With their songs of traintracks and setbacks, leaving and longing, the Lost Cartographers fit well into Chicago’s always vibrant alt.country and Americana scene. But check out one of their shows and you’ll discover a sound that lives in the margins of half a dozen genres, from the melancholy beauty of “Metronome” and “Killing Time in Nashville” to the hillbilly stomp of “Goodbye Ohio” (on which drummer Jason Haaheim plays a metal washtub), and from the retro folk-rock of “Walk On” to the the feedback-soaked psychedelia of “Golden Record.”

The Sideshow Tragedy burns up stages with blues-damaged garage rock and roll…ancient resonator guitars played through an array of effects boxes backed by a kick ass kit master and percussionist, topped with R&B drenched vocals and dark, poetic lyrics.

As a young man Carter saw a guitarist by the name of Jack Owens — of Bentonia, Mississippi — in a documentary that had been rented on video from the local public library. Carter, from that point on, was deeply influenced by the music of Owens; and the school of music that is native to the Bentonia region of Mississippi. By far, the most well known musician from Bentonia was Skip James. During Carter’s last decade of living and busking on the streets in Chicago, he earned the nickname “Mississippi” through his front porch, “down-home” style of playing. Today, Carter’s blues has remained firmly rooted in the blues tradition and style of Bentonia; and has grown into something completely original and unique to the genre. In the summer of 2009 Carter played at the now legendary Deep Blues Festival of Minneapolis. In March of 2010 he performed at the Blues Autour du Zinc, blues festival in Beauvais, France. In the spring of 2010 he toured the South American country of Peru. And he also traveled to Bari, Italy to perform at the Tra Blues e Avant-Garde, blues festival in July of 2010.