He's My Brother, She's My Sister

He's My Brother, She's My Sister is the odd, yet aptly named musical collaboration of brother and sister Rob and Rachel Kolar.

The group's energetic folk-a-billy lifted the crowd at The Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines, Iowa last night.

Rob and Rachel share vocal duties with a rich, soulful kinship. Rob's on guitar and kick-drum. Rachel's on tambourine. The songwriting is strong and the harmonies are vibrant and very catchy, but it's the rhythm section that truly rounds out this band.

Aaron Robinson and Oliver Newell fill the air with slide guitar and upright bass, respectively. Oliver is especially lively - dancing and smiling jubilantly from behind his hand-painted bass.

But it's percussionist Lauren Brown who could be vying for the title of Hardest Working Lady in Showbiz. She thunders on drums, sure. She also tap-dances the majority of their live performance. On top of a bass drum. You get tired just watching her, but it's fabulously entertaining.

As I watched the performance last night, I thought, "This is happy music." I could see it on the band's faces. As I watched them careening through jangly melodies like a band of glammed-out gypsies, it was awfully hard not to smile, myself.

Fans of acts such as Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros and Tilly and the Wall should most definitely give He's My Brother, She's My Sister a deeper listen, particularly at one of their great live shows.

He's My Brother, She's My Sister is currently on tour. For dates and more info on where to find their music, visit: www.hesmybrothershesmysister.com

Watch a performance of "Tales That I Tell" by He's My Brother, She's My Sister below: