West of Rome’s sound is prairie-wind howl, harnessed and ground through post punk machinery. Their sweet vocal harmonies and irony-free approach recall the Topanga Canyon sounds of the early ‘70s--minus the Nudie suits, six shooters and Bruce Berry. Like the bastard children of Patti Smith and Neil Young, West of Rome delves deep into the American songbook and plays with images, sounds and messages both vintage and vanguard. The band’s first record, “Cranberry Sauce,” (2001) won notice and praise from critics, musicians and fans alike. One musician who noticed was Jay Bennett, the former Wilco avatar who signed on to produce West of Rome's sophomore effort. The result was 2005's “Drunk Tank Decoy,” a sonic landscape of lush Americana that raised the band's profile with national radio play, and attention from CMJ’s college radio charts and Magnet Magazine. West of Rome's new EP, "School and Books and Trains and Leaving" is quite a departure. Recorded in a mere 24 hours, the 7-song disc is a stripped down and raw document, direct, loud and intimate all at the same time. Recorded in marvelous analog "School and Books and Trains and Leaving" is the band's second release on the Madison label Slothtrop Music.