Things have gone a bit differently for Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar since Uncle Tupelo split in 1994. While both artists have found critical success since the break, Tweedy with Wilco (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born) and Farrar with Son Volt (Trace), only Tweedy has truly found popular success (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sold over 500,000 copies and A Ghost Is Born won two Grammys).
Despite Farrar’s recent distaste for the term alt-country he has remained true to his roots during the course of his career. His current effort, Son Volt’s The Search, returns to the early brilliance of Trace but adds new layers of sound (notably keyboards and horns) to Farrar’s pointed lyrics about the current American malaise.
Probably one of my favorites of the Year of the Pig thus far (along with Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible - review coming soon, I’m enjoying it too much).
- Listen to Slow Hearse
- Listen to The Picture
- Listen to Methamphetamine
Buy The Search from the Public Radio Music Source.
SON VOLT is on TOUR! Buy tickets online at
http://sonvolt.frontgatetickets.com/
4/12 Mod Club Toronto, ONT
4/13 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
4/14 Pearl St. Northampton, MA
4/15 Paradise Boston, MA
4/18 Irving Plaza New York, NY
4/19 Mr. Small’s Pittsburgh, PA
4/20 Headliners Louisville, KY
4/21 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
5/1 George’s Majestic Lounge Fayetteville, AR
5/2 Rev Room Little Rock, AR
5/3 Ridglea Theater Ft. Worth, TX
5/4 Stubb’s Austin, TX
5/5 Floore’s Country Store Helotes, TX
5/6 Continental Club Houston, TX
5/8 The Parish @ House of Blues New Orleans, LA
5/9 Young Avenue Deli Memphis, TN
5/10 Workplay Birmingham, AL
5/11 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA
5/12 Crawfish Boil – Riverfront Park Nashville, TN
5/14 Rhythm & Brews Chattanooga, TN
5/15 Orange Peel Asheville, NC
5/16 Visulite Charlotte, NC
5/17 9:30 Club Washington, DC
5/18 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA
5/19 BandTogether Raleigh, NC
6/9 Wakarusa Festival Lawrence, KS
6/10 Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, OK
6/12 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH
6/13 Sonar Baltimore, MD
6/14 Groovin’ in the Garden Richmond, VA
6/16 Front Street Music Hall Wilmington, NC
8/22 Red Butte Garden Salt Lake City, UT
8/31 Strawberry Music Fest Yosemite, CA
9/22 Charleston Heritage & Music Fest Charleston, SC