Hey Guys,

I’ve been away for a couple days. Had a nice little long weekend. I saw my parents, welcomed a new born baby into the world, and met up with some old friends. We’re friends too, right? If I play you this song and tell you not to make a big fuss about it you won’t right? The reason is that I asked this band’s management if I could share one song from their new record with you a while back and they said no. I’m going to anyway.

I hate to go against their grand marketing strategy but the thing is you won’t really hear about this record any other way and it’s not like this song is going to surge up the iTunes singles chart anytime soon. I really don’t think posting one song will detract from sales. In fact I think quite the opposite. With a band like this the whole record is the thing, not just a measly little single. So I’m going against their wishes and hope not to be found out. In the meantime it’d be great if you were to buy the record and prove their shortsightedness wrong. You’ll buy the whole thing right?

Let me tell you a tiny bit about the band first. South Memphis String Band is a supergroup of sorts which contains Luther Dickinson from North Mississippi All Stars, Jimbo Mathus from Squirrel Nut Zippers, and the great modern bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart. These guys (and others I’ve written about here, here, here, and here) are attempting to preserve and revive the great jugband/stringband traditions of the deep south. This is a tradition that predates blues and jazz and is as American as apple pie. These subgenres are in danger of falling by the wayside so it’s heartening to see a bunch of young guys pick up the mantle.

Home Sweet Home is the debut album from the South Memphis String Band and is available here through Cd Baby.

And remember this time you didn’t hear it here first!

Yo Own Back Yard