Billboard.com Features The Drive By Truckers

After their latest album, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, debuted last week at #37 on the Billboard Top-200 album chart the mighty dbts seem to have caught the attention of the recording establishment’s powers that be. In this article on Billboard.com Patterson Hood discusses the new release, his family life with the new baby and his less then attentive work ethic.

From the article – “I used to write real prolifically, and just being so busy on the road, and being at home with the kid running around, I [wasn’t as prolific],” said Hood, the band’s gregarious co-founder. “I definitely still write in bursts, but the bursts were shorter and further apart.”

But something clicked over the break. Hood shotgunned out around 50 songs over six months, and Cooley produced nine of his own (“an ungodly number for him,” Hood laughs). Better yet, the burst came at a fortunate time: the band got “really, really attached to working with Spooner Oldham” on the LaVette record. “We said, ‘We gotta get him to do (ours),'” Hood said.

Brighter Than Creation’s Dark debuts at #37 on the Billboard Top-200

No Depression reports that the new Drive By Truckers release Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, debuted this week at #37 on the Billboard Top-200 album chart. The album also enters the Billboard indie chart at #6, its internet chart at #6, and the digital chart at #12. Not too shabby for a bunch of hillbillies with a funny name.

In other dbt news the Truckers will be playing the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival along with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Featuring T Bone Burnett, My Morning Jacket, The Allman Brothers Band, Iron and Wine and Willie Nelson.

Review – Drive By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (New West) 01.22.08

As anyone who has read this blog for more than 10 minutes knows I’m a big Drive By Truckers fan. I believe that the Truckers’ break out double-disc “Southern Rock Opera” nearly single-handedly saved the Southern rock genre from the trash heap of cultural irrelevance and slapped the snarky sneer off rock snobs everywhere. I came to the party late by picking up 2004’s “Dirty South” and was hooked immediately by the gritty and vivid rendered tales of lives lived between the moral cracks of the rural South. Populist music dealing with real people confronting challenges and rejoicing in everyday wonders – whether country, folk, punk or rap- hinges on authenticity. As the saying goes, if you can fake authenticity you’ve got it made.

Fans, not people just genre slumming or chasing fashion, but fans willing to put in the work to care and listen, can pick up the stink of a poser a mile away. Whether on their records or from the stage of one of their scorching Jack-Daniels-soaked-never-ending-tours, the Truckers definitely walk the walk, and “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” is a testament to that labor.

Primed from playing as the backing band for the Great Lady of Soul Bettye LaVette on her Muscle Shoals produced “At the Scene of the Crime” and the first post Jason Isbell departure release is a daunting 70 minute 19 song epic. Patterson Hood does what he does best by spinning yarns of post-death domestic bliss (the banjo tinged “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife”) and paternal self-medication ( “Daddy Needs a Drink” complete with new/old band member John Neff’s floating pedal steel and Spooner Oldham’s master organ work)

Hood also tackles what passes as a Drive By Truckers anti-war songs with “The Man I Shot” and “The Home Front” by telling the tales from young soldier with fresh blood on his hands and a military wife left at home with her two-year-old. Hood also addresses current chemical scourge of Middle-America working class with “You and Your Crystal Meth”done in a cadence reminiscent of his live performances of Bruce Springteen’s “State Trooper.” “Goode’s Field Road” is a amped-up tale of a man done good / gone bad with soaked in a swampy wah-pedal voodoo-vibe.

Mike Cooley brings the goods with the fuzzed-out “3 Dimes Down” which sounds like a lost track from Exile on Main Street. “Perfect Timing” and “Lisa’s Bithday” are straight-up country tunes with the former as a shuffle featuring awesome guitar picking and the latter a pedal-steel celebration of bad girls.

The real surprise here is the singing debut of bassist Shonna Tucker who, after appearing on two previous releases steps up to the mic ad does an admirable job stepping into the big boots left by her outgoing ex-husband (Isbell) as third vocalist. Tucker’s voice is without artifice and can sound both road-weary and vulnerable reminding me of Sammi Smith’s with its purity. “I’m Sorry Huston” and “Home Field Advantage” give Tucker lots of room to stretch out and show the gals got what it takes.

With 19 songs not all of them will be gems but my MO is to celebrate the greatness of music and not dwell on what I consider lesser works or show what a clever prick I can be. All the dbt elements are here. Masterful tales of the down and out and the blazing guitar work all served up with a dark sense of humor and a helping side of Southern menace.

“Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” will be in stores (and download) CD and 2 Record Set Vinyl on Tuesday January 22, 2008 (Monday January 21, 2008 in Europe).

Track Listing:
1. Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife (mp3)
2. Three Dimes Down
3. The Righteous Path
4. I’m Sorry Huston
5. Perfect Timing
6. Daddy Needs a Drink
7. Self Destructive Zones
8. Bob
9. Home Field Advantage
10. Opening Act
11. Lisa’s Birthday
12. The Man I Shot
13. Purgatory Line
14. The Home Front
15. Check Out Time In Vegas
16. You and Your Crystal Meth
17. Goode’s Field Road
18. A Ghost To Most
19. Monument Valley

Drive By Truckers Pre-Order Contest

The new release from the Drive By Truckers “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” drops in a couple of weeks, but you can head over to the DBT site and get a bonus when you pre-order.

You will be entered in a drawing for one of 2 grand prizes to include a signed poster, a gift certificate for $100 of merchandise from the official Drive-By Truckers store and 2 tickets to an upcoming headlining Drive-By Truckers show of your choice. In addition, the first 100 people to purchase the Brighter Than Creations Dark CD & T-shirt bundle will also receive a signed tour poster from the Drive-By Truckers.

Contest ends January 22nd.

Drive By Truckers to Release “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark” 1/22/08

Los Angeles, CA –  New West Records will release the Drive-By Truckers’ eighth record, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark,
on January 22, 2008, featuring 19 new songs, many of which were previewed during the band’s The Dirt Underneath tour last
spring. Heralded by many critics as America’s best rock band, DBT will kick off the first leg of a new 29-city tour in
support of the album on February 11th in Anaheim, CA.  A four-song Brighter Than Creation’s Dark EP will be available on
December 18th at iTunes and all other DSPs (Rhapsody, Yahoo Music, MSN/Zune). The EP consists of “Two Daughters And A Beautiful
Wife,” “3 Dimes Down,” “The Righteous Path,” and “The Purgatory Line.” Back catalog reissues of Gangstabilly; Pizza Deliverance;
Decoration Day; The Dirty South; and A Blessing and a Curse will appear February 5, 2008as Limited Edition, 180 gram vinyl records.
This is the first time most of these titles will be available on vinyl.

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley continue to be DBT’s primary songwriters, a relationship that started over twenty-two years ago
when the two began playing together. The band’s longtime bassist, Shonna Tucker, makes her debut on Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
as the band’s third writer, contributing three of the record’s nineteen tracks.  Founding member John Neff, who has frequently
guested on albums and onstage over the years, is an official member now, playing pedal steel and guitar.  He and drummer Brad Morgan
round out the band’s recording and touring line up.

Legendary Muscle Shoals keyboardist Spooner Oldham, to whom the album is dedicated, lends his unmistakable classic soul sound
to the record, as he did for the band’s last tour. The album also marks the sixth time the band has worked with producer David
Barbe, whose Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens, GA was the site of last summer’s recording.

DBT recently backed R&B vocalist Bettye Lavette on her critically acclaimed, Grammy®-nominated album The Scene of The Crime.
The album is nominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album and was co-produced by Patterson Hood and long time DBT producer David Barbe.

Brighter Than Creation’s Dark Track Listing

1. Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife
2. 3 Dimes Down
3. The Righteous Path
4. I’m Sorry Huston
5. Perfect Timing
6. Daddy Needs A Drink
7. Self Destructive Zones
8. Bob
9. Home Field Advantage
10. The Opening Act
11. Lisa’s Birthday
12. That Man I Shot
13. The Purgatory Line
14. The Home Front
15. Checkout Time In Vegas
16. You And Your Crystal Meth
17. Goode’s Field Road
18. A Ghost To Most
19. The Monument Valley

DBT on tour:
Mon Feb 11  Anaheim     CA    HOUSE OF BLUES
Tue Feb 12  Los Angeles CA    AVALON
Wed Feb 13  San Francisco CA  MEZZANINE
Fri Feb 15  Portland    OR    ROSELAND
Sat Feb 16  Seattle     WA    SHOWBOX
Sun Feb 17  Seattle     WA    SHOWBOX
Tue Feb 19  Boise       ID    BIG EASY CONCERT HOUSE
Wed Feb 20 Salt Lake City UT  THE PALADIUM
Thu Feb 21  Aspen CO   BELLY UP
Fri Feb 22  Denver      CO    OGDEN THEATRE
Sat Feb 23  Boulder     CO    FOX THEATRE
Mon Feb 25  Omaha       NE    SLOWDOWN
Tue Feb 26  Columbia    MO    THE BLUE NOTE
Wed Feb 27  Urbana      IL    THE CANOPY CLUB
Thu Feb 28  Milwaukee   WI    PABST THEATRE
Fri Feb 29  St Louis    MO    THE PAGEANT
Sat Mar 01  Louisville  KY    HEADLINERS MUSIC HALL
Fri Mar 14  Memphis     TN    MINGLEWOOD HALL
Sat Mar 15  Nashville   TN    CANNERY BALLROOM
Sun Mar 16  Newport     KY    SOUTHGATE HOUSE
Tue Mar 18  Millvale    PA    MR. SMALL’S THEATER
Wed Mar 19  Toronto     ONT   OPERA HOUSE
Thu Mar 20  Montreal    QUE   CABARET MUSIC HALL
Fri Mar 21  Northampton MA    PEARL STREET
Sat Mar 22  Boston      MA    PARADISE ROCK CLUB
Tue Mar 25  New Haven   CT    TOAD’S PLACE
Wed Mar 26  New York    NY    TERMINAL 5
Thu Mar 27  Philadelphia PA   THE FILMORE AT THE TLA
Fri Mar 28  Richmond    VA    THE NATIONAL
Sat Mar 29  Asheville   NC    THE ORANGE PEEL

The Felice Brothers support on 2/11 – 3/1
North Mississippi Allstars on 2/11 & 2/12

Jason Isbell Tour Dates

Pitchfork.com has posted a ton of 07/08 tour dates for ex-Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell as he continues in support of his solo debut “Sirens of the Ditch.”

The January 12 date has Isbell performing at the opening night of the New York Guitar Festival’s “Royal Albert Hall” event honoring Bob Dylan.

12-14 Asheville, NC – Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam Pre-Jam
12-15 Asheville, NC – Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam
12-21 Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon
12-22 Houston, TX – Walter’s on Washington
12-27 Huntsville, AL – Crossroads
12-28 Birmingham, AL – Workplay
12-29 Chattanooga, TN – Rhythm and Brews
12-30 Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
12-31 Charleston, SC – Music Fam
01-12 New York, NY – WFC Winter Garden (New York Guitar Festival)
01-16 Memphis, TN – The Hi-Tone
01-17 Little Rock, AR – Sticky Fingerz
01-18 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
01-19 Austin, TX – Antone’s
01-22 Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
01-23 San Diego, CA – Casbah
01-24 Long Beach, CA – Vault
01-25 Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland
01-26 San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
01-28 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
01-30 Portland, OR – Mission Theater
01-31 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
02-01 Boise, ID – Neurolux
02-02 Park City, UT – Suede
02-04 Boulder, CO – The Fox Theatre
02-06 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
02-07 Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
02-08 Chicago, IL – Double Door
02-09 Indianapolis, IN – Music Mill
02-14 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick
02-15 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
02-16 Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall
02-17 Philadelphia, PA РWorld Caf̩ Live
02-20 Boston, MA – Paradise
02-21 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
02-22 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
02-23 Charlottesville, VA – Satellie Ballroom
02-24 Wilmington, NC – Soapbox
02-26 Columbia, SC – Headliner’s
02-27 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
02-28 Knoxville, TN – Bluecat’s
02-29 Louisville, KY – Headliner’s
03-01 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom

Patterson Hood Talks About New Drive By Truckers Release

To get ready for tonight’s show I was trolling for Trucker info and came across Patterson Hood talking about the Drive By Truckers’ new upcoming release on ReadExpress.com.

“The new record’s kind of all over the map,” (Patterson) explained. “A couple of songs sound like they could’ve come off of country records from the early ’60s. And a couple of songs are almost Stooges/MC5 primal stomp. [There’s] almost a Howlin’ Wolf influence on one song.”

Nice!

Upcoming New York Shows

Great stuff coming up soon:

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit / The Whigs / The Felice Brothers – Bowery Ballroom – 10/10

Shooter Jennings – Bowery Ballroom – 10/23

Drive By Truckers / Ryan Bingham / The Dead Horses – Bowery Ballroom – 10/26

Lucero / Bobby Bare Jr. / Whiskey & Co.  – Bowery Ballroom – 11/4

Laura Cantrell – Mercury Lounge – 11/10

Buck 65 / Bernard Dolan – Bowery Ballroom – 11/18

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers / The Pine Hill Haints – Mercury Lounge 11/18