Jason Isbell’s opening comments in the Drive-By Trucker based documentary The Secret To A Happy Ending, released earlier this year, paints a picture of the oddest band that shouldn’t work. Three singers and songwriters, band members ranging from ages 20-40, a married couple in the band (at the time of shooting), and a band that is and isn’t a southern rock band. Sounds batshit crazy, but if you dig deeper, what he’s really describing is a family.

The Drive-By Truckers were born out from the ashes of a band called Adam’s House Cat, formed in the mid 80’s. Band members Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley were part of that original band. If you could describe them, and I hate to do it in that Donny & Marie way, but Patterson has a little more Rock under the Hood, while Cooley has that country vibe going for him (In fact I expect a country album from him in the future, I hope!). Needless to say Patterson knows how to sing a country ballad (check out “Daddy Needs a Drink” or “Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife”) and Cooley knows how to rock with the best of ’em (you must listen to “Marry Me”). You could also describe them as the modern day Jagger & Richards and I get the feeling they could go on as long as they have.

Band members in the last decade include; Jason Isbell, one of the greatest guitarists and songwriters ever, joined the band in 2001 and left in 2007 to pursue solo projects (please, please listen to some of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit). John Neff, on pedal steel guitar, was one of the original members of the band back in 1996, he took about ten years off from the band but became a full fledged member in 2006. Shonna Tucker joined the band in 2003 replacing Earl Hicks, and finally Brad Morgan joined the band back in ’99 and continues to be the rock that keeps the band and music together.

In the late nineties, through a revolving door of band members, the group released two albums: Gangstabilly (1998) and Pizza Deliverance (1999). You’d characterize these records as the simplest that the Truckers have ever released. However, they contained staples within them that the Truckers still play today including “The Living Bubba;” a song inspired by and dedicated to Gregory Dean Smalley, a local musician, diagnosed with a terrible disease who just kept trying to keep playing shows until he died. In a way this song has embodied the Truckers’ touring habits and overall image as the hardest working band of the last decade. Those albums also contained such classics as “Why Henry Drinks,” “18 Wheels of Love,” “Buldozers and Dirt,” “Uncle Frank,” and “Too Much Sex (Too Little Jesus).” These songs serve as a good introduction to the Truckers as well.

The Drive-By Truckers caught their big break with an album called Southern Rock Opera. At first, the band shopped it around to record label after record label to no avail. Eventually, the band just decided to promote the album themselves and so began two years of non-stop touring.

Southern Rock Opera is a concept album about a fictitious band based around the folklore of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The album also explores what has been coined “the duality of the southern thing.” “The Duality” is an examination of racism in the south and how two different areas (Birmingham, Alabama and Muscle Shoals, Alabama) could treat the subject so differently. In Birmingham it was violent and fraught with riots and police brutality. Muscle Shoals on the other hand showed us how different cultures could come together creatively; they cite how Wilson Picket came to town to create soul music. Another subject that crops up on the album is the relationship between Ronnie VanZant and Neil Young. (Listen to “Southern Man” by Neil Young and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and you’ll understand.) The album ends with a plane crash and considering the time period it was released in made it eerie surrounding the events of 9/11.

The Truckers have hit other hot button issues in their songs such as the TVA (“Uncle Frank,” “TVA”), incest (“The Deeper In”), and family (“The Sands of Iwo Jima,” “18 Wheels of Love”) to name a few. The best way to describe their music is southern influenced rock, but not southern rock. Sounds confusing right? But if you listen, you’ll understand. In all, the Drive-By Truckers released five studio albums including Southern Rock Opera, Decoration Day, The Dirty South, A Blessing and A Curse, and Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. They also released two live albums (Alabama Ass Whupin’ & Live from Austin, TX), and a collection of b-sides called The Fine Print. They also re released their first two albums –Gangstabilly & Pizza Deliverance– in 2005.

What makes this band the band of the decade is kind of complex. Musician ship in a band like this is rare, at the beginning of the Trucker’s documentary  The Secret to a Happy Ending, Mike Cooley states that the most the band has ever planned was what to open with. There are very few bands that can pull this off, which means anything goes at anytime. Their non-stop touring schedule has earned them very loyal fans, but can also be a detriment to the band itself. Their recording schedule is unlike anybody’s out there today. So far, in this decade they have released two studio albums (The Big To-Do, Go-Go Boots). As far as I can tell, they tour and when they’re not, they’re recording, for the most part. They package their albums in a rather brilliant way. Since Jason Isbell joined the band, they have always had three strong songwriters who’s songs are always detailed on every album. Today, the trio of Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and Shonna Tucker showcase their songs on every album, but that’s not to say that the entire band doesn’t contribute to every song. The artwork, done by Wes Freed, is stunning and beautiful. It’s artwork that makes you want to buy records, which in the digital age, is a remarkable feat. His artwork has adorned Trucker’s albums since 2001. Finally, their live shows, though I’ve never been to one, are off the fucking hook! Footage from The Secret to a Happy Ending and Live from Austin, TX will attest to that.

Whether its the song content, non-stop touring, or musicianship, this is a band you should be listening to. Check them out and you will understand why they really are the band of the decade. You will be baffled at their absence from Rolling Stone magazine’s top albums of the decade; it kind of angered me not seeing them on there. But I digress, this is the best band on record, hopefully they can keep it together and make a long long career out of this. The only way this band works is if the band is treated like a family. And while it may be a dysfunctional one at times, it’s still a family through and through. The story not end happy, but as Patterson Hood has said “the secret to a happy ending is to know when to roll the credits.” I hope it’s a long line item in the future before they decide to roll credits, because seeing them live is definitely a bucket list item!