Aptly described as "zoograss," Hot Day at the Zoo brings Americana-infused bluegrass into the Lowell and Boston music scenes with a progressive twist. Folding in elements of ragtime, jazz, rock and folk, Hot Day is transforming how we look at American roots music.

Zoograss as a live album delivers everything a studio album does, the only difference being the inherent flux of live performance and the unbounded reaction of the crowd. In this way, Zoograss captures the essence of why we make and love music. If you think you're tapping into some country-living bluegrass or jam band album, you've got it wrong. Zoograss is for city dwellers and nomads alike. There's something about Hot Day's sound that has yet to be captured by these styles. It's hitched in the sweet and tangy pangs of stringed instruments and vicariously carried through singer Mike Dion's resin-filled howl or harmonic roar.

Dion's voice is the credo here - a musky, textural, uphill battle of emotions. He isn't afraid to sing out of key, nor take his voice to the limit, with crackling intonations that reflect the sentiments of a man who grieves without his music. It wouldn't fit into your average bluegrass category, but here it's like butter to toast. Tracks like "Ana Maribel" and "Boston Blues" are optimal examples of the band's idyllic style. You don't have to like country music to appreciate an album with this much texture and influence at its core. (INTA Records)