Hotel Brotherhood

Ross Cashiola, leader of the fascinating unit known as Hotel Brotherhood, splits his time between Chicago and, of all places, Marfa. But one could hardly think of a better environment for Cashiola to create his innovative mix of Nick Drake and Giant Sand. The sculptor/songwriter accepted an internship with an acclaimed foundation and fell in love with the West Texas locale. While the rest of the band battles the frigid air of the Windy City, Ross indulges in his love of the arts and writes an occasional song or two, even releasing an engaging and heady solo effort, North of the Bees, in his free time. Sadly, because of unforeseen circumstances, the other members of Hotel Brotherhood will be unable to accompany Cashiola on this night, making this a solo outing for him to try out several cuts that will be on the band's debut release, due out this spring. Whatever the context, Cashiola's way with melody and his affectively dry delivery make songs such as "Spell Breaker" and "Missing Scenes" pure ear candy for fans of Calexico and Wilco. If the desert air can have such a positive effect on a city slicker such as Cashiola, it might be a good idea to ask the entire state of New York if they'd like to catch a glimpse of those Marfa lights.