East Troy's Stukenberg is a quintet of musicians employing twice as many instruments, which in concert creates music that is refreshing as it is accessible. 

Emerging from the youthful noodling of frontman David Stukenberg, the band is now a fleshed-out five-piece, and the new dynamic works for several reasons.

First there's Stukenberg's voice, which is not dissimilar to singer songwriter Howie Day's breathy croon. Then there's the genre-defying cocktail of the music. With the mash-up of organ, acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, accordion and cello, the band's most prominent sound reflects the dusty road pop melodies of Ryan Adams, minus the self-loathing poetry.

Lastly, there's Stukenberg's wide-eyed debut, "Mountain Of Pieces," released April 1 in a beautifully designed digipack. "Don't Mind" opens the album brightly, a strong intro that sets a sunny pace. Carried by horns and harmonica, "Fights" follows as a jangly ditty, rich with emotion.

But before you go dubbing "Mountain of Pieces" as the feel-good record of the year, songs like "Hide & Seek" and "Senses" bring you down to a comfortable, melancholic place we like to call heartbreak. And isn't that the crux of rock 'n' roll, anyway?

The unexpected mood juxtaposition works well, and paints an interesting, yet familiar tapestry of song throughout the album. "Starbuck Algeria" boasts a seamless flow between an Afro-beat chorus, a somber string symphony, and finishing with a vocally harmonic crescendo -- no small feat for a budding band to pull off so successfully.

We caught up with bass / maracas player Matt Glatzel to chat about "Mountain of Pieces" and a few upcoming spring shows in Milwaukee.

OMC: Stukenberg is a new name on the scene here in Milwaukee. Tell me about how the band got its start.

Matt Glatzel: Some say that the idea of Stukenberg began with David running around the mountains of Kentucky, but the real band began in earnest about two years ago with David, Kyle and Josiah. Last year, Josiah had to choose between basketball and Stukenberg, and chose basketball. We are still recovering from the loss. The current lineup was revealed in a breakout performance at the Annex in Madison this past January. We've been playing out steadily ever since.

OMC: Tell us about "Mountain of Pieces."

MG: "Mountain of Pieces" was around a year in the making. We were privileged to work with different friends from Southeast Wisconsin and Nashville, including acclaimed classical cellist Hans Goldstein.

OMC: Stukenberg was recently nominated as one of CMJ's (College Music Journal) top 10 national finalists. How'd that happen?

MG: We were submitted for the CMJ contest by Machine Records; our wonderful record label. It was a real honor to make it into the top 10 out of over 180 bands. We weren't able to make it to SXSW this year, but the outlook is good for an appearance next year.

OMC: So you're connected with Lake Geneva-based Machine Records, along with Martha Berner and Hayward Williams.

MG: Working with Machine Records has been great for us. They invested in the recording costs for our album, while still allowing us to dictate our own creative direction with the album. Additionally, the label president, Chris Buttleman, has an extensive knowledge of sound systems, guitars and amplifiers and has helped us out in many a rough spot with quirky equipment.

OMC: Now that the record's out, what's next?

GM: Our goal for 2008 is to place our music into the hearts and hands of as many people as possible. We really like what we do, and we are excited to share it with everybody. We're looking at a possible tour through Indianapolis on down into Nashville. Some notable upcoming events include our Riverwest tour in early May.