Two Cow Garage

Two Cow Garage from Columbus, Ohio, makes you forget that a ton of people have done the country-rock thing before — mainly because the band's songwriting is smart and delivered with un-ironic conviction. Although the act's recorded output is remarkably strong on its own, on stage Two Cow always seems to kick things up a few notches, playing each show like a crucial statement on the need for rock and roll to be more than just throwaway pop and meaningless musical affectation. Fueled by the spirit of The Boss, this quintet's latest album, Sweet Saint Me, is a strong argument for the continued relevance of unaffected, unvarnished rock music for the current era. Far from being a group of trendy classic-rock grave-robbers, Two Cow Garage is the real thing.