Nino P.

The Books: Paul de Jong and Nick Zammuto.

Don't let The Books' folksy name fool you: the two-piece band's use of layers on layers of unconventional "found sound" is way ahead of its time. Spoken word records, crowds cheering, people walking through brush...it's a mesmerizing mix. Off-Ramp contributor Kevin Ferguson spoke with the band as it geared up for its Monday gig at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery (cellist Paul De Jong jokes that it will be the group's largest audience yet). Also, check out a video of one of guitarist Nick Zammuto's visually stunning sound art pieces...