Top 5 Lucero Songs

I loved the hell out of Lucero's 2009 release, 1372 Overton Park, and recently was reminded at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass how amazing they can be live. I've always enjoy the gritty, imperfect vocals, occasionally roarin' southern rock guitars, and Ben Nichols' willingness to be both tender and rancorous in his lyrics, but it was the addition of increased production and horns that took them to the next stratosphere and made me appreciate their older tracks even more. With over 10 years on the road and 80 songs to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow the list down to a top 5... but here we go, a nice tight list of favorites...

1. "Smoke" (1372 Overton Park)
2. "Tears Don't Matter Much" (That Much Further West)
3. "Nights Like These" (Tennessee)
4. "I Can't Feel A Thing" (1372 Overton Park)
5. "San Francisco"(Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers)

"north to santa rosa and south to santa cruz / the humboldt house, the boardwalk, and the homemade tattoos"

Michael Dean Damron - Father's Day (2009)

I'd be surprised if fans of the Drive-By Truckers' Patterson Hood and Lucero's Ben Nichols aren't immediately drawn to Portland's similarly scratchy-voiced Michael Dean Damron and his barroom folk songs of heartbreak and regret. I also hear a lot of Steve Earle's simultaneously world-weary and rebellious attitude. He seems to aspire (and fit) Earle's definition of a "Hard Core Troubadour", a song referenced on "I'm A Bastard". Damron's soulful vocals on "Dead Days" mix acceptance and reflection and allow the electric guitar to provide a touch of optimism. Like early Bottle Rocket's albums, black humor runs throughout Father's Day, evident in songs like "Boy With A Car" and "SOS", which could be country punk if he picked up the pace. As usual, I tend to favor the electric guitar and harmonica driven tracks like "Tornado Song", but he does justice to the slower acoustic numbers as well, like a couple of covers of Townes Van Zandt and King Harvest.

Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light In The West (2009)

Lucero fans will most likely already be aware of this recent EP from the band's front man, Ben Nichols, but for those who are not tapped into the Lucero circle, this is definitely worth getting your hands on. The Last Pale Light In The West is a stripped-down, "Blood Meridian" themed, folk-country album that features Nichols' rasp and acoustic guitar, with subtle backing. The 7 track album moves quickly with minimalistic quality throughout, leaving me wanting more length to the existing tracks, and more tracks to the album; however, I'm happy with the likes of the title track, as well as "Chambers," "Tobin," & "The Kid."