Hillbillies can rock and The Panderers have proved it. The have a stark but groovy sound that reminds me of early Violent Femmes with a pinch of the Pixies thrown in. The first cut I heard was "Come On" -- a true ditty if I have ever heard one. The lead singer, Scott Wynn, has a slight hint of Jack White in his voice. There is a definite sound of the hills or at least the country to them without them sounding like a country band. They do rock but just in a homespun sort of way. They sound like what I want bands at a country fair to sound like. I hate all things a-Billy Rock-a-Billy, Punk-a-Billy anything a-Billy. The Panderers are definitely not a-Billy: they maybe well be Hillbillies but the rock is straight on rock with an edge. The other piece I have been listening to is "Dig" from their "Songs that Bang" LP. It has a bit of a surfer quality to it.
They are a three-piece band that is signed with the Mike Doughty from Soul Coughing s label Snack Bar. I guess they really aren't total bumpkins but they have a great low-fi American sound. The other two members of the band are Andrew Livingston on bass and Pete McNeil on drums. There is just something about their sound that is appealing. The kind of music you want to listen to driving in a car in the middle of the Midwest. But you want to listen to it loud! The first time I heard "Come On" from their EP "Hotshot's Boy" I was totally hooked.
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