| Killers and Stars | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 4, 2004 | |||
| Recorded | March 2001 | |||
| Genre | Country rock | |||
| Length | 36:42 | |||
| Label | New West | |||
| Patterson Hood chronology | ||||
| ||||
Killers and Stars is the first solo album by Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood. It was released on May 4, 2004 on New West Records. It was originally not intended for commercial release, and limited editions of it were sold at shows before it was officially released in 2004. [1]
Hood recorded the album over two nights in March 2001 in his dining room. At the time, the Drive-By Truckers had just finished recording their album Southern Rock Opera , and Hood was going through a divorce. In its liner notes, he recalled his mental state when he was recording the album: "I was feeling pretty freaked out and isolated and this album was my therapy." [2] Because it was recorded at Hood's home, multiple critics have compared it to Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska , which was also a home recording. [3] [1] However, with regard to these comparisons, Rob Trucks noted that "Hood's self-imposed exile fosters a rage more aligned with a dormant Charlie Starkweather than Springsteen." [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Blender | [5] |
| No Depression | (favorable) [6] |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.4/10 [1] |
| PopMatters | (moderately favorable) [2] |
| Village Voice |  [7] |
Critics generally gave Killers and Stars favorable reviews; for example, Mark Deming of AllMusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars and wrote that "like Nebraska, Killers and Stars is an album whose plain surfaces and rough edges only add to the impact of the final work." [3] Another favorable review was written by Pitchfork Media's Stephen M. Deusner, who gave the album a 7.4 out of 10 rating. Deusner wrote that "While its ultimate fate will likely be as a footnote to his full-time band's long haul, Killers and Stars is strong enough to stand as a separate entity, a personal statement from Hood, sovereign from the interlocked identities of the Drive-By Truckers." [1] Dan Macintosh wrote in Country Standard Time that "...while [Killers and Stars is] not exactly pretty, it's nevertheless starkly honest and moving." [8]
Nebraska is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on September 30, 1982, by Columbia Records. Springsteen recorded the songs as demos on a 4-track recorder, intending to rerecord them with the E Street Band, but decided to release them as they were. Nebraska remains one of the most highly regarded albums in his catalog.
Southern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the alt country band Drive-By Truckers, released in 2001. A double album covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 1970s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the context of legendary Southern band Lynyrd Skynyrd. The record was originally self-released on Soul Dump Records. The album was re-released on July 16, 2002 by Lost Highway Records. The album was financed by issuing promissory notes in exchange for loans from fans, family and friends of the band.
Decoration Day is a rock album released by Drive-By Truckers in 2003. The album was recorded mostly live over two weeks at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by noted producer and former Sugar bassist David Barbe. The album is the Truckers' fifth, including their live album Alabama Ass Whuppin', following the critically acclaimed Southern Rock Opera. The album features a more mellow, stripped down, and reserved sound compared to Southern Rock Opera's heavy hitting southern rock.
The Dirty South is the fifth album by Alabamian alternative country/Southern rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 2004. The Dirty South is Drive-By Truckers' second concept album. Like its predecessor, Southern Rock Opera, the album examines the state of the South, and unveils the hypocrisy, irony, and tragedy that continues to exist.
A Blessing and a Curse is the sixth studio album by Drive-By Truckers, released in 2006. It peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200, which was the highest charting for the band until 2008's follow up, Brighter Than Creation's Dark, which hit #37.
Pizza Deliverance is the second album released by Alabama country rock group Drive-By Truckers, released in 1999. It was recorded with high spirits in five days at Patterson Hood's house. The album was mixed by Andy LeMaster. The album cover art was created by Jim Stacy. The album was re-released by New West Records on January 25, 2005 along with the band's first studio effort, Gangstabilly.
Brighter Than Creation's Dark is the seventh studio album released by Drive-By Truckers. It was released on January 22, 2008 in the United States.
Sirens of the Ditch was the first solo album released by singer-songwriter and former Drive-By Truckers lead guitarist, Jason Isbell. The album was released on July 10, 2007.
Live From Austin, TX is the second live album by the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers. It was released as a two disc CD/DVD combo. It was recorded on September 26, 2008, and boasts an almost twelve-minute recording of the song "18 Wheels of Love," which was originally released on their first album Gangstabilly.
The Fine Print is a collection of unreleased material by the Drive-By Truckers mostly recorded throughout the making of their albums Decoration Day and The Dirty South; a highly prolific period for the band. It features album artwork and a sample of concert posters from 2009 by Wes Freed, and is produced by David Barbe.
The Big To-Do is the eighth studio album by the alternative country band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 16, 2010. It is their first album released on ATO Records, which they signed to after completing their four album deal with New West Records.
Patterson David Hood is an American singer-songwriter and co-founder of the band Drive-By Truckers.
Go-Go Boots is the ninth studio album by American rock band Drive-By Truckers, first released February 14, 2011, on Play It Again Sam Records. It was produced by record producer David Barbe and recorded during 2009 to 2010, concurrently with sessions for the band's previous album The Big To-Do (2010). Upon its release, Go-Go Boots received positive reviews from most music critics.
Falling Off the Sky is an album by the dB's, released on June 12, 2012 on Bar/None Records. It is the first album of new material released by the band since 1987.
English Oceans is the 10th studio album by American Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on March 4, 2014, by ATO Records. It was produced by long-time collaborator David Barbe and recorded during two weeks in the late spring of 2013. Wes Freed again provided the album's artwork and cover. English Oceans marks the first time the Drive-By Truckers returned to the studio in four years and is one of three records the band has released with two songwriters.
Murdering Oscar is the second solo album by Patterson Hood. The album's songs were written from 1994 to 2004, and recording began in early 2005 in Athens, Georgia. Murdering Oscar was released on June 23, 2009 on Hood's own label, Ruth St. Records, and on ATO Records. The music consists of guitar chords and reverb on some tracks, while others also feature piano. The lyrics address topics that affected Hood around the time Murdering Oscar's songs were written, such as the birth of his child and his success with the Drive-By Truckers.
Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance is the third solo album by Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood, released on September 11, 2012 on ATO Records.
Georgia Hard is the sixth studio album by the American country musician Robbie Fulks, released on May 17, 2005 on Yep Roc Records.
The Unraveling is the twelfth studio album by American Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, released on January 31, 2020 on ATO Records. It was produced by long-time collaborator David Barbe, and recorded between 2017 and 2019.
The New Ok is the thirteenth studio album by American Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers, released digitally on October 2, 2020 and physically on December 18, 2020 on ATO Records. It consists of outtakes from their previous album The Unraveling, songs dating as far back as 2011, and songs Patterson Hood recorded over the summer of 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, Oregon and COVID-19 pandemic. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard's top Americana/Folk Albums chart the week of January 1, 2020.
