Independent's Day Radio

Stumpwaller is a Los Angeles-based band fronted by a native Alabamian with a penchant for preaching the gospel of rock and roll and outlaw country in the style of a raucous tent revival. Singer Myk Watford's affinity for Civil War-era murder ballads and southern mythology might seem out of place in Southern California, but the rest of the band ably amps up the volume and tempos so that Watford can allow the spirit to move through him and flat out refuse to let a jaded audience remain so. In an era in which wooly beards and retro clothing are the standard-issue uniform for many indie bands who flirt with the ghost of Johnny Cash, Stumpwaller's suit vests always have a pocket for a flask. Because they know that the eternal truth about the balance between Saturday night and Sunday morning is that it reflects the eternal struggle between good and evil - as well as how humanity is at once stuck in the balance and careening its way to its next church pew or juke joint. Stumpwaller has a new record on the way, and t