I Started Most of Them Rumors Myself

The Avett Brothers - Talk On Indolence.

This record reminds me of so many wonderful things. Part of it reminds me of Andrew Bird's early Bowl of Fire records. It's also like Heartbreaker a little bit, or Being There, as its an amazing studio album of country songs. Just gorgeous and exciting. According to their little press kit they site Refused, Violent Femmes and traditional bluegrass as their major influences. I don't hear the first two so much on the album, but my guess is that their live show is just a fucking explosion. And these boys tour like crazy -- they're already booked well into 2006 (most dates on the east coast, with a few in the midwest, and no California love).

They hail from Charlotte, NC, where the Avett brothers have been playing in various bands for years. The actual Avett Brothers band finally came to fruition in the early '00s. I had an extremely hard time picking a song from this record, since it sounds so good as a whole. It's just a perfect album from start to finish -- with the right mix of shout-along, flat-picking, rawkus fun blended with tear-in-your-beer weepers. And don't get me started on the harmonies.

This song - Talk on Indolence - is sort of a good example of the whole album -- as it starts out with crazy fast stuff, and hits the brakes into slower territory for awhile before heating up again. It's sort of like an overture for the album -- an album I can't recommend highly enough.