Lucero
NewMusicForOldFolks says …
This is a genre I always seem to have trouble describing. It's not really country; there's definitely a twang to it (Lucero hails from Memphis), but there's also more edge than most of what comes from across the state in Nashville. Whatever you call it, I like it. Steve Earle is one of the kings of "Alternative Country," and Lucero singer Ben Nichols has a similar "been gargling gravel" sound to his voice. But there's also a little early Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to the sound. There's also a horn section featured prominently in the band's latest album, All A Man Should Do. Maybe one of the things I like about this band is that it's hard to pigeonhole. Call it whatever you like, just give it a listen.
Artist's Info
Website: luceromusic.com
See them live: Tour dates
Record company: ATO Records
Genre: Alternative Country
If you like this, look into: Ryan Bingham, Heartless Bastards, Jason Isbell
Bio (From the artists' website)
You could say we were one of the lucky ones, starting this band in April of ’98 without a clue as to what we were doing. We were getting tired of the steady punk rock and metal diet and we wanted to try our hand at country songs, or do our best Tom Waits/Pogues impersonation. The trick there was that we couldn’t really play our instruments! I had never played guitar before and Ben Nichols (lead singer, guitar) had only played bass in other bands. Finding Roy Berry (drummer) and John C. Stubblefield (bassist) solidified the line up and being hidden away in Memphis allowed us to woodshed, experiment with different sounds and create one that was ours alone. (more)
Spotify sampler
Recordings
Most Recent
ALL A MAN SHOULD DO (2015): Following the release of Women and Work (2012), the new album from Lucero, All A Man Should Do, contains some of the most resonant lyrics Ben Nichols has ever written. They read like chapters from his life: the duality of relationships, getting older, finding where you want to be in this world and more. Working with producer Ted Hutt (Old Crow Medicine Show, Flogging Molly) for a third time at Memphis' Ardent Studios, the band felt comfortable enough to take some chances with a palette of new tones that sound understated yet powerful, bringing life to the stories behind the lyrics without overshadowing them. This is a Memphis record in the greatest sense and a perfect finish to the three-part love letter to a city that brought them up and made Lucero what they are today.
Others
The Attic Tapes - self-released (2000)
Lucero (2001)
Tennessee (2002)
That Much Further West (2003)
Nobody's Darlings (2005)
The Attic Tapes (reissue) (2006)
Rebels, Rogues & Sworn Brothers (2006)
1372 Overton Park (2009)
Women & Work (2012)
