Drive-By Truckers : NPR

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Jackie Lay/NPR

The rebuilt heart of Jason Isbell

June 21, 2023 • A decade ago, Jason Isbell gave his career a second act by facing his own mistakes. Can he help his listeners do the same?

Pops Staples, Rhiannon Giddens, Mavis Staples and Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers perform on Mountain Stage. Mountain Stage Archives hide caption

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Mountain Stage Archives

'Why Am I Treated So Bad' Special On Mountain Stage

West Virginia Public Broadcasting

September 18, 2020 • Hear a special episode of Mountain Stage featuring Pops Staples, Rhiannon Giddens, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Paula Cole and more singing about the experiences of African Americans.

'Why Am I Treated So Bad' Special On Mountain Stage

31:14

Patterson Hood of The DBTs, performing at Tipitina's in New Orleans on Sept. 3, 2011. Erika Goldring/Getty Images hide caption

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Erika Goldring/Getty Images

Now, About The Bad Name I Gave My Band

June 17, 2020 • Patterson Hood co-founded his band, The Drive-By Truckers, in the mid-'90s. Some 24 years later and just a little wiser, he revisits that decision.

Drive-By Truckers' 'The Unraveling' Is Inspired By The State Of The World

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Jamie Stow/WXPN

World Cafe Words and Music Podcast

Drive-By Truckers' 'The Unraveling' Is Inspired By The State Of The World

WXPN

April 10, 2020 • The last time the Drive-By Truckers visited World Cafe, it was the day of the 2016 election. Since then, the band's already politically-minded Southern rock has only gotten more urgent, more biting and more poignant.

Drive-By Truckers On World Cafe

43:16

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New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

The singer and guitarist Torres. Her latest full-length, Silver Tongue, is on our shortlist of the best new albums out Jan. 31. Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

January 31, 2020 • Torres, Kesha, Drive-By Truckers, the British folk singer Sam Lee and more make our shortlist for this week's best new albums.

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

33:08

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From Dixie Chicks To Rihanna: Our Music Predictions For 2020

Rihanna performs with Pharrell Williams at her fifth annual Diamond Ball on Sept. 12, 2019. This January marks four years since her last full-length release. Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images hide caption

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New Music

From Dixie Chicks To Rihanna: Our Music Predictions For 2020

January 6, 2020 • NPR Music's Ann Powers and Rodney Carmichael discuss albums they're looking forward to, as well as the artists they're begging to come back.

From Dixie Chicks To Rihanna: Our Music Predictions For 2020

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Pickathon

Favorite Sessions

Watch Drive-By Truckers Perform 'Ramon Casiano' At The Pickathon Music Festival

OPB

May 15, 2018 • The Georgia rock band gives a kinetic performance of their 2016 hit, "American Band."

Drive-By Truckers, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2017

Drive-By Truckers perform at the 2017 Newport Folk Festival. Adam Kissick for NPR hide caption

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Adam Kissick for NPR

Newport Folk Festival

Drive-By Truckers, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2017

August 8, 2017 • The band kept up a keen-edged commentary on xenophobia, censorship and racism throughout its set of gritty Southern rock. Hear its set now.

Drive-By Truckers, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2017

55:47

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Watch Drive-By Truckers, The Record Company, Hurray For The Riff Raff Perform Live

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Courtesy of the artist.

World Cafe

Watch Drive-By Truckers, The Record Company, Hurray For The Riff Raff Perform Live

WXPN

July 29, 2017 • Patterson Hood and the Truckers are the cherry on top of the 2017 XPoNential Music Festival.

Newport Folk 2017 Preview: Drive By Truckers, Jim James, John Prine And More

Jim James, a frequent performer at the Newport Folk Festival, returns again this year. He's seen here in a set from 2013. Adam Kissick/For NPR music hide caption

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Adam Kissick/For NPR music

All Songs Considered

Newport Folk 2017 Preview: Drive By Truckers, Jim James, John Prine And More

July 25, 2017 • The festival's executive producer Jay Sweet explains how he picked this year's lineup and why the festival continues to resonate with people more than 50 years after it started.

Newport Folk 2017 Preview: Drive By Truckers, Jim James, John Prine And More

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Hear The Nominees For This Year's Americana Awards On World Cafe

Jason Isbell joins Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers onstage during the Americana Music Honors & Awards Nominations Ceremony May 9, 2017. Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Americana Music hide caption

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Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Americana Music

World Cafe

Hear The Nominees For This Year's Americana Awards On World Cafe

WXPN

May 10, 2017 • Nominations for the 2017 Americana Honors & Awards were announced Tuesday. Hear interviews and performances from some of the nominees, including the Drive-By Truckers and Sturgill Simpson.

Drive By Truckers perform live for a World Cafe Special Producers Session at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, PA. Rich McKie/WXPN hide caption

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Rich McKie/WXPN

World Cafe

Drive-By Truckers On World Cafe

WXPN

December 2, 2016 • "I didn't set out to write any of this stuff. It was kind of just what was eating at me," lead singer Patterson Hood says of the politically charged songs on the Truckers' latest album.

Drive-By Truckers On World Cafe

17:13

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NPR

Tiny Desk

Drive-By Truckers: Tiny Desk Concert

October 24, 2016 • The long-running rock band holds a mirror to the hard realities of America right now on American Band. Watch Drive-By Truckers' emotional performance at the NPR Music office.

Watch: Drive-By Truckers' 'American Band,' Performed In Its Entirety

Drive-By Truckers performs American Band live at OPB in Portland, Ore. opbmusic hide caption

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opbmusic

Front Row

Watch: Drive-By Truckers' 'American Band,' Performed In Its Entirety

OPB

October 5, 2016 • Filmed live at OPB in Portland, Ore., the long-running rock group tackles social and political issues with firebrand zeal. Watch Drive-By Truckers perform American Band in its entirety.

Review: Drive-By Truckers, 'American Band'

Drive-By Truckers' new album, American Band, comes out Sept. 30. Courtesy of the artist. hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist.

First Listen

Review: Drive-By Truckers, 'American Band'

September 22, 2016 • American Band, the long-running rock band's 11th album, lives up to its name in how it digests, understands and challenges the notions of what it means to be American.

Songs We Love: Drive-By Truckers, 'Surrender Under Protest'

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Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artist

Songs We Love

Songs We Love: Drive-By Truckers, 'Surrender Under Protest'

June 21, 2016 • The band fully enters the present political moment with a mighty song inspired by civil rights activists' campaign to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse.

Songs We Love: Drive-By Truckers, 'Surrender Under Protest'

3:50

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Drive-By Truckers To Release Massive Live Album

Greg Chow/Courtesy of the artist

The Record

Drive-By Truckers To Release Massive Live Album

July 27, 2015 • The 35-track It's Great To Be Alive!, recorded over three nights last year at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, will be out October 30. Hear the album's version of "Birthday Boy" now.

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David McClister/Courtesy of the artist

World Cafe

Drive-By Truckers On World Cafe

WXPN

April 24, 2014 • Though today's guests call Athens, Ga., home, they have roots in Muscle Shoals, Ala., where the father of lead singer Patterson Hood recorded with the legendary studio band.

Drive-By Truckers On World Cafe

27:14

Tracey Thorn's third album focuses on the small details in life: weddings, singles bars and the size of one's jeans. Edward Bishop hide caption

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Edward Bishop

Review

The Best Music Of 2010

Ken Tucker's Top 10 Albums Of 2010

Fresh Air

December 23, 2010 • Fresh Air's pop music critic, Ken Tucker, picks the best music of 2010, including albums by Tracey Thorn, Kanye West and Arcade Fire. He also pays tribute to Kate McGarrigle, the Canadian singer who died of cancer last January.

Ken Tucker's Top 10 Albums Of 2010

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Review

Music Reviews

Making A 'Big To-Do' About Life's Important Things

Fresh Air

April 2, 2010 • Formed in the late '90s by guitarists and singer-songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, the Drive-By Truckers hit a peak of critical success with its 2001 release Southern Rock Opera. Critic Ken Tucker says their latest album, The Big To-Do, is "head-clearingly refreshing."

Making A 'Big To-Do' About Life's Important Things

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Drive-By Truckers. Brian Blauser hide caption

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Brian Blauser

Mountain Stage

Drive-By Truckers On Mountain Stage

March 1, 2010 • After the departure of a founding member, the Athens, Ga. rockers scheduled some acoustic shows to pare down their sound and focus on songcraft. The band then reunited with its original steel guitarist and cut their latest album, Brighter Than Creation's Dark.

Listen Now: Drive-By Truckers In Concert

30:22

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World Cafe

Drive-By Truckers: Southern Rock Meets Soul

WXPN

June 23, 2008 • On Brighter Than Creation's Dark, Drive-By Truckers offers an epic and emotional 19-song rock statement. The roots-music powerhouse knows its way around thundering Southern rockers, country ballads and, lately, Stax-inspired soul. Hear an interview and performance from WXPN.