shiftael

originally from some-small-town, Wisconsin, but escaped and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota

one of the prime reasons being for the awesome clubs/venues here

MURDER JUNKIE

Is Prince's club Glam/Slam still open there?

shiftael

easy listening rock?!?!?!?!!??!?!??!?!

MURDER JUNKIE

I'm serious. I LOVE Prince

shiftael

whoops sorry I meant the easy listening rock/laughing thing to the earlier psot of the one critic that called DBT easy-listnening rock.. sorry

rev. flying v

Trying to describe the Drive-By Truckers is like trying to describe the greatness of sweet tea without using the words ‘sweet’ and ‘tea.’ So I’ll just start from the beginning. The band has been touring the world for almost 20 years without ever making a set list, they record live, and have three prolific song writers who not only write the songs, but also sing the creations they bring to the group. The primary song writer, Patterson Hood has a great voice for any country band. He’d never fit in with Motorhead and certainly wouldn’t do well at a Whitesnake concert, but Hank Williams or Johnny Cash would probably have invited him to their Thanksgiving dinner celebrations. He’s got a particularly nasal delivery, which, admittedly was what made getting into this band the most difficult part. But if you can appreciate imperfections being overshadowed by extreme talent, then you’ll love Hood’s contributions. He’s got the songwriting thing down and will take the opportunity to delve into the meanings of his songs whenever he can. Next to him, DBT has Mike ‘Stroker Ace’ Cooley to do the real southern songs. His drawl is ridiculously strong and as an effect, adds that little bit of extra southern tinge to their already existing southern tinge – the ‘sweet’ in sweet tea, if you will. As a song writer, he’s a little bit more reserved than Hood as he rarely strays from a verse-chorus-verse-chorus formula. But on a muggy summer night, sitting on the porch of your Alabama home with a guitar in hand, why would you want to do anything else? DBT’s third song writer was recently replaced by bassist Shonna Tucker. She only has three songs accredited to her on DBT's latest album, but that doesn’t mean she’s not doing her job well. She can sing, play bass, and write a killer love song that would bring a tear the eye of that guy sitting at the end of the bar at closing time.

So what does ‘Brighter Than Creation’s Dark’ have that makes it one of the best albums of 2008? Well, its DBT’s first (maybe second) album that is not based on a concept, which is pretty evident in the lyrics. DBT is delivering songs reminiscing about the good ol’ days (3 Dimes Down), the downside to crystal meth (You and Your Crystal Meth), their first ‘bring the boys back home’ story (The Man I Shot), and the story of a movie never made (Check Out Time in Vegas). The songs have also become more personal and almost autobiographical, and musically speaking, their sound is expanding. Where their album ‘Southern Rock Opera’ remained true to a rock n’ roll or death attitude, this album has a more varied song selection – everything from slow country diddies (Bob, Daddy Needs a Drink) to foot-stomping booty-shakers that sound like the band is playing in your bedroom (Righteous Path, Ghost to Most). I definitely give this album four stars out of five. If you want to hear the band at their very best, a five out of five effort, then by all means check out ‘The Dirty South’ and ‘Southern Rock Opera,’ in that order.

TheBig3

I actually own 3 of their albums; Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, and Teh Dirty South, and i think their one of the better bands out there. They deserve more credit than they get and certain aspects should make them cross-over darlings.

I hesitate to call them country though. Southern Rock can be easily confused by the unfamiliar (not to say that you are, but that the DBT virgins will). Even on songs that steer more toward the country ethos ("Outift") are still accused of stealing more from the Allman Bros. than it is Merle Haggart.

It was my understanding that Patterson Hood left the band. Any clue on the truth to that one?

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rev. flying v

patterson hood has NOT left the band. jason isbell left the band after the dirt underneath tour two or three years back. his solo records are incredible.
i hear what youre saying about them not being country, but that's an argument that will be fought for all-time. southern rock opera is a two disc concept album telling the story of lynyrd skynyrd and life in the south. that was the album that dbt hired on jason isbell as their third guitarist. they only saw it fit to right a skynyrd tribute album with three guitars. however, if you delve into their back catalog, with albums like 'gangstabilly' and 'pizza deliverance,' youll hear their country roots shine through.
the albums you mentioned are pretty rock oriented. but now that isbell left, and the two other song writers have kids now, we're getting softer country diddies. the new album has very few songs with three guitars blaring, in fact, most of them ditch the third guitar (sometimes even the second), and replace that space in the music with multi-instrumentalist spooner oldham (session musician from muscle shoals), usually playing pedal steel or the hammond organ. bob, daddy needs a drink, im sorry houston, check out time in vegas, a ghost to most, and perfect timing are the most country songs on their new album. they may not be full-fledged country, but theres an undeniable country influence in their music.

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savannah

hoods just doin alot of solo stuff,....


i'm on the trucker's bandwagon,....if your diggin them check out lucero too,....

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rev. flying v

heres what hood has to say about his solo stuff:
"The reasons why it hasn’t come out have more to do with music business bull**** than anything else. Right now, we’ve got a new record out and that’s what I’m focused on for the next year. But when we get done touring and get some time off, that’ll be the time to do something with it.

It’s something that I’m really proud of. My dad plays on it and my friends from Centro-matic are all over it. It was a group of songs that were written before this band came together and then I wrote some songs to go with those songs. So it is what it is.

I don’t think of it as having a solo career because this band is my career and I love this band. But it was a really fun thing to do while waiting around the house for my daughter to be born. I’m proud of it and at some point it will see the light of day. "
interview is from popmatters.com

and indeed, lucero is a great band from memphis. i saw them play a coupla times over there, and coincidentally, i stumbled into some tiny amsterdam bar this summer where, lo and behold, they were playing! a nice surprise, to say the least. if you like them, check out the band further down, from arkansas. their single 'what you say' is their only radio-friendly song on their latest album '7 years hard luck.' their other tunes, like 'black and bleach' and 'cactus in the sand' are much more kickin'. they just played a few shows with .38 special in texas, too. but yeah, they certainly are NOT country...

but back to dbt...anyone catch them on tour with the hold steady? how was it?

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it's one thing to start it with a positive jam, it's another to see one through