JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, WILL HOGE, JEREMY FISHER (Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Sure, he might not have the voice of Patterson Hood (really though, who does?), but former Drive-By Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell sure does know how to write a damn good song. His first solo outing since leaving the Truckers, Sirens of the Ditch, was recorded while he was still with the band, and, well, the similarities show. Full of serious riffage, bluesy punk, a few ballads, and some serious Southern swagger, it’s everything fans hoped it would be. Another album this good, and it’s not going to be necessary to preface his name with “former guitarist of” anymore. ROB SIMONSEn

A longtime Drive-By Truckers fan, I was doubtful that Isbell’s absence would affect the band too much. But judging by the mediocre nature of their upcoming full-length, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, the band misses Isbell (and his songs) terribly. Below is footage of him doing “Dress Blues,” easily one of the greatest songs written about the Iraq War, and the ripple affect it has on soldiers, their families, and the towns they reside in.

Jason Isbell - “Dress Blues” (live at Criminal Records, Atlanta, GA)