There’s a void on rock radio, and it’s downright criminal. Not since the heyday of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet and 38 Special has southern rock truly owned the airwaves. Sure, there were breakthroughs here and there by the likes of Jackyl, the Black Crowes and Sister Hazel, but in this age of prefabrication, honest, heartfelt, whiskey-soaked rock ‘n’ roll has been relegated to regional entertainment. That’s primed to change in a big way with the rise of Blackberry Smoke, an Atlanta four-piece armed with the chops and cred to lead the new breed. With sophomore full-length A Little Piece of Dixie (Big Karma / Adrenaline) blending bluegrass, boogie, country and hard rock sensibilities, BBS flaunt not only a potent arsenal, but the blessing of their influential forefathers.
The 11-song platter is the byproduct of years of hard work and sacrifice. Frontman Charlie Starr and sibling rhythm section Richard and Brit Turner (bass and drums, respectively) had been trying to find the perfect second guitarist since the turn of the millennium when they finally hooked up with Paul Jackson. The young band was just getting their live legs when Jackyl mastermind Jesse James Dupree took BBS under his wing, inviting them on tour. (“You can’t put a price on that,” the grateful Starr notes of the increased exposure.) The quartet further honed their craft on self-released 2004 full-length Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime (produced by Dupree) and revelatory country-centric stopgap EP New Honky Tonk Bootlegs before settling in with acclaimed producer Dann Huff (Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban) to concoct A Little Piece of Dixie. “He’s impressive in every aspect,” Starr says. “Such a great musician and producer, with great ideas and great ears, and he has such a love for music. If we were arguing with one another, he would always help us find a middle ground.”
Due out in June, A Little Piece of Dixie is already spawning hits—the hard-driving, layered riffing of “Up in Smoke” popped up in EA Sports’ NASCAR 08 (Starr’s son looped it to the point of nearly driving his father crazy), and anthemic first single “Good One Comin’ On” featured prominently in the Kevin Costner political comedy Swing Vote. The rest of the record oozes addictive melodies and hooks, not to mention multiple shots of Starr’s trademark dry wit. When he sings about getting to the “bottom of this” in the song of the same name, he means a bottle just as much as his problems. But Dixie isn’t exclusively fun and games; Starr’s just as passionate describing the rigors of being away from family on the road in the poignant “Say a Prayer for the Lil Man,” co-written by Grammy-winner Craig Wiseman (Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw).
Blackberry Smoke are a versatile bunch all right, but they’re humble to boot. “For so many people in our generation, [southern rock] has been the soundtrack of our lives, so it really doesn’t need to be force-fed to anybody.” Starr observes. “What about the Stones and Zeppelin—they played blues and they could turn around and play really funky stuff, or they could play a country song. And they were British, for crying out loud.”
While listeners enjoy the tunes regardless of categorization, the band enjoys making prestigious friends criss-crossing the country—check out the MySpace pics of BBS hanging, and often playing, with heavyweights like Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Slash and Kid Rock—and opening for heroes like outlaw country icon David Allan Coe. |
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