There aren’t too many women in modern rock with the kind of classic rock/blues chops of Erika Wennerstrom. She blows just about everyone off the stage, including Karen O. Ms. Wennerstrom has a desperate sensuality and wide range, that is as powerful on creeping barburners like “Witchy Poo” as it is on the long-player bluegrass lilt of “Had to Go.” These two songs illustrate the complexity and variety that marks the return of one of today’s best classic-sounding rock bands, The Heartless Bastards. Their new record, “The Mountain,” has lots of sprawling, jammy blues numbers, just like the rest of the band’s impressive catalog (I should know, I’ve got everything they ever did), but it also has a gentler side than what most fans may be expecting. There’s more finger-style banjo plucking, more of a rootsy, country, almost folk feel. And, of course, there’s Erika. The second-best female singer out of Ohio. (Sorry. Chrissie Hynde is still the title-holder, but at least she’s not a native.)

And the band is touring with one of my favorite bands of 2008: The Gaslight Anthem. Guys, if you’re reading this, I’m begging you to roll through D.C. I’d kill to see that double bill.

The Mountain

Older and equally great HB tunes:

All This Time

Runnin‘

(Don’t miss bonus covers after the tour dates!)

Tour dates (bonus mp3s after the dates):

01.30.09 – Young Ave Deli – Memphis, TN *
01.31.09 – Martyr’s – Chicago, IL *
02.03.09 – Great Scott – Boston, MA *
02.04.09 – Maxwell’s – Hoboken, NJ *
02.05.09 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA +
02.06.09 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY +
02.07.09 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY +
02.10.09 – Gravity Lounge – Charlottesville, VA *
02.12.09 – Bottle Tree – Birmingham, AL *
02.13.09 – Government Street Grocery – Ocean Springs, MS *
02.14.09 – Last Concert Café – Houston, TX *
02.28.09 – Hailey’s – Denton, TX *
03.15.09 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
03.16.09 – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS
03.17.09 – Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
03.18.09 – SXSW – Austin, TX
03.19.09 – SXSW – Austin, TX
03.20.09 – SXSW – Austin, TX
03.21.09 – House of Blues – Houston, TX
03.23.09 – Lyric Oxford – Oxford, MS
03.29.09 – Mr. Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA #
04.02.09 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI #
04.03.09 – The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL #
04.04.09 – Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN #
04.07.09 – The Warehouse – Calgary, AB #
04.08.09 – The Starlight Room – Edmonton, AB #
04.10.09 – The Plaza Nightclub – Vancouver, BC #
04.15.09 – The Boardwalk – Sacramento, CA #
04.16.09 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA #
04.21.09 – The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ #
04.24.09 – Gothic Theater – Denver, CO #

* Heartless Bastards headlining
+ Show with The Black Keys
Show with Andrew Bird
# Show with Gaslight Anthem

BONUS COVERS!

(Completely unrelated!)

I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide (ZZ Top)-The Meat Puppets

Up the Junction (Squeeze)-Lily Allen