Dixie Witch

Dixie Witch

One Bird, Two Stones (Small Stone) Dixie Witch raised a few eyebrows with their 2001 debut, Into the Sun, one being Small Stone. The Detroit indie liked the band's Southern rock fuzz enough to sponsor Dixie Witch's second full-length. Throughout One Bird, one thing's as obvious as a 7-foot transvestite: Dixie Witch exudes more energy than most hard rock outfits, most likely because they're a trio whose singer also happens to be the drummer. On the road, such a setup is sink or swim, as the Denton threepiece successfully learned on the "Southern Domination Tour" with Alabama Thunderpussy and the Suplecs. "Get Busy" is exactly what this cinder-block band does in the opening salvo, beefy drum loops, spidery basslines, and crunchy chords melting into a riff-driven rhythm. Classic Seventies guitar rock is clearly the Rosetta stone here, but Sun Belt flavors appear in the gritty molasses grind of "Makes Me Crazy" and the slide guitar of "Traveler." Most tunes deal with the rock canon of drinkin', ladies, and touring, but "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" is about grieving and existentialism. Nice dashes of acoustic seasoning on "The Wheel" and "Traveler" help distinguish One Bird, Two Stones, as does the overall sonic character, thanks to catalyst J.D. Pinkus of Honky. Dixie Witch may not be genre busting, but their Southern by the grace of God rock is a welcome respite from plebe rock.