Two Cow Garage

With a name like Two Cow Garage, you'd be excused for thinking this band was yet another Americana or neo-Southern rock band beating that horse to death. Instead, what this Columbus, Ohio, quintet does is continue with the punk-roughened rock and roll championed by acts such as the late I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House. Like the latter, Two Cow, wearing its blue-collar roots on its sleeve, brings an uncommon level of thoughtfulness and intelligence to bear on a type of music not generally known for its lyrical sophistication. There is a knowing yet scrappy earnestness to the band's music and performances that leaves you feeling as though these guys have been telling the stories of your town or even your life, while sidestepping all the rock-and-roll cliches.