The new self-titled album is Yonder Mountain's seventh, and first for Vanguard Records. Rock producer Tom Rothrock (James Blunt, Foo Fighters) was behind the board, and the record was written almost entirely spontaneously, according to a press release. Plus, for the first time, the band's mix of banjo, bass, mandolin and guitar was complemented by drum beats, courtesy of Elvis Costello drummer Pete Thomas.

It all makes for an interesting combination of modern folk, bluegrass and rock.

"We ended up with an album that's got rippin' bluegrass on it, but approached in a non-traditional way, which really appeals to me because we are not a traditional band," YMSB bassist Ben Kaufmann said in a statement. "It's always been forward-thinking and this is the first time we've captured that in the
studio."

The entire album is streaming at YMSB's website.

Meanwhile, the group will end 2006 with a three-night run at the Fillmore in Denver. Other confirmed dates include March's Jam in the Dam in Amsterdam and June's Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. International dates can be found on the YMSB's website.

The band members, all Colorado transplants from the Midwest or Northeast, grew up on rock music and discovered bluegrass during college. They've recorded several studio albums on their own Fog Pad Records, the most recent of which is 2003's "Old Hands."

With little radio support, Yonder Mountain String Band has managed to build a strong grassroots following through touring and word-of-mouth.