The Drams - 'Jubilee Dive' (July 25)

Rising from the ashes of the late, great Slobberbone, The Drams are the latest vehicle for the songwriting talents of Brent Best. Reuniting with drummer Tony Harper and guitarist Jess Barr, Best has also recruited a bass player and keyboardist for the new outfit. Their first record Jubilee Dive is due on July 25 from New West Records. I can't tell you precisely what the new sound is like - billed as alt-country-pop, rather than alt-country-rock (but who's splitting hairs?) - but I dig the album cover and title a whole lot. I'm also a warmed-over Slobberbone fan so anything Brent Best does is right up my alley.

I caught these dudes opening for Drive-By Truckers in Austin (you can download a performance clip from the show here - the back of my head is prominently featured throughout), and I can definitely tell you that they've left the Slobberbone material behind. The sound wasn't too great up front, but The Drams sounded pretty damned good from what I could tell. I'm very much looking forward to the album. There ain't a whole lot in the way of big releases this summer, so mark this one on your calendar.

Hopefully, Jubilee Dive will live up to this (hopefully) slightly ironic description from the press release:

"Jam packed with brawny, spirited, hands-in-the-air rockers, stirring anthems and harrowing ventures exploring a culture sapped by hollow heroes and soul-killing, high-tech crapola, The Drams careen out of Texas with Jubilee Dive—a welcome jolt of rockyroll [sic] that is fresh and vital even as it flaunts an effortless command of time-tested rock maneuvers."

(Not sure what "rockyroll" is, but I likes me some in any case.)