Jerry Joseph with Drive-By Truckers - "Sugar Smacks"

I had never heard of Jerry Joseph until yesterday, but any time Drive-By Truckers are going to be someone's backing band, you're going to get my attention. And if Patterson Hood says that a song "... might be the most punk rock song I’ve heard in twenty years (or more)," I'm in.

For some background, Jerry Joseph has been in various bands (Little Women, Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons, Stockholm Syndrome) since the early 80's. His upcoming solo album was produced by Patterson Hood, and Drive-By Truckers are acting as his band. "Sugar Smacks," the most punk rock song Patterson Hood has heard this century, is indeed punk as hell... but not in the traditional sense. It's a seven minute rant set to music. Jerry Joseph lets loose with spoken word for nearly the entire length of the song, which doesn't sound like a Drive-By Truckers song in the least. Instead, it's a funky yet scary psychedelic jam, more along the lines of those weirdo album cuts from The Stooges, if The Stooges decided to scare the life out of everyone. As Joseph says about the song: "There’s some reason for everyone to hate me in this song…and maybe a line to find vindication, as well."

You can watch the video for "Sugar Smacks" below. The Beautiful Madness, the upcoming album from Jerry Joseph, will be out August 21 on Cosmo Sex School/Soundly Music. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Jerry Joseph, check out his website.