Visionland

The Birmingham/Nashville based **Banditos**' second album *'Visionland'* is produced by **Israel Nash** and **Ted Young** and has one foot firmly planted in reality as the other tip-toes in and out of mental complexities, self-perception and altered-state illusions. The results are revealing, exhilarating and profound. The group - more like a gang, actually - of six 20-somethings, operate with the rugged power of a flashy Super Chief locomotive with elements form '60s Blues-fused Acid Rock, ZZ Top's jangly Boogie, Garage Punk scuzz a la Burger Records, the Drive-By Truckers' yawp, the populist choogle of CCR, Slim Harpo's hip shake baby groove, the ebullient folk of electric Dylan, gut bucket Fat Possum hill country mojo and the Georgia Motherf**king Satellites. From backwoods bluegrass, to slinky nods to Muscle Shoals soul and unexpected bits of doo-wop sweetness, the Banditos recall many, but sound like no one but themselves.