It's been a big spring for Brothers Lazaroff. They stormed South by Southwest, armed with genre-bending remixes of Austin pal Elizabeth McQueen's retro jazz before returning to St. Louis to release their new album, "Science Won."

It's easy to underestimate the impact that MerleFest has on Americana music, and for anyone who hasn't attended, it's perhaps equally easy to overlook.

Justin Townes Earle
Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now
Bloodshot

That Justin Townes Earle would begin his career in the shadow of other great songwriters was unavoidable; after all, his father is Steve Earle, and he carries the name of late Texas songwriter Townes Van Zandt.

Ten years after trading in his gloves for a guitar, former Mid-South division middleweight champion, Tupelo, Miss. native Paul Thorn was offered a record contract and began his career as a touring musician. Specializing in raw and honest Southern rock and blues, Thorn has a penchant for translating his personal experiences into easily relatable tales that come from the heart.

Ray Wylie Hubbard's latest record, "The Grifter's Hymnal," has been in constant rotation in my truck for the past week. Living with it as I did, many questions arose, and I was lucky enough to be able to run them by the esteemed Mr. Hubbard recently via phone from his front porch in Texas.

Formed in Austin, Texas in 2005, Band of Heathens merged already successful musicians into a super group. They performed at the Old Rock House last night.

So many musical strains come together in the songs of Cree Rider – honky tonk, cajun, blues and, of course, rock 'n' roll – it's easy to get lost in the sound. But his stories are always sure guides.

Wednesday night started rough for the Cowboy Junkies. Lead singer Margo Timmins was recovering from a week-long illness, pulling away from the microphone to quietly cough while sipping mug after mug of hot tea.

Brothers Lazaroff
"Science Won"
Self-released

Brothers Lazaroff are ever-evolving. From their Austin-inspired alt-country beginnings, they've added new layers of other forms of American music with each album.

After all these years, beers, miles and piles and piles of country songs and stories, the Waco Brothers and Paul Burch really shouldn't be having so much fun. That they are is reason enough to celebrate their new collaboration.

The wildness in the music of Great Lake Swimmers isn't what we've come to expect from indie bands, even of the folkier persuasion. It's a wildness of the heart, not of sound.

Digging into the bedrock of alt-country, from the O'Kanes to Drive-By Truckers, Sons of Fathers come up with some true songwriting gems.

If San Francisco didn't exist, Chuck Prophet would have had to invent the city -- in all its wild, soulful, rock 'n' roll glory.

Twangfest won't arrive until June, but 88.1 KDHX and Twangfest delivered a taste of what's to come with their 13th annual SXSW day parties this past week in Austin.

Lucero
"Women & Work"
ATO

With their latest studio record, "Women & Work," the alt-country rockers known as Lucero have managed to harness fully the music of their hometown to make their most Memphis-sounding record yet.

Late in his set, Hayes Carll gave his appreciation to the audience as he said, "Thanks for coming out on a Sunday night especially after the official Super Bowl of drinking yesterday."

St. Louis is known for its hearty Irish and Americana music scenes, but no group in town bridges the gap like Joe Stickley and Sean Canan.

Whitehorse may be a new band, but its passionate take on gospel, country and early rock 'n' roll has already hit its stride.

I See Hawks in L.A. is a country-rock band from, yes, Los Angeles, where country rock was born. Heading into their second decade together, the band has finally made the acoustic record they always hoped to make.

Picking favorite tunes by Guy Clark is more an exercise in what to leave out, rather than what to include. The songwriting legend is entering his seventh decade, still at the top of his game.

First Aid Kit
"The Lion's Roar"
Wichita

To single out one song for praise on the new First Aid Kit album "The Lion's Roar" would be akin to extolling the beauty of a single stone in a mosaic.

Nothing lasts. So says everything that used to be around us, used to fill the air, fill our eyes, fill the days we've already long forgotten.

Without regard for cold starts or protocol for warming up the crowd, Darrell Scott began his set last night with "River Take Me," and immediately turned the entire Old Rock House audience attention to the stage. For the reminder of the night we were rapt by his song stories of life and love.

You've seen it. I've seen it. We've all seen it. The band that employs an entire person just to play maracas. Last night at Blueberry Hill's Duck Room the Jump Starts were having none of that.

Mount Moriah's subversive blend of rock, country and folk exudes stillness and grace. Their songs draw the listener in with the promise that a deeper wisdom lies somewhere inside.