ROUTES & BRANCHES

March 17, 2012

Scott Foley

Exceptionally nice of Darrell Scott to grant R&B half and hour of his time this week!  Darrell gives a great interview; he's one of those guys who can take a short, vague question and ramble off a fascinating answer.  Even when the interviewer manages to call his "Darrell Clark" at one point. 

Both Yarn and Wrinkle Neck Mules come through with some great new alt.country this week.  Yarn is capable of writing some of the best country tunes out there, and singing the hell out of them.  Wrinkle Neck Mules can give Patterson Hood a run for his money in the Disgruntled Southern Rocker department.  Their new album is harder and heavier than anything they've released to date. 

But this week's Best Thing Ever actually goes to Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, for their phenomenal There Is a Bomb In Gilead.  Once a member of Dexateens, Bains' new group is currently touring with another hot Alabama band, the Alabama Shakes.  His Glory Fires achieve that difficult balance between deep Southern soul and hard alt.country. On tracks like "Ain't No Stranger" and "Centreville", Bains howls in front of a band that will please any fan of the garage-y grunge of bands like Black Keys.  Other tunes sound like they could've been penned by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. 


*  Hobart Brothers, "Why I Don't Hunt"  At Least We Have Each Other  (Freedom, 12)
*  Devil Makes Three, "For Good Again"  Do Wrong Right  (Milan, 09)
*  Darrell Scott, "It Must Be Sunday"  Long Ride Home  (Full Light, 12)
*  Alabama Shakes, "Heavy Chevy"  Boys & Girls  (ATO, 12)
*  Tommy Womack, "Play That Cheap Trick"  Now What  (Cedar Creek, 12)
*  Beth McKee, "Not Tonight Josephine"  Next To Nowhere  (Swampgirl, 12)
*  Sons Of Bill, "Siren Song"  Sirens  (Thirty Tigers, 12)
*  Broken Spoke, "High Water Mark"  Before There Were Easy Riders  (Self, 11)
*  Wrinkle Neck Mules, "When the Wheels Touch Down"  Apprentice To Ghosts  (Lower 40, 12)
*  Justin Townes Earle, "Nothing's Gonna Change"  Nothing's Gonna Change  (Bloodshot, 12)
*  Audra Mae, "Real Thing"  Audra Mae & the Almighty Sound  (Side One Dummy, 12)
*  Longest  Day Of the Year, "Eloise"  Turn Into the Ground  (Mulewax, 12)
*  Yarn, "Tired Of Everything"  Almost Home  (Self, 12)
*  Darrell Scott, "Every Road Leads Back To You"  Long Ride Home  (Full Light, 12)
^  Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, "Righteous Ragged Songs"  There Is a Bomb In Gilead  (Alive NS, 12)
*  Scud Mt Boys, "Silo"  Early Year: Pine Box & Dance the Night Away  (Sub Pop, 97)
*  Carper Family, "Who R U Texting 2Night"  Back When  (Self, 12)
*  Ray Wylie Hubbard, "Lazarus"  Grifter's Hymnal  (Bordello, 12)
*  Have Gun Will Travel, "Dream No More"  Mergers & Acquisitions  (Suburban Home, 11)
*  Cary Hudson, "Mississippi Country Girl"  Mississippi Moon  (Self,12)
*  Marvin Etzioni w/Maria McKee, "You Possess Me"  Marvin Country!  (Nine Mile, 12)
*  Andre Williams & the Sadies, "Hey Baby"  Night & Day  (Yep Roc, 12)
*  Moot Davis w/Elizabeth Cook, "Crazy In Love With You"  Man About Town  (Highway Kind, 12)
*  Joe Pug, "Stronger Than the World"  Great Despiser  (Lightning Rod, 12)