Led by Ben Knox Miller and supported by Jocie Adams and Jeff Prystowsky, Rhode Island trio The Low Anthem has steadily become one of the hottest unsigned bands of 2009. The band uses an arsenal of antique instrumentation such as a World War I pump organ and crotales (tiny cymbals in a chromatic arrangement), to evoke a haunting — and at times boot-stomping — mix of old-timey country, gospel and folk that can easily be rested on the same shelves as Tom Waits and the Fleet Foxes. Backed by the group's harmonized vocals, the music is unapologetic toward its intimacy and stripped-down nature. Supporting its breakout record, “Oh My God, Charlie Darwin,” The Low Anthem performs at the Canal Club Friday, Aug. 14, at 7:30 p.m. $10-$12. 643-2582. — Mike Hilleary