Apparently, Dead Confederate made a small splash at SXSW this year, and it was a blog about the band’s performance there that got me interested. I went to eMusic and downloaded the EP, expecting little more than Drive-By Trucker rehash, but willing to give it a try. Boy am I glad I did. Yeah, the [...]

“Thank the Lord for heroin, and thank him for your soul.” How did an album with a lyric like that get by me? And it’s not like that’s the only drug poetry on Spider Bags’ “A Celebration of Hunger,” a 2007 release from Birdman Records. Just about every tune is a tribute to excess. To [...]

So, a few weeks ago I get this e-mail:”Diacon-Panthers is endearing southern indie rock from Knoxville, TN.” They give me a link to hear their new record. Here it goes . . . “Days of Wonder” starts out like grungy psychedelia, along the lines of Black Mountain, until, after a long and fascinating it descends [...]

I’m sure I’m not alone in this: Black Mountain’s sophmore album, In the Future, was one of my most anticipated albums of 2008. And as luck would have it, it’s piping in my ears right now! Their eponymous first album was an amazing collection of rough-hewn psychedelia (they call it “psych-and-prog-spiritual” in the press release). [...]

Perhaps in the spirit of Lil’ Wayne’s admonishments to “please say the baby,” Marah’s latest record demands your attention by not just telling you its name—but exclaiming it! Still noticeably influenced by old-time rock and rollers like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, and, of course, Bruce Springsteen, Marah offers another collection of bluesy [...]

Patterson Hood, star of the Drive-By Truckers, has performed complete sets of songs written by the two opponents of Cover Wars Two, posted all this week. First, in 2006, he performed six Mick and Keef tunes. To wit: Loving Cup Moonlight Mile Silver Train Shattered Before They Make Me Run Star Fucker ZIP FILE Its [...]

For those of you who don’t know, Califone are an incredibly interesting experimental Americana band. Check this out, from their latest album, Roots and Crowns, on Thrill Jockey records: Spider’s House Anyhoo, in 2004 the band got together and did a short set of Stones songs. Yesterday, we posted round one of this week’s cover [...]

Twilight Hotel occupy that strange space in the alt-country landscape occupied by artists from Canada who make Americana rock. I’m proud to make them one of my first 2008 reviews (album release date: January 29), because they have an authentic sound that offers more variety than the typical release in this genre. Highway Prayer, the [...]

The first track on Your Midway Host’s, “Our Cities Could Grow,” is an Americana marching song. It makes sense that singer/songwriter Nich Bazik got his start in a “Civil War Fife and Drum Corps.” But traveling through the album, the listener finds an excellent collection and wide range of Americana tunes, from Ryan Adams style [...]

37. Jason Isbell-Sirens of the Ditch (review). This young refugee from the Drive-By Truckers dropped a great country-rock album. Here’s some great live cuts, which of course is what the DBTs are best at. American Girl (Tom Petty cover)-Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)-Jason Isbell Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line (Waylon [...]