The Stone River Boys

The Hacienda Brothers were sweet. They could achieve these peak moments (“A Lot of Days Are Gone” is my personal fave) when cofounders Chris Gaffney and Dave Gonzalez channeled the ghosts of Doug Sahm and Gram Parsons. Unfortunately, liver cancer claimed Gaffney’s life in 2008, shortly after the release of Arizona Motel, arguably the best album the Haciendas ever recorded. By all accounts, Gonzalez was a shattered man. To cope, he has done what all great musicians do: bury himself in his music. The Stone River Boys have yet to ink a deal, but a handful of MySpace tracks sound pretty f’n killer. Not unlike the Haciendas, Gonzalez fuses country-n-western and funky Southern soul into a gnarly brand of roots rock. As always, one of the main attractions is the dude’s masterful guitarwork. It’s truly awesome. With Chuckanut Drive.
Wed., July 1, 8 p.m., 2009