The Stroker Ace Strikes Back

If you've read this blog with any consistency, you'll know that The Drive-By Truckers are my favorite band these days. I usually can't go a couple of weeks without posting on the greatness of these guys. Well, thanks to Mr. Gerdon, a recent DBT article was found here at Pitchfork. Patterson unveils a few tasty morsels here, but the most exciting part of it centers on the new album. Let me point out what I love the most:

How’s the record coming?
We spent like five days recording and we’re off to a pretty great start. Wednesday of the first week, we ended up nailing like six songs. [Guitarist Mike] Cooley’s really been writing – he hit kind of prolific streak. He’s usually a two-real-strong-songs-a-year kind of guy. And all the sudden we’re working on this record with like eight new Cooley songs. I’ve always been kind of partial to his songs anyway, so the more the better for me.

If you're unfamiliar with the Stroker Ace, that's too bad because he is one of the best rock and roll song writers in the business today. An album of 8 Cooley songs is the tits. For a preview of what we could hear, check out the following new Cooley song from The DIrt Underneath tour.

DBT -- A Ghost To Most (May 13, 2007)

For some of his past greatness, check out these gems -- two of my favorite songs ever!

DBT -- Gravity's Gone from A Blessing And A Curse
DBT -- Zip City from July 29, 2004

BK

Saturday Six Pack IV

These guys got me drunk.

It's Sunday, I apologize.

This week's Six Pack is a tribute to the Live Music Archive. This site is the tits and it includes many great bands. This is my first drunk post and it rules! Enjoy!

Drive-By Truckers -- Women Without Whiskey from 4.27.07
This is from the first night of the Dirt Underneath Tour that DBT is currently rocking. These shows are great. Another Cooley gem!
[Buy DBT here]

Ryan Adams -- Nobody Girl from 12.5.06
Great clip fuckers. Nobody Girl from Gold is sick. Live is almost always better, especially when a pedal steel is involved!
[Buy Ryan Adams here]

My Morning Jacket -- Oh What A Night from 3.7.2007
Something about MMJ covering this song makes it cool!
[Buy MMJ here]

Elliot Smith -- A Fond Farewell from 1.31.2003
A great fucking song. Much props to RR for his continued recs for this guy. Is he not the greatest singer-songwriter of the 1990s? I think you could make a compelling argument that he is.
[Buy Elliott Smith from here]

Toad The Wet Sprocket -- Something's Always Wrong from 8.30.1997
I didn't realize Toad was on the LMA. Good stuff from Santa Barbara of all places.
[Buy Toad the Wet Sprocket here]

Cast Iron Filter -- Americana Hotel from 7.23.2004
Thanks to Gerdon for these guys. As he mentioned in another post, this is a great roadtripping song.
[Buy Cast Iron Filter here]


BK

"That's a bummer man" Part II

Bummer news from the world of the Drive-By Truckers. Jason Isbell, one of the three-headed guitar attack, is out of the band. Jason posted the first news on his myspace page last night and Patterson confirmed it with an email to the DBT mailing list.

Mixed emotions about it. Isbell was the best guitar player of the bunch, but his songwriting style, which leaned a little more poppy, was my least favorite. On a positive note though, John Neff, pedal steel extraordinaire, will step in full time. Patterson and the Stroker Ace are adequate guitar players and with Neff on board, they should be fine and perhaps return a little to their alt-country roots.

Neff spent previous time with the band and helped record Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance. The two songs below are from those albums and might give us an idea of the sound we'll hear.

DBT: The Night GG Allin Came to Town
DBT: Steve McQueen

BK