Jacobs Ladder

Local progressive/rock/whatever trio Jacobs Ladder just does not stop. When we last checked in with these 23-year-olds this past May, they were debuting some tracks and setting off on a tour through New England and the South. Apparently one national summer tour is not enough for this band, because Jacobs Ladder is hitting the road again, with a local kick-off party this Friday at Churchill's. Coheadlining is Your Best Friend, a similarly minded, proggy-ish, indie-ish rock band from Saginaw, Michigan. Together the two acts will crisscross the country on an outing dubbed "Obey Your Mastour"; it'll be Jacobs Ladder's ninth full-scale trek through the States.

In the few weeks between summer tours one and two, the band hit Dungeon recording studio in North Miami to record a new EP, produced by Cyrus Bolooki of New Found Glory. The five-song record, due out November 6, features completely new songs along with updated versions of previous recordings, and early mixes already impress. The fan favorite "White Magick," for instance, has become a more dramatic interplay between sonic extremes. While the bridges of the song still veer into dubby reggae, now the rock parts rock even harder, and the whole thing is steeped in a proggy weirdness. Couple that with producer Bolooki's talent for coaxing out big hooks, and the result is a musical blend that can appeal to everyone from jazz band geeks to pop-punk kids just looking for a good time.