Corndaddy (Mediaimage, 2000)

Describing themselves as "Ann Arbor, Michigan's favorite practitioners of psychedelic chicken pickin'," Corndaddy provide a near-perfect blending of equal parts rock and country on this eponymous debut. Mostly rock beats are enhanced by a variety of traditional country instrumentation (banjo, mandolin, pedal steel, violin).

Vocalist/songwriters Jud Branam and Kevin Brown complement each other well in their harmonizing. A number of familiar sounds come through in the 13 tunes presented here: from the Flying Burrito Brosthers' country rock, the seminal alt-country sound of Uncle Tupelo ("Trying To Say") to the harder rocking Rank & File sound of "She is Darkness" and twangy vocals reminiscent of Wayne "The Train" Hancock to rock influences along the lines of the BoDeans.