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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

18. Okkervil River-The Stage Names. 23. Ryan Adams-Easy Tiger. 34. The Broken West-I Can’t Go On I’ll Go On (review). What a fantastic year for Americana. Okkervil releases what I think is the best album of their career, The Stage Names, which ends with a brilliant coda saluting Brian Wilson (an artist often cited as [...]

I gave Ryan Adams’ new album a second try a few weeks ago, and realized it’s actually very good. It’s not as good as his first two albums (which are two of my favorite records, like, ever), but it’s easily as good as any of his other records. Really, really solid. And he’s on tour. [...]

Thanks in part to the fact that Hype Machine now refuses to pick up more than 3-5 mp3s per post (argh), and owing also to inflation, the top 10 reasons posts I usually do will now be 5. We now return you to your regularly scheduled post. 1. and 2. I think MOKB ripped off [...]