Artist Waco Brothers

Over the last 15 or so years, Waco Brothers have become a Chicago country-punk institution, releasing album after album on another Chicago institution, Bloodshot Records. While the rise of alt-country in the ’90s inspired a slew of terrible cowpoke wannabes, both Bloodshot and the Wacos have always delivered down-home-tinged romps with an irony-free reverence. Purists may sneer, especially considering many of the Wacos aren’t originally from the U.S., but it’s hard to resist the group’s charm. The group just celebrated the release of its collaboration with Nashville’s Paul Burch, Great Chicago Fire.

Updated 04/17/2012