Don’t be scared off — or, for that matter, attracted for the wrong reasons — by the comparisons to the Grateful Dead that often seem to creep into Blitzen Trapper reviews. The Portland, Ore.-based sextet may have jam-ready instrumental chops and undeniable rootsy sensibilities, but this is no more of a hippie jam band than, say, latter-day Wilco. After three terrific releases on the tiny Lidkercow Ltd. label, including 2007’s critically acclaimed Wild Mountain Nation, Blitzen Trapper made the jump to the big leagues (indies) by signing to Seattle’s storied Sub Pop in time for last year’s Furr. Rolling Stone ranked Furr no. 13 on its countdown of the best albums of 2008. Critics across the pond dig Blitzen Trapper’s refreshingly hooky spin on Americana, too. “Their determination to leave no musical stone unturned means Furr is substantially more fun than is normally expected from Dylan-loving Americans with an affection for facial hair,” noted the U.K.’s The Guardian.