Sonvolt

This is a very bad cameraphone pic of a fine altcountry band, Sonvolt. Jay Farrar who is the songwriter and singer was one half of one of the best songwriting duos since Lennon /Mccartney (in my somewhat warped opinion) He and Jeff Tweedy were in a fine punk/altcountry band called Uncle Tupelo and when they split up Tweedy founded Wilco and Farrar started Sonvolt. I saw these guys last night at an outdoor concert series that we have in Richmond at a botanical garden, its a great intimate setting to see a show. Sonvolts first album Trace is one of my favorite records of the 90's. Sonvolt has stayed a bit truer to the altcountry genre, pedal steel, etc, unlike Wilco who has dabbled with electronica and 60's pop, their new record has some downright Beatlesesque tunes on it. Farrar has also penned some more overtly political tunes of late, his song "Jet Pilot" is a stinging rebuke of W. It was a great show.