Down to Promised Land: 5 Yrs of Bloodshot Records
Since hoisting the "insurgent country" banner in 1995, Chicago's Bloodshot Records has provided refuge for former punk rockers who embraceHank Williams Sr.as patron saint andLefty Frizzellas kindred spirit. Informed by equal measures of attitude, alcohol, and twang, this raucously vibrant birthday collection of previously unreleased material resists the corral of categorical conformity. Instead, highlights range from theWaco Brothers' banjo-driven breakdown of theWho's "Baba O'Riley" to the shimmering, haunted ballad, "Favorite," byNeko Caseand Jon Rauhouse. Featured within the 40 tracks on this two-disc extravaganza are label stalwarts such asAlejandro Escovedo(renewingMick Jagger's "Evening Gown"),Robbie Fulks, andKelly Hogan, along with guest artists ranging fromGraham ParkertoGiant Sand. Plainly a labor of love, the set provides a definitive survey of the diversity of music carrying the alternative-country brand.--Don McLeese