Mals Totem’s ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ Wins September 2013 Crucial Cut of the Month Contest

Unlike the final game of the World Series, our September 2013 Crucial Cut of the Month contest came down to the wire. Just like the fall classic, though, Boston has triumphed, and congrats go out to Mals Totem for narrowly defeating the Tragic Thrills to capture this most prestigious of rock 'n' roll honors. The Beantown quintet's 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place' grabbed 45.2 percent of the vote, and in the final weeks of voting, they may have gotten a push from fans of brainy yet accessible indie rock -- the kind a certain beloved British band has been producing for years.

“‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ is a tribute to one of our favorite artists, Radiohead,” guitarist Mike Lostica told Diffuser.fm last month, when the crew submitted their track. "We spent hours arranging the song and reinterpreting it as our own, a dedication mirrored by our producer, making it especially dynamic and detailed."

'Jigsaw' is, indeed, more than a little Yorkian, but Mals Totem have created their own experimental sound. Where does it come from, and where is this exciting and innovative group going? Also, where do they stand on the big Red Sox victory and the players' burly beards? Check back next week, when we post our Crucial Cut Interview -- the "prize," if you will, for winning our contest -- for the answers.