Hillstomp has been described as sounding like a boom box blasting from a shopping cart after two musical madmen have strapped a too-big engine onto it and it's running too hot.

There's a banjo, megaphone, washboard and kick drum, according to the band's press release. Soon guitars, buckets, car parts, and microphones were added to the mix. Now, you are hurtling toward a spot where a metaphorical bridge used to stand while that bad front wheel flaps manically. Determined to jump that bridge and land safely on the other side, Hillstomp heads full course forward and you're bouncing alongside them and having a blast on the musical journey.

Hillstomp is folk music in its purest form — from loud and gritty, to intricate and poignant, and most importantly, always heartfelt and true, according to the band's two members, Henry Hill Kammerer and John Johnson. Kammerer plays guitar and banjo and Johnson is found at the drums. Concerts make full use of Hillstomp's versatility, switching from fast and loud songs to ballads and tunes packing a slow southern heat.

The result, music critics say, is a love letter to North Mississippi's style of blues. It wasn't long before Hillstomp caught on in college towns such as Eugene and Olympia; bigger cities weren't far behind. 

Now, Sandpoint area residents can experience Hillstomp for themselves as the band is set to perform Friday, Jan. 17, at Eichardt's at 9 p.m. The cost of the door-cover event is $10.