Birmingham be proud! Local band Through the Sparks is slowly but steadily reaching a wider national audience. The band, whose album Lazurus Beach was released on Skybucket Records on May 5, plays an infectious blend of well-instrumented rock and folky Americana (think The Band and Wilco, with a solid dose of Steely Dan for ’70s panache).

The album is quite good, and already has garnered the band local and regional attention. Now a wider audience is experiencing the music many of us in Birmingham have been lucky enough to hear. Lazarus Beach has reached as high as No. 17 on the Barnes and Noble Best Sellers list, and currently is resting comfortably at No. 28. To purchase the album from the Web site, go here.

Also, Through the Sparks recently received some good press on the following blog here, and will be featured on the music sampler CD in the upcoming issue of Paste Magazine. Visit Through the Sparks’ website here for more information about the band, and for streaming audio of some of the album’s tracks.

Still want more? Read this article, written by yours truly, in anticipation of Through the Sparks’ CD release show, which occured May 5 at Bottletree.

– John Seay