Stone Foxes

Heaped in the late ’60s and early ’70s blues, rock, and folk scene of their native San Francisco, Stone Foxes have established their sound as a force to be reckoned with. A clear contender for one of 2009’s early buzz bands, the Foxes have been riding a wave of publicity and word of mouth in the Bay Area, ready to show the Valley what everyone has been missing. Simple, honest lyrics strewn over fuzzy, hard-rock guitars seem like an easy enough combination, but Stone Foxes manage to take things one step further by including a blues harp — that’s right, harp — in their brand of hazy, folk-tinged rock. The sound oozes San Francisco, taking listeners back to the glory days of Haight-Ashbury, right before things got serious and people started moving north to Marin County. Shannon Koehler leads the way, setting the tone with his gargantuan vocals — almost shocking to see come out of such a friendly, bearded young chap. Stone Foxes teeter a bit on the stereotypical side when the harmonica kicks in, but it’s all part of their plan — one that will seem brilliant down the line when the band finally strikes it big.