Drive-By Truckers
Encyclopedia
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country
/Southern rock
band based in Athens, Georgia
, though three out of six members (Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Shonna Tucker) are originally from The Shoals
region of Northern Alabama
, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now keyboards. Like many alternative country acts, the Drive-By Truckers record in analog (using 2 inch tape). However, unlike the majority of their contemporaries, the Drive-By Truckers have consistently pushed their labels to also release the band's records in a vinyl format.
of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
) and longtime friend, former room-mate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. The two had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat which was chosen as a top ten Best Unsigned Band by a Musician
contest in the late 1980s. After the demise of Adam's House Cat, Cooley and Hood performed as a duo under the name "Virgil Kane." They eventually started a new band, "Horsepussy," before splitting for a few years. It was during this split that Hood moved to Athens, Georgia and began forming what would become Drive-By Truckers "with the intent of luring Cooley back into the fold."
Together with a revolving group of musicians, Drive-By Truckers put out their first two albums, Gangstabilly
(1998) and Pizza Deliverance
(1999). Following their second release, the band embarked on a nationwide tour, resulting in a live album called Alabama Ass Whuppin'
(released in 2000 by Second Heaven Records, re-released in 2002 by Terminus Records). Fans were able to find shows and information because DBT had an entertaining and informative website long before most bands had begun taking advantage of the internet as a promotional tool. The band's online presence was created and is maintained by long-time friend Jenn Bryant and has been credited with helping the band gain momentum. The band also began to use another long-time friend, Wes Freed
, to produce the band's signature style with his cover art and posters. It was the band's constant touring, however, that most helped them develop a large and dedicated following both on and off-line.
. Southern Rock Opera is a double album
. The album weaves the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd
into a narrative about a fictitious rock band called "Betamax Guillotine", whose story unfolds within the context of the South during the 1970s. Southern Rock Opera was originally released independently on Drive-By Truckers' own Soul Dump Records on September 12, 2001, and garnered praise from fans and critics alike. In order to meet the new demand brought on by, among other things, a four-star review in Rolling Stone
, Southern Rock Opera was re-issued by Mercury
and Lost Highway Records in July 2002. Soon after, Drive-By Truckers were named Band of the Year by No Depression.
Before Drive-By Truckers went on tour in support of Southern Rock Opera, the band ran into a problem when they were left with only two guitarists (Cooley and Hood) following the departure of Rob Malone in late 2001. The band added fellow Alabamian guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell
(originally from Greenhill, Alabama) to their line-up as the band's third guitarist. During his five years with Drive-By Truckers, Isbell's compositions became as highly praised as those of Cooley and Hood.
-based record label New West
, Drive-By Truckers set about recording the follow-up to Southern Rock Opera. The result was 2003's Decoration Day, which, like its predecessor, received much critical praise. It was another concept album, containing characters who are faced with hard decisions about marriage, incest, break-ups, revenge, murder, and suicide.
After years of producing and playing with Drive-By Truckers, bassist Earl Hicks left the band on December 22, 2003. Hicks was immediately replaced by studio bassist Shonna Tucker, then wife of guitarist Jason Isbell
. Tucker had previously guested on Decoration Day playing upright bass on the Cooley-penned track, "Sounds Better in the Song".
In 2004, Drive-By Truckers released yet another concept album entitled The Dirty South
. The Dirty South further explored the mythology of the South, with songs focusing on Sam Phillips
and Sun Records
, John Henry
, and a three-song suite about Sheriff Buford Pusser
.
After touring throughout 2004 and 2005, Drive-By Truckers found their way to the Fidelitorium Recording Studio in Forsyth County, North Carolina
during late 2005. These recording sessions, once again produced by David Barbe, resulted in the band's seventh LP
, A Blessing and a Curse
. Released on April 18, 2006, A Blessing and a Curse showcased Drive-By Truckers' ability to branch out into new territory, and can be seen as the band's attempt at shaking labeling by critics, detractors, fans, and followers, particularly the Southern rock
label that has haunted the band since Southern Rock Opera. The album sounds less like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more closely resembles the bare-bones British rock of the early 1970s such as The Rolling Stones
and Faces. Tom Petty
, Blue Öyster Cult
, and Neil Young
's influence on the band's sound is more prominent on this album as well.
On September 1, 2009, (after Isbell left the band) Drive-By Truckers released a collection of b-sides and rarities entitled The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities
which were recorded during the Decoration Day and Dirty South sessions and includes tracks by the departed Jason Isbell.
-based, Savannah, Georgia
-born pedal steel guitar
ist, John Neff. Neff first played with the band on their 1998 debut LP, Gangstabilly, and played pedal steel on three subsequent albums, 1999's Pizza Deliverance, and 2003's Decoration Day. Neff was featured heavily on the 2006 release, A Blessing and a Curse. During the next year, Neff began touring with the band as an unofficial sixth member.
On April 5, 2007 Jason Isbell
announced that he was no longer a member of the band. The following day, Patterson Hood confirmed the break on the official site. In his letter to the fans, Hood described the parting of ways as "amicable" and expressed the hope that fans would continue to support Drive-By Truckers as well as Jason's solo efforts. In the same letter, Hood announced that John Neff would become a full-time member playing both guitar
and pedal steel
.
Shortly after Isbell's departure, on April 20, 2007, Patterson Hood announced via the band's website that a longtime friend of the Hood family
, Spooner Oldham
, would be joining the band playing keyboard
for a string of acoustic performances called The Dirt Underneath Tour. This stripped-down tour would set the writing mood and style for the band's next release, 2008's Brighter Than Creation's Dark
, a far more "swampy" and country record than its predecessor. Brighter Than Creation's Dark went to #37 on the Billboard 200
album chart and was billed as a gothic masterpiece by the band. Spooner Oldham contributed to the recording of the album, and also toured with the band in support of the record. The record boasted nineteen tracks, clocked in at over 75 minutes (for this reason the record's vinyl format was released as a double album), and features the first song contributions from bassist Shonna Tucker. Oldham stopped touring with the band at the end of Brighter Than Creation's Darks "Home Front Tour." Yet due to his influence on Brighter Than Creation's Dark, much of the band's new material required a keyboard player. This, as well as playing with (and being heavily influenced by) keyboardist Booker T. Jones
, led the Drive-By Truckers to enlist Jay Gonzalez as an official 6th bandmember. Gonzalez would go on to tour with the band and play a pivotal role in crafting the atmosphere and sound of 2010's The Big To Do
.
On July 7, 2009, New West Records
released the band's second official live album and DVD called Live From Austin TX
. Material from Brighter Than Creation's Dark made up the majority of the mostly acoustic set-list. This was the first official release featuring Jay Gonzalez as the official 6th bandmember.
on her comeback album Scene of the Crime
, which was released on September 25 on Anti Records. Scene of the Crime was mostly recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. On it, LaVette transforms country and rock songs written by Willie Nelson, Elton John, and Don Henley, among others, into devastating mini-dramas. Scene of the Crime was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” and landed on numerous “Best of 2007” lists. Drive-By Truckers frontman, Patterson Hood, produced the album alongside LaVette. The album also features one song co-written by LaVette and Hood.
Drive-By Truckers backed up Booker T. Jones
on his instrumental album Potato Hole
, which was released on April 21, 2009. Neil Young also contributed over-dubbed guitar work to the album, though he and the Drive-By Truckers never met in studio. Potato Hole features a re-recording of the Cooley penned track "Space City," which originally was released on the album A Blessing And A Curse. The band performed with Jones as "Booker T and the DBTs" at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 14, 2009. On January 31, 2010, Potato Hole won the Best Pop Instrumental Album award at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
In late 2009 Barr Weissman released a documentary on the Drive-By Truckers entitled The Secret To A Happy Ending. The film follows the band over three particularly straining years of their career, and captures their near break up as well as the departure of Jason Isbell from the band.
(2010) and the Drive-By Trucker "R&B Murder Album" Go-Go Boots
(2011). The Big To-Do further brought media attention to the band, resulting in their highest chart success, appearances on David Letterman
and Jimmy Fallon
's late night shows, as well as a scheduled tour opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. As the band's contract with New West Records expired after The Fine Print was released, the band signed and released The Big To-Do and Go-Go Boots on ATO Records
.
On April 17, 2010, the band released a single penned by Mike Cooley to commemorate Record Store Day
. "Your Woman is A Living Thing"/"Just Maybe" is the only record the Drive-By Truckers have released solely in a vinyl format. Digital downloads of the single can now be found on the band's website, as well as Facebook
. Based on the success of the single, the band decided to release a limited edition (2,500 copies) special 10 inch 45 with two new songs "The Thanksgiving Filter"/"Used To Be A Cop" on Black Friday of 2010. Both of these songs also appear on the album Go-Go Boots.
New West Records released Ugly Buildings, Whores, and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009 on August 2, 2011. The announcement was immediately met with mixed perceptions by fans.
Also
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
/Southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
band based in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, though three out of six members (Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Shonna Tucker) are originally from The Shoals
The Shoals
The Shoals is a metropolitan area in northwestern Alabama, officially known as the Florence-Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Area, including the cities of Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, and Sheffield, and the counties of Lauderdale and Colbert...
region of Northern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now keyboards. Like many alternative country acts, the Drive-By Truckers record in analog (using 2 inch tape). However, unlike the majority of their contemporaries, the Drive-By Truckers have consistently pushed their labels to also release the band's records in a vinyl format.
Early History
Drive-By Truckers was co-founded by Patterson Hood (son of bassist David HoodDavid Hood
David Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
) and longtime friend, former room-mate, and musical partner Mike Cooley in Athens, Georgia, in 1996. The two had played in various other bands including Adam's House Cat which was chosen as a top ten Best Unsigned Band by a Musician
Musician (magazine)
Musician was a monthly magazine that covered news and information about American popular music. Initially called "Music America", it was founded in 1976 by Sam Holdsworth and Gordon Baird. The two friends borrowed $20,000 from relatives and started the publication in a barn in Colorado...
contest in the late 1980s. After the demise of Adam's House Cat, Cooley and Hood performed as a duo under the name "Virgil Kane." They eventually started a new band, "Horsepussy," before splitting for a few years. It was during this split that Hood moved to Athens, Georgia and began forming what would become Drive-By Truckers "with the intent of luring Cooley back into the fold."
Together with a revolving group of musicians, Drive-By Truckers put out their first two albums, Gangstabilly
Gangstabilly
Gangstabilly is the 1998 debut album of Athens via Alabama rock group Drive-By Truckers. The album, was recorded "live in the studio" over the course of two days and was produced by Andy Baker and Andy LeMaster. The album's cover art was created by Jim Stacy...
(1998) and Pizza Deliverance
Pizza Deliverance
Pizza Deliverance is the second album released by Alabama country rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 1999. It was recorded with high spirits in five days at Patterson Hood's house. The album was mixed by Andy LeMaster. The album cover art was created by Jim Stacy...
(1999). Following their second release, the band embarked on a nationwide tour, resulting in a live album called Alabama Ass Whuppin'
Alabama Ass Whuppin'
Alabama Ass Whuppin' is the title of the first Drive-By Truckers live album. It is was recorded live in Athens and Atlanta in Fall of 1999.-Track listing:#"Why Henry Drinks"#"Lookout Mountain"#"The Living Bubba"#"Too Much Sex "...
(released in 2000 by Second Heaven Records, re-released in 2002 by Terminus Records). Fans were able to find shows and information because DBT had an entertaining and informative website long before most bands had begun taking advantage of the internet as a promotional tool. The band's online presence was created and is maintained by long-time friend Jenn Bryant and has been credited with helping the band gain momentum. The band also began to use another long-time friend, Wes Freed
Wes Freed
Wes Freed is a Richmond, Virginia-based musician, "outsider" artist, illustrator, and actor whose works have appeared on the album covers of numerous American rock bands, including Cracker and Lauren Hoffman...
, to produce the band's signature style with his cover art and posters. It was the band's constant touring, however, that most helped them develop a large and dedicated following both on and off-line.
Southern Rock Opera
After three years on the road, a tight-knit group of musicians emerged and began work on 2001's Southern Rock OperaSouthern Rock Opera
Southern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the alt country band Drive-By Truckers. It was a double album and released in 2001. Covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 70s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the...
. Southern Rock Opera is a double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
. The album weaves the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
into a narrative about a fictitious rock band called "Betamax Guillotine", whose story unfolds within the context of the South during the 1970s. Southern Rock Opera was originally released independently on Drive-By Truckers' own Soul Dump Records on September 12, 2001, and garnered praise from fans and critics alike. In order to meet the new demand brought on by, among other things, a four-star review in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Southern Rock Opera was re-issued by Mercury
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and Lost Highway Records in July 2002. Soon after, Drive-By Truckers were named Band of the Year by No Depression.
Before Drive-By Truckers went on tour in support of Southern Rock Opera, the band ran into a problem when they were left with only two guitarists (Cooley and Hood) following the departure of Rob Malone in late 2001. The band added fellow Alabamian guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
(originally from Greenhill, Alabama) to their line-up as the band's third guitarist. During his five years with Drive-By Truckers, Isbell's compositions became as highly praised as those of Cooley and Hood.
With Jason Isbell
After signing a new deal with AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
-based record label New West
New West Records
New West Records is a record label based in Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and Athens, Georgia. It was established in 1998, and has been home to several indie rock and alternative country bands as well as representing the PBS show Austin City Limits...
, Drive-By Truckers set about recording the follow-up to Southern Rock Opera. The result was 2003's Decoration Day, which, like its predecessor, received much critical praise. It was another concept album, containing characters who are faced with hard decisions about marriage, incest, break-ups, revenge, murder, and suicide.
After years of producing and playing with Drive-By Truckers, bassist Earl Hicks left the band on December 22, 2003. Hicks was immediately replaced by studio bassist Shonna Tucker, then wife of guitarist Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
. Tucker had previously guested on Decoration Day playing upright bass on the Cooley-penned track, "Sounds Better in the Song".
In 2004, Drive-By Truckers released yet another concept album entitled The Dirty South
The Dirty South (album)
The Dirty South is the fifth album by Alabamian alternative country/Southern rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 2004. The Dirty South is Drive-By Truckers' third concept album...
. The Dirty South further explored the mythology of the South, with songs focusing on Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
and Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
, John Henry
John Henry
The most notable use of the name John Henry is in a ballad, "John Henry", describing the folk figure John Henry as a "steel-driving man".John Henry may also refer to:-People:* John Flournoy Henry , U.S...
, and a three-song suite about Sheriff Buford Pusser
Buford Pusser
Buford Hayse Pusser was the Sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee , from 1964 to 1970. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the Mississippi-Tennessee state-line. His story has directly inspired several books, songs, movies and at...
.
After touring throughout 2004 and 2005, Drive-By Truckers found their way to the Fidelitorium Recording Studio in Forsyth County, North Carolina
Forsyth County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The population density was 747 people per square mile . There were 133,093 housing units at an average density of 325 per square mile...
during late 2005. These recording sessions, once again produced by David Barbe, resulted in the band's seventh LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, A Blessing and a Curse
A Blessing and a Curse
- Personnel :* Mike Cooley – guitar, vocals* Patterson Hood – guitar, vocals* Jason Isbell – guitar, vocals* Brad Morgan – drums* Shonna Tucker – bass- Chart performance :- References :*...
. Released on April 18, 2006, A Blessing and a Curse showcased Drive-By Truckers' ability to branch out into new territory, and can be seen as the band's attempt at shaking labeling by critics, detractors, fans, and followers, particularly the Southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
label that has haunted the band since Southern Rock Opera. The album sounds less like Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more closely resembles the bare-bones British rock of the early 1970s such as The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and Faces. Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, and Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
's influence on the band's sound is more prominent on this album as well.
On September 1, 2009, (after Isbell left the band) Drive-By Truckers released a collection of b-sides and rarities entitled The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities
The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities
The Fine Print is a collection of unreleased material by the Drive-By Truckers mostly recorded throughout the making of their albums Decoration Day and The Dirty South; a highly prolific period for the band...
which were recorded during the Decoration Day and Dirty South sessions and includes tracks by the departed Jason Isbell.
Changing Line-Up
In 2006, Drive-By Truckers reunited, both on-stage and on-record, with AthensAthens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
-based, Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
-born pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
ist, John Neff. Neff first played with the band on their 1998 debut LP, Gangstabilly, and played pedal steel on three subsequent albums, 1999's Pizza Deliverance, and 2003's Decoration Day. Neff was featured heavily on the 2006 release, A Blessing and a Curse. During the next year, Neff began touring with the band as an unofficial sixth member.
On April 5, 2007 Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
announced that he was no longer a member of the band. The following day, Patterson Hood confirmed the break on the official site. In his letter to the fans, Hood described the parting of ways as "amicable" and expressed the hope that fans would continue to support Drive-By Truckers as well as Jason's solo efforts. In the same letter, Hood announced that John Neff would become a full-time member playing both guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and pedal steel
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
.
Shortly after Isbell's departure, on April 20, 2007, Patterson Hood announced via the band's website that a longtime friend of the Hood family
David Hood
David Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
, Spooner Oldham
Spooner Oldham
Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett and "I Never Loved a Man" by Aretha...
, would be joining the band playing keyboard
Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
for a string of acoustic performances called The Dirt Underneath Tour. This stripped-down tour would set the writing mood and style for the band's next release, 2008's Brighter Than Creation's Dark
Brighter Than Creation's Dark
Brighter Than Creation's Dark is the seventh studio album released by Drive-By Truckers. It was released on January 22, 2008 in the United States. Recorded during and after the acoustic Dirt Underneath Tour, the album features a more stripped down, and country based sound not seen since their...
, a far more "swampy" and country record than its predecessor. Brighter Than Creation's Dark went to #37 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart and was billed as a gothic masterpiece by the band. Spooner Oldham contributed to the recording of the album, and also toured with the band in support of the record. The record boasted nineteen tracks, clocked in at over 75 minutes (for this reason the record's vinyl format was released as a double album), and features the first song contributions from bassist Shonna Tucker. Oldham stopped touring with the band at the end of Brighter Than Creation's Darks "Home Front Tour." Yet due to his influence on Brighter Than Creation's Dark, much of the band's new material required a keyboard player. This, as well as playing with (and being heavily influenced by) keyboardist Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
, led the Drive-By Truckers to enlist Jay Gonzalez as an official 6th bandmember. Gonzalez would go on to tour with the band and play a pivotal role in crafting the atmosphere and sound of 2010's The Big To Do
The Big To Do
The Big To-Do is the eighth studio album by the alternative country band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 16, 2010. It is their first album released on ATO Records, which they signed to after completing their four album deal with New West Records. The Big To-Do marks the seventh Drive-By...
.
On July 7, 2009, New West Records
New West Records
New West Records is a record label based in Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, and Athens, Georgia. It was established in 1998, and has been home to several indie rock and alternative country bands as well as representing the PBS show Austin City Limits...
released the band's second official live album and DVD called Live From Austin TX
Live from Austin, TX (Drive-By Truckers album)
Live From Austin, TX is the second live album by the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. It was released as a two disc CD/DVD combo. It was recorded on September 26, 2008, and boasts an almost twelve minute recording of the song 18 Wheels of Love, which was originally released on their first...
. Material from Brighter Than Creation's Dark made up the majority of the mostly acoustic set-list. This was the first official release featuring Jay Gonzalez as the official 6th bandmember.
Work With Other Artists
In 2007, Drive-By Truckers backed up Bettye LaVetteBettye LaVette
Bettye LaVette is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise...
on her comeback album Scene of the Crime
Scene of the Crime
Scene of the Crime is a four-issue comic book miniseries published in 1999 by DC Comics written by Ed Brubaker pencilled and inked by Michael Lark and also inked by Sean Phillips following the first issue....
, which was released on September 25 on Anti Records. Scene of the Crime was mostly recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. On it, LaVette transforms country and rock songs written by Willie Nelson, Elton John, and Don Henley, among others, into devastating mini-dramas. Scene of the Crime was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” and landed on numerous “Best of 2007” lists. Drive-By Truckers frontman, Patterson Hood, produced the album alongside LaVette. The album also features one song co-written by LaVette and Hood.
Drive-By Truckers backed up Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
on his instrumental album Potato Hole
Potato Hole
Potato Hole is a 2009 album by Booker T. Jones, recorded with Drive-By Truckers as the backing band and guitar accompaniment by Neil Young. The album was nominated for two Grammy awards: the album itself for Best Pop Instrumental Album, and the track "Warped Sister" for Best Rock InstrumentalOn...
, which was released on April 21, 2009. Neil Young also contributed over-dubbed guitar work to the album, though he and the Drive-By Truckers never met in studio. Potato Hole features a re-recording of the Cooley penned track "Space City," which originally was released on the album A Blessing And A Curse. The band performed with Jones as "Booker T and the DBTs" at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on June 14, 2009. On January 31, 2010, Potato Hole won the Best Pop Instrumental Album award at the 52nd Grammy Awards.
In late 2009 Barr Weissman released a documentary on the Drive-By Truckers entitled The Secret To A Happy Ending. The film follows the band over three particularly straining years of their career, and captures their near break up as well as the departure of Jason Isbell from the band.
Recent Work
After being released from New West Records, the Drive-By Truckers entered the studio throughout periods of 2009 and emerged with two albums worth of material. The songs were divided between The Big To DoThe Big To Do
The Big To-Do is the eighth studio album by the alternative country band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 16, 2010. It is their first album released on ATO Records, which they signed to after completing their four album deal with New West Records. The Big To-Do marks the seventh Drive-By...
(2010) and the Drive-By Trucker "R&B Murder Album" Go-Go Boots
Go-Go Boots (album)
Go-Go Boots is the ninth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, first released February 14, 2011, on Play It Again Sam Records. It was produced by record producer David Barbe and recorded during 2009 to 2010, concurrently with sessions for the band's previous album The Big To-Do...
(2011). The Big To-Do further brought media attention to the band, resulting in their highest chart success, appearances on David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...
's late night shows, as well as a scheduled tour opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. As the band's contract with New West Records expired after The Fine Print was released, the band signed and released The Big To-Do and Go-Go Boots on ATO Records
ATO Records
According to Our Records was founded in early 2000 by Dave Matthews , Coran Capshaw, Chris Tetzeli, and Michael McDonald as a division of RCA Records...
.
On April 17, 2010, the band released a single penned by Mike Cooley to commemorate Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
. "Your Woman is A Living Thing"/"Just Maybe" is the only record the Drive-By Truckers have released solely in a vinyl format. Digital downloads of the single can now be found on the band's website, as well as Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. Based on the success of the single, the band decided to release a limited edition (2,500 copies) special 10 inch 45 with two new songs "The Thanksgiving Filter"/"Used To Be A Cop" on Black Friday of 2010. Both of these songs also appear on the album Go-Go Boots.
New West Records released Ugly Buildings, Whores, and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009 on August 2, 2011. The announcement was immediately met with mixed perceptions by fans.
Current members
- Patterson Hood – guitar, vocals, bass (1996 – present)
- Mike "The Stroker Ace" Cooley – guitar, vocals, bass (1996 – present)
- John Neff – guitar, pedal steel guitar, vocals (1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, 2007 – present)
- Shonna Tucker – bass, vocals, guitar (2003 – present)
- Brad "The EZB" Morgan – drums (1999 – present)
- Jay Gonzalez – keyboards, vocals (2008 – present)
Also
- David BarbeDavid BarbeDavid Barbe is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens...
- producer, engineer and frequent studio collaborator on guitar, bass and keyboards (1998–present)
Former members and collaborators
- Spooner OldhamSpooner OldhamDewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge, "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett and "I Never Loved a Man" by Aretha...
– electric piano, electric organ, vocals (2003, 2007–2008) - Jason IsbellJason IsbellJason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
– guitar, vocals (2001–2007) - Scott Danborn – fiddle (2003)
- Clay Leverett – harmony (2003)
- Earl Hicks – bass, snare drum (1999–2003)
- Rob Malone – guitar, vocals, bass (1999–2001)
- Jyl Freed – vocals (2000)
- Kelly Hogan – vocals (2000)
- Amy Pike – vocals (2000)
- Anne Richmond Boston – vocals (2000)
- Adam Howell – upright bass, vocals (1999)
- Matt Lane – drums (1999)
- Barry Sell – mandolin (1999)
Studio Albums
- GangstabillyGangstabillyGangstabilly is the 1998 debut album of Athens via Alabama rock group Drive-By Truckers. The album, was recorded "live in the studio" over the course of two days and was produced by Andy Baker and Andy LeMaster. The album's cover art was created by Jim Stacy...
(1998, re-released in 2005) - Pizza DeliverancePizza DeliverancePizza Deliverance is the second album released by Alabama country rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 1999. It was recorded with high spirits in five days at Patterson Hood's house. The album was mixed by Andy LeMaster. The album cover art was created by Jim Stacy...
(1999, re-released in 2005) - Southern Rock OperaSouthern Rock OperaSouthern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the alt country band Drive-By Truckers. It was a double album and released in 2001. Covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 70s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the...
(2001, re-released in 2002) - Decoration DayDecoration Day (album)Decoration Day is a rock album released by Drive-By Truckers in 2003. The album was recorded mostly live over two weeks at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by noted producer and former Sugar bassist David Barbe...
(2003) - The Dirty SouthThe Dirty South (album)The Dirty South is the fifth album by Alabamian alternative country/Southern rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 2004. The Dirty South is Drive-By Truckers' third concept album...
(2004) #147 US - A Blessing and a CurseA Blessing and a Curse- Personnel :* Mike Cooley – guitar, vocals* Patterson Hood – guitar, vocals* Jason Isbell – guitar, vocals* Brad Morgan – drums* Shonna Tucker – bass- Chart performance :- References :*...
(2006) #50 US - Brighter Than Creation's DarkBrighter Than Creation's DarkBrighter Than Creation's Dark is the seventh studio album released by Drive-By Truckers. It was released on January 22, 2008 in the United States. Recorded during and after the acoustic Dirt Underneath Tour, the album features a more stripped down, and country based sound not seen since their...
(2008) #37 US - The Big To-Do (2010) #22 US, #61 UK
- Go-Go BootsGo-Go Boots (album)Go-Go Boots is the ninth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, first released February 14, 2011, on Play It Again Sam Records. It was produced by record producer David Barbe and recorded during 2009 to 2010, concurrently with sessions for the band's previous album The Big To-Do...
(2011) #35 US
Live Albums
- Alabama Ass Whuppin'Alabama Ass Whuppin'Alabama Ass Whuppin' is the title of the first Drive-By Truckers live album. It is was recorded live in Athens and Atlanta in Fall of 1999.-Track listing:#"Why Henry Drinks"#"Lookout Mountain"#"The Living Bubba"#"Too Much Sex "...
(2000) - Live From Austin, TXLive from Austin, TX (Drive-By Truckers album)Live From Austin, TX is the second live album by the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. It was released as a two disc CD/DVD combo. It was recorded on September 26, 2008, and boasts an almost twelve minute recording of the song 18 Wheels of Love, which was originally released on their first...
(2009)
Collections
- The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and RaritiesThe Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and RaritiesThe Fine Print is a collection of unreleased material by the Drive-By Truckers mostly recorded throughout the making of their albums Decoration Day and The Dirty South; a highly prolific period for the band...
(2009) - Ugly Buildings, Whores, and Politicians: Greatest Hits 1998-2009 (2011)
Singles
- "Bulldozers and Dirt"/"Nine Bullets" (1996)
- "Never Gonna Change" (2004)
- "Aftermath USA" (2006)
- "A Blessing and a Curse" (2006)
- "Self-Destructive Zones" (2008)
- "A Ghost to Most" (2008)
- "The Righteous Path" (2008)
- "This Fucking Job" (2010, retitled "Working This Job" for radio and music video channels)
- "Your Woman Is A Livin' Thing"/"Just Maybe" (2010)
- "The Thanksgiving Filter"/"Used To Be A Cop" (2010)
See also
- Jason IsbellJason IsbellJason Isbell is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Greenhill, Alabama, near Muscle Shoals.-Background:Almost all of Isbell's family, except his parents, were musicians, and his father was an avid music listener...
- David HoodDavid HoodDavid Hood , is a bassist from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He also plays the trombone and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame....
- Muscle Shoals, AlabamaMuscle Shoals, AlabamaMuscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
- Muscle Shoals Rhythm SectionMuscle Shoals Rhythm SectionThe Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers, are a group of American soul, R&B, and country studio musicians based in the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama...
- Muscle Shoals Sound Studios
- Wes FreedWes FreedWes Freed is a Richmond, Virginia-based musician, "outsider" artist, illustrator, and actor whose works have appeared on the album covers of numerous American rock bands, including Cracker and Lauren Hoffman...
- David BarbeDavid BarbeDavid Barbe is an American musician and producer/engineer from Athens, Georgia and director of the Music Business Certificate Program at the University of Georgia. He is chief of Chase Park Transduction studio in Athens...
External links
- Drive-By Truckers on RadioVA
- Drive By Truckers Interview CountryMusicPride.com March 24, 2010
- Drive-By Truckers Boulder, CO Concert Review Yellow Scene Magazine
- Truckers, Hold Steady take similar routes to rock success Boston Herald
- Simon, Bryant, "'We're Almost There': The Drive-By Truckers' Art of Place" Southern Spaces, 28 March 2011.
- Drive-By Truckers collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive