(3412) Drive-By Truckers / Ryan Bingham

From the ACL Taping Program on September 26, 2008:Rolling Stone called the Drive-By Truckers "the boldest, baddest Southern band in the land" and the band has been living up to that moniker for the last decade. The band fuses solid musicianship with lyrics that tell real stories. "They let the songwriting speak for itself, and it sings loud and clear" (Rolling Stone).

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley formed the band in the mid-90s, folding their love of punk, country & western, Southern rock, pop and straightahead rock 'n roll into a three-guitar, multi-songwriter powerhouse. On seven highly-acclaimed albums, including 2001's Southern Rock Opera, 2003's Decoration Day, and 2004's The Dirty South, the Truckers survey the modern South with a complex blend of realism-tempered pride and compassionate but uncompromising analysis.

Their latest release, 2008's Brighter Than Creation's Dark, comes on the heels of a lineup change that saw songwriter/guitarist Jason Isbell leaving the band and bassist Shonna Tucker taking a bigger role in writing and singing.  Pitchfork wrote "the band expands its familiar rock sound with forays into soul, Southern boogie, and AM-gold country - all in service to tales of hard-drinking fathers, vengeful ghosts, weird Harolds and director John Ford."

With three songwriters, Brighter Than Creation's Dark holds true to the band's eclectic storytelling. "{This CD has} some songs that are quieter than any we've ever recorded and some that rock harder than anything we've ever done," Hood said.  "In the end it's still all Rock 'n Roll (which is why that will always be the description of choice to us when describing our music in stylistic terms)."

Link to Drive-By Truckers' artist page.

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From the ACL Taping Program on October 24, 2008:

With a writing style that "echoes the working-man sympathy anthems of Woody Guthrie combined with the folky nature of Bob Dylan and
a voice that mirrors Bruce Springsteen's" (Aquarian Weekly), Ryan Bingham is quickly etching out a spot for himself among the legendary Texas songwriters.

Born in Hobbs, New Mexico, and raised in rural Texas towns like Spring and Stephenville, Bingham made his living as a bullrider on the Texas rodeo circuit. He entertained his rodeo buddies with songs while selling his self-produced CDs before at small clubs and rodeos along the way. His songwriting and voice soon got him noticed by idol and mentor Joe Ely along with Terry Allen, Guy Clark and other Texas legends.

Despite his age (Bingham is 26-years-old) he fit in well with that group.  Both his songwriting and voice have an uncommon maturity - as  Rolling Stone put it, Bingham "sings like Steve Earle's dad."

"With his uncanny ability for creating visual narratives that really stick with listeners, Bingham proves to be more than worthy of following in the footsteps of the many great Texas songwriters that have come before him," wrote Music Monthly Magazine.

His major label debut, 2007's Mescalito, "bears the hardscrabble marking of someone accustomed to the tough life.  It veers from campfire balladry to ragged roots rock that bristles with roadhouse energy," wrote No Depression. American Songwriter said the songs on the CD are "a series of torn pages, broken people and those just holding their breath hoping to get out alive. Compelling listening to the highest sense."

Link to Ryan Bingham's artist page.

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