Best of 2009: Southern Rock

I was excited to choose the “Best Southern Rock for 2009” because it’s been a very long time since this genre has seen such a rebirth, resurgence and evolution of the Southern sound, which was richly infused by these great artists.  It was a delight to revel in the triumphs made this year by my decades long favorites, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Drivin n’ Crying.  This was also a year that heralded in some new flavor and twists accompanied by some long overdue, well-deserved recognition for The Avett Brothers and the Zac Brown Band.  2009 was also finally proven to be the pivotal, break-out year that Blackberry Smoke has been waiting for.

With all of the tragedy bestowed upon the reigning Kings of Southern Rock this year, many were placing bets that Lynyrd Skynyrd would finally call it quits.  Skynyrd lost two long-time beloved members, Billy Powell (Founding Member/keyboards) and Ean Evans (bass) by the half-way point of 2009, and many wondered if they could or should continue.  With half of their latest CD, “Gods & Guns” already recorded, and with a resounding rallying cry of support from fans all over the world, the band decided to finish what they had started.

Skynyrd  found what they were looking for with the addition of two new exceptional players, Peter Keys (piano) & Robert Kearns (bass).  More changes came in the form of veteran Producer, Bob Marlette, who was instrumental in the completion of “Gods & Guns”; their first new CD in six years.  The decision to move to a new record label, Loud & Proud/Roadrunner, proved to be a smart move, as was evidenced by solid CD sales backed up with sold out U.S. and European tours.  Their commitment to (and from their fans) is evident by a sold out Simple Man Cruise 2010, another upcoming European tour, and U.S. dates booked well into summer of 2010.  Check out future dates near you and read all about the triumphant transformation of this legendary band at their official website, lynyrdskynyrd.com.

Zac Brown Band blew the doors off with their breakthrough first major label debut, “The Foundation”.  The platinum certified album was a crossover mainstay on The Billboard 200 and just earned the band three Grammy nominations for “Best New Artist”, “Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals” and “Best Country Album”.

2009 proved a successful mix of sold out venues, festivals, appearances on all the late night talk shows, and the filming of a CMT “Crossroads” episode with Jimmy Buffett.  Earlier this year, Zac Brown Band won two fan-voted honors at the Academy of Country Music Awards for “Top New Vocal Group” and “USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year” for their first single “Chicken Fried.”  They were just named one of the Top 20 New Artists by Billboard

magazine on 12/14/09.  The 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards will air live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.  The Zac Brown Band/Jimmy Buffet “Crossroads” episode airs on CMT Friday, March 19, 2010. Check out their website for all the latest news at zacbrownband.com.

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ co-founder Kevn Kinney has said that the enigmatic Southern rockers decided to record again after a hiatus of nearly a dozen years to commemorate the return of his voice – one of the most unique and recognizable in all of popular music.  The result was a triumphant return to their roots with their first release of new music since 1997, “Whatever Happened to the Great American Bubble Factory.”

“This was the first real record I’ve done since I had (vocal cord) surgery two and a half years ago.  Up until then, I had no voice – I couldn’t even speak,” said Kinney.  For the lovers of classic DNC, the album offers up a vintage flair that is reminiscent of their earlier works, filled with dual guitar riffs and a Kinney that sounds vocally as good as he did 20 years ago.  New fans packed Smith’s Olde Bar to capacity in November 2009 for the release of “…Bubble Factory”, and the few dates the band has played since then have been sold out.

There are still a few tickets left for the “Holiday Hangover” concert with DNC on December 26, 2009 at The Tabernacle (Atlanta, GA).  This is a band to be respected, admired and seen!  Their stage presence and musical talents will thrill fans of old and win new fans over with a few choice beats.  Their official website is drivinncryin.com

With five full-length albums and two EP’s under their belts already, The Avett Brothers came pounding onto the mainstream scene in 2009; gaining millions of new fans with the release of their genre-bending CD, “I and Love and You.”  They signed on with legendary producer Rick Ruebens and recorded the album on Reuben’s American Recording label.  The 13 songs that were delivered defy pigeonholing, but have been described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop – even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there. If you have not heard this album, I can tell you it is truly one of my favorite’s of the year, and I’ll go so far as to say it was the most pleasant surprise I’ve had in many years (musically, that is).

It appears that I am not alone in my thinking, as The Avett Brothers were recently awarded the #9 Spot in Paste Magazines “The Best Albums of the DECADE” and the #5 spot in Amazon.com’s “Best of 2009 – Top 100 Amazon Picks.”

They are now playing sold out arena-sized shows.  Their live performances are notoriously rowdy and infectious, complete with foot-stomping sing-a-longs.  This is a grassroots band that is perfectly poised for these long-overdue kudos and level of success. The next chance to see The Avett Brothers is in Ashevile, North Carolina (New Years Eve) and Atlanta, Georgia (New Years Day). theavettbrothers.com

Big things happened in 2009 for the Atlanta-based band, Blackberry Smoke.  The band has been building a huge grassroots following for years, and enjoyed being a solid touring group.  It always amazed me that they had not hit the big time yet (big label/bigger tours).  Their 2009 sophmore album, “A Little Piece of Dixie” has been described as a cocktail shaker of The Black Crowes, Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Buckcherry all rolled into one! This hard-working, venue packing, rousing band cranks out their own style of Southern rock; but always keep a close eye on tradition.

BBS received the call that every band waits for this past summer from Ronnie Gilley, who flew his private jet to pick up the band for a meeting.  Gilley had seen them perform the week earlier at a NASCAR event, and decided he wanted BBS.  With the management skills of the Ronnie Gilley Entertainment Co. and with the solid backing of Nashville label, Bama Jam Records, BBS has been taking the United States by storm.  They are getting spin time on both Country and Rock stations in all 50 States.  The music video for the song, “Good One Coming On” is in regular rotation on CMT and they are currently playing a totally sold out tour in Europe.  Blackberry Smoke was the rising band of 2009, and 2010 is looking pretty good already with multiple events and tours booked solidly. http://www.blackberrysmoke.com

Valerie King, Assistant Editor/Senior Contributor

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1. Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ Rock the Tabernacle Saturday, December 26th
2. Best of 2009: TST Top 25 Metal Albums of 2009
3. Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Two Free Downloads!