Dispatch: America, Location 12

In a musical landscape where genre-bending has become commonplace amidst even the most absurd of mashups, Dispatch has been doing it long before most in the modern scene. During their first stint from 1994-2005, the jam band became revered for its rise to fame all without a major label. It was a special case for the band taking advantage of their environment in the early 2000s when peer-to-peer services were all the rage that eventually brought them fame outside of Middleburg. Nevertheless, it was undeniably their knack for delectably marrying folk-rock, funk, reggae and more into singular songs and records that kept them on top.

Since their decision to reunite in 2011, the band has not missed a beat, and their latest album, America, Location 12, continues their 23-year-long ascension with air-tight harmonies and eclectic musicality. Altogether sunny and hopeful with only the slightest hint of foreboding in songs like “Be Gone” and “Skin the Rabbit”, the album is yet again another encapsulation of what has made the indie rockers such a hot commodity for over two decades.