20th Century Accident, 21st Century Greatness

I remember in the mid 90's when I first the discovered the sound often referred to as "alt-country." It was fresh and exciting, injecting the kick of rock and roll into the twang of country. Artists like Old 97's, Bottle Rockets, Earl C. Whitehead & Grievous Angels, and A.M. era Wilco seemed destined to me to change the direction of popular music at the time. Well time passed on, and the movement never caught on as it should have. Some bands (Old 97's, Wilco) changed their sound in time, and others faded into oblivion. It was as if someone sent a memo out: alt-country is dead.

Someone forgot to give Macon Greyson that memo.

Ever since the first time I saw the band in 2004, they have embodied the energy and passion that I felt for alt-country back in the mid 90's. Albums such as Uneasy, and even more so with 2005's Translate, have spent much time in my CD changer. For as good as the CD's are, you cannot fully appreciate the greatness of Macon Greyson without seeing them live. It is loud, it is fierce, it is solid musicianship, simply put, it is rock in the best way possible.

The ne'er do-wells at Macon Greyson are at it again. They are about to release their follow up to Translate, entitled 20th Century Accident. This album is showing more of their rock influence than has been shown on previous efforts, especially on tracks such as "John Q" and "Run for Cover." Never to fear though, Macon Greyson has definitely not abandoned the country. They're even trying to push the first single, "Right or Wrong", to several Americana style stations in Dallas and other areas. I'd give a full album review, but I haven't gotten a copy of the CD yet. The band promised me an early copy, but I suspect it just got lost in the mail. We'll go with that excuse for now.

The band celebrates the release of 20th Century Accident at Granada Theater tonight, as they open for Reckless Kelly. Tickets range in price from $15 to $20, and as far as I'm concerned, they're gonna steal the show, so get there early so you don't miss Macon Greyson. You'll thank me for this later.