Artist Ben Nichols

For over a dozen years, Nichols has painted whiskey-soaked portraits over the cowpunk backing of Lucero, an enterprise that has netted considerable indie clout. The frontman’s solo fare is more organic, but still maintains some guttural grittiness; his 2009 debut LP, The Last Pale Light in the West, was well-received by critics.  

Updated 06/01/2011