Howdy folks, Joy Hart here. In our never-ending quest for the ultimate in-store appearances, we’ve just confirmed an in-store with Alberta Cross at 6 p.m. Jan. 21. Mark it on your calendars, folks! The Record Exchange will be the band’s only stop in Boise!

So…I’m sportin’ the skull candiez and gettin’ a groove on with the dreamy, soaring, epic rock tunes of the Alberta Cross ATO Records debut, Broken Side of Time. It’s a new spin for me, but I’m hooked from the first riff these New York-based, blues-influenced, alt-country rockers from London lay down.

The band claims the name Alberta Cross is an anagram, but won’t say for what. Come on good people, give it a shot. Any of you got mad anagrammatizing skillz?

“Threatened by Courteeners fans, Peter Andre-loving ladies pounding at our door after a bitchy review, and the arrival of the new Mika record… NME has experienced all manner of terrifying stuff – so it takes a lot to make us jittery. But Alberta Cross scare the hell out of us. In a good way. This long-awaited debut album proper from the preacher-chic-touting fivesome is an intoxicating mix of apocalyptic riffs, sob-worthy singalongs and brooding blues. However, it’s the addition of vocalist Petter Ericson Stakee that really sets us a-quiver, his soaring Jim James-meets-Perry Farrell delivery tipping these 10 tracks into intense, dramatic and at times deranged territory. Have them sectioned or make them stars? Fuck it, do both.” — Camilla Pia from NME.com