Little Maker is the brainchild of New Orleans vocalist/guitarist Micah McKee. "It started off like a singer-songwriter-oriented thing," McKee told nola.com last April, "and we kind of moved away from that and just kind of synthesized our own brand of rock 'n' roll with a bit of New Orleans taste or tastefulness." Americana, blues, soul, and rock'n'roll wrap up into one package on the new album, The Salty Seas We Used To Know, from this seven-piece group.

McKee gets influence from a variety of sources, but pulls much inspiration from older acts like Bobby Charles, The Band, and early Dr. John. Despite that early influence, 'Salty Seas' has a modern sound that should appeal to fans of groups like the Black Keys, Neutral Milk Hotel, Peter & the Wolf, and My Morning Jacket.

Salty Seas opens with a burst of positivity on 'On the Water.' Horns feature brightly on 'Steady Smiling,' and soulful Americana sounds run throughout the album, most noticeably on 'Talking In Your Sleep' and 'Ready for the Road,' both of which feature WWOZ show host Marc Stone as a guest player on guitar. The rock'n'roll amps up on 'Hundred Years,' which also features beautiful violin Rebecca Crenshaw. 'Soldier Girl' invokes the passion of 1960s soul groups and the record closes with the lilting 'Silly Dreams.' Another WWOZ show host, Mark LaMaire, keeps the beat steady throughout, adding depth and heart on bass.

"Our music is for music listeners and we are really lucky to live in a city where people really do enjoy listening to music," McKee said to the Times-Picayune during Jazz Fest last year before their performance on the Lagniappe Stage during stormy weather.

The Salty Seas We Used To Know is available for purchase from Little Maker at their shows. They're performing tonight at the Ace Hotel (600 Carondelet St). You can find out where they're playing next on our online Livewire Music Calendar or the new Livewire app for iPhone.

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