The Baptist Generals

The Baptist Generals hail from Denton, Texas, and produce lo-fi acoustic indie rock that echoes the styles of Roky Erickson, the Band, Will Oldham, and Howlin' Wolf. Singer and guitarist Chris Flemmons and drummer Steven Hill form the core lineup. The group originated in the late 1990s under the name the Poor Bastard Sons, fusing folk and country song forms with an indie rock sensibility. After drumming for eight years, Flemmons switched to guitar and taught himself on a mostly plywood pawnshop instrument, lending a raw percussive quality to his approach. Hill limits himself to a snare, floor tom, and bass drum, preserving an elemental texture overall. The band's reliance on 4-track recording imparts further grit and honesty, most noticeably on early efforts such as the cassette-only 1998 collection In Excretio: The Difficult Years and 2000's The Dog EP. Following the addition of bassist Jeff Helland, they secured a deal with Sub Pop, moved to 8-track, and cut 2002's Void Touching Faster Victuals EP plus the full-length No Silver, No Gold, issued in early 2003. Another decade passed before fresh material surfaced. Flemmons wrote and tracked an initial attempt in 2005, then set it aside and largely avoided recording while running the annual 35 Denton festival he created to spotlight local music. Sustained pressure from fans and supporters eventually led him to finish what risked becoming a "lost album," yielding the Baptist Generals' 2013 sophomore effort Jackleg Devotional to the Heart on Sub Pop.