Waiting on the Old 97's to start their set at Austin City Limits 2008, a little band from Georgia called Drive-By Truckers took the stage to warm up the crowd. Little did I know that an hour later I would have begun a love affair that would build on itself over the course of two years.

DBT have been creating and releasing music since 1998 and their newest release, The Big To-Do is possibly a defining moment in their career. The Truckers have made a name for themselves as an alternative country group as they've toured all across the states with a number of different acts, but taking the southern-drawled vocals out of the mix, The Big To-Do is a by-the-book rock album.

"Daddy Learned to Fly" starts you off easy with a nice alternative riff. After ten seconds, I thought I had accidentally hit play on a Foo Fighters record. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" brought that Tom-Petty-meets-Tripping-Daisy groove that I've come to love form Drive-By Truckers. It's a calmer track that leads you to think that the band has taken the edge off for the new record...

Then comes "Birthday Boy" (available for free download here), packed with hard-hitting melodies that let you know that this is going to be a rock-and-roll roadtrip. "Drag the Lake Charlie" brings complexity by layering organs and fuzzy guitars like a track off of Sgt. Pepper. "The Wig He Made Her Wear" is a great storyteller song full of some funky rhythms and a catchy tune.

The album takes a turn with "You Got Another", when bassist Shonna Tucker steps up to the mic. It's the kind of jam that makes you feel like you're in a church. Just as you're caught up in the angelic hymn, you're dirtied up again by the pent-up aggression and brutal harmonies in "This Fucking Job." Segue into "Get Downtown" - A smokey bar, blues guitar, piano rocking, biscuits and grits southern rock anthem.

"After the Scene Dies" tells the story of a road-worn band while "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So" and "Santa Fe" calm things down a bit and let the slowmo-swing shine. "The Flying Wallendas" is a beautiful couples'-dance song filled with ebbs and flows. The pairing of banjos and organs with a fantastic build at the end is a seamless climax to the album. Bringing it home are the acoustic guitar and a Wurlitzer in the beautiful lullaby "Eyes Like Glue."

After over a decade packed full of major releases, it's strange to say that it's a good time to start listening to a band, but if you've not heard Drive-By Truckers yet, The Big To-Do is a great jumping-off point. The album hits shelves March 16 and can be ordered in CD, digital download, vinyl, and deluxe formats on the band's website.