It took a while, but we here at The Ideological Cuddle are proud to be back among those actively posting in the blogosphere. Let's just say that things in the world of pediatrics are a little on the hectic side, you know, pandemic and all....On to the music at hand. Let's talk for a while about the term "Southern Rock". What's the first thing that pops into your head? Skynyrd? The Allman Brothers? Molly Hatchet? Little Feat? Hillbillies driving pick-ups with gun racks and the Stars and Bars flying from the antenna? It isn't hard to see why modern bands have tried to avoid the tag. The music was never fashionable (except for maybe a small period of time in the 1970s), and over the years, seems to have gotten a bad rap, possibly for the over-play that classic rock radio has given to many of the genre's flagship bands.
But what does it take to make true Southern Rock? Is it about the sound? Is it about just coming from a state south of the Mason-Dixon Line? The band we're talking about today has both of those things nailed, but elevates Southern rock to so much more because of the feel of their songs. It's about the experience of living in a section of the country that just isn't the same as New York or California. It's about the inflection in their voices. It's about the language that they use. It's the "Duality of the Southern Thing" as they once so famously said.
The Drive-By Truckers aren't exactly household names throughout the country, but they certainly deserve to be. No band works harder, puts more sweat and whiskey into their craft, tours more, or has such a roster of quality albums.
I had the distinct pleasure of seeing this band on the same bill as The Hold Steady (an institution unto themselves, to be sure) on the "Rock and Roll Means Well" tour at The Phoenix in Toronto. The Hold Steady played first, and it appeared that most of the crowd was only there to see them. As their set ended, a large portion of the crowd made their way to the exits - and were soon replaced by the most fascinating group of fans I have ever seen. The DBT fans were an amalgam of redneck/metalhead/intelligencia types (yeah, I know). The band tore the doors off the place that night. They started with "Where the Devil Don't Stay" and finished with "Let There Be Rock" - a song that gives me chills every time and sums up what it's like to worship at the alter of rock music.
What bands do you know that can lose one of it's 3 main songwriters (and singers) and be stronger on the other side? Prior to that departure, the Truckers had Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley ("The Stroker Ace"!!!), and Jason Isbell (whose solo stuff is certainly DBT-worthy). Since Isbell left, Cooley and Hood do most of the writing, but bassist Shonna Tucker (Isbell's ex-wife) stepped in on Brighter Than Creation's Dark - their last full length - and contributed some beautiful tunes.
Each of the songwriters has their own style, but there's certainly a continuity of theme throughout their catalogue. "Marry Me" starts with my favorite couplet in music - "My Daddy didn't pull out/but he never apologized" - and just gets better from there. "Outfit" is a cautionary tale sung by a father to his rock star son - "Don't worry 'bout losin' your accent/A Southern man tells better jokes" is one of his pearls of wisdom, as he opines about his trials and tribulations... and how he's proud of his son. The song that really caught Mrs. Cuddle's attention when she saw the Truckers in Philadelphia in 2006 was "Sinkhole". A menacing tale about family farms and those who dare to come between a man and his legacy, the song is propelled by a 3 guitar attack - a wall of punishing guitars.
If you get a chance to catch this band live, by all means, do. They won't disappoint you and you'll be left exhausted and wanting more. Check out their discography, then download some choice tracks the way the DBTs were meant to be heard - live.
Discography:
Gangstabilly - 1998
Pizza Deliverance - 1999
Southern Rock Opera - 2001 (a recount of the tragic plane crash that killed most of the members of Skynyrd and what it means to be from the south)
Decoration Day - 2003
The Dirty South - 2004
A Blessing and A Curse - 2006
Brighter Than Creation's Dark - 2008
Live From Austin, TX - 2009
Fine Print : A Collection of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008 - 2009
Live Truckers:
"Lookout Mountain" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"Marry Me" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"Puttin' People on the Moon" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"Outfit" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"Sinkhole" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"Let There Be Rock" - Live at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC - 1/1/05
"The Day John Henry Died" - Live on All Songs Considered - 7/21/06
"Feb 14" - Live on All Songs Considered - 7/21/06
Until next time, be well...
