Even before Blitzen Trapper was picked up by indie stalwart Sub
Pop for a record deal, the band stood tall on its own. Prior to
the release of last year's "Furr," the Portland, Ore.-based rock
troupe managed to move plenty records, including 16,000 copies
of its self-released 2007 set "Wild Mountain Nation."  "That was
a pretty critical time for us. Pitchfork and Rolling Stone were
picking us up and we started feeling like that was a pretty good
record for that year," says frontman and founder Eric Earley.
"But it was really difficult to put out our own records. We were
touring all the time and we could only distribute anything in
the Northwest."  Earley -- who is now joined in the studio and
on the road by a five-piece band -- was already headlong into
writing "Furr" when Sub Pop was ready to sign. Chock full of
harmonies, '60s pop, acoustic guitar, clanking piano and roots
rock 'n' roll, "Furr" wound up becoming what was for Earley "the
easiest of all the Blitzen Trapper albums to digest." Which
might expla