Carpenter, Boston-based outfit Beat Circus spin cabaret, gospel, progressive rock, and Appalachian string music into their own signature blend of dark, funereal Americana. The band, which features a rotating cast of musicians, released Ringleaders Revolt on Innova Records in 2004. Dreamland, the first installment in the group's "Weird American Gothic" trilogy, followed in 2008 on the Cuneiform label. Boy from Black Mountain, also released by Cuneiform, arrived in 2009. ~ James Christopher Monger