Southern Culture on the Skids: Countrypolitan Favorites

While many of today’s best retro acts are busy recreating the Britpop and post-punk of the ‘80s, Southern Culture on the Skids has taken it back even further and mastered the art of late ‘60s dirty Southern rock. After a two-decade-long career of penning their own tunes, SCOTS has compiled a collection of covers on Countypolitan Favorite (Yep Roc) that plays like a lesson in the roots of Americana.

Singer Mary Huff channels Wanda Jackson on “Funnel of Love,” while T.Rex’s “Life’s a Gas” is steeped in hillbilly twang. “Countrypolitan transcends music. It’s a lifestyle, not a category,” says front man Rick Miller, and it’s evident throughout the disc that the band is committed to the cross-genre countrypolitan life.

Wailing guitar riffs accompany doo-wop harmonies and dance hall melodies while rock songs are slowed down with a dingy drawl. Bobbie Gentry’s “Tobacco Road” is turned into a bluesy, harmony-laden rock tune, while Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Tombstone Shadow” sounds more like a bluegrass trio playing a country bar. Miller’s voice is especially versatile on this offering, switching back and forth between rock star gruff and country star swooning, and Miller and Huff play off each other’s vocals like old pros.

It seems SCOTS has devised a way to combine the best of all worlds. High-brow rock snobbery and blues sensibilities are cut with a heavy dose of the lowest-brow trashabilly and garage pop recklessness.

– Andrea Myers
Southern Culture on the Skids (Yep Roc)