The Barr Brothers

Built around the evocative vocals and songwriting of Brad Barr and the sturdy and studious drumming of his brother Andrew, Montreal-based Americana/folk-rock quartet the Barr Brothers were formed in 2006 after the dissolution of the siblings' avant-rock trio the Slip. Originally based out of Boston, Massachusetts, the Barrs spent the bulk of the 1990s touring with the Slip before calling it quits in 2004. Upon relocating to Montreal, the duo hooked up with classically trained harpist Sarah Page and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial and began operating under the Barr Brothers moniker. The newly minted quartet's eponymous debut album was issued in 2011 via Secret City Records. The band's sophomore long-player, Sleeping Operator, arrived in October 2014. ~ James Christopher Monger