The Sadies

With twangy picking, steel guitars, and classic country themes, The Sadies’ personal affections have always been plainly obvious: Country music outlaws like Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, as well as Nashville legends like Tammy Wynette and Roger Miller, are omnipresent in most of their tunes. The Canadian quartet’s 2009 record, Country Club, had fellow alt-countryman John Doe taking lead vocals on covers ranging from Wynette (“Till I Get It Right”) to Johnny Cash (“I Still Miss Someone”), with his stoic baritone complementing the band’s often fiery rhythm section. The group’s 2010 release Darker Circles is noticeably gloomier, but remains full of strong melodies and beautifully vintage guitar work from Dallas and Travis Good, the band’s founding brothers and driving force. It’s also one of the band’s best records to date.

Updated 08/03/2011