Southern Man, better keep your head …

When southern rock last ruled the airwaves, it was the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers Band, ZZ Top, and Wet Willie who were leading the charge. Of course, those were the days (the 1970’s) when a new sub-genre seemingly appeared every month. Remember progressive rock, art rock, heavy metal and its entire offspring?

But southern rock was a force to be reckoned with and flat-out enjoyed.

Those days are long gone, but music is still being cranked out by Dixie-fried bands and individual acts, just in a much less self-consciously southern kind of way. Three excellent examples of the current southern rock scene have brand-spanking new product out, all top-drawer.

The DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS (still love that name) are a band with links to southern soul and R&B.

One of their co-founders, Patterson Hood, is the son of bass player, David Hood, who was a mainstay at the famous Muscle Shoals studio, home of Aretha’s, Otis’, Wilson’s and many others’ solid gold hits.

The Truckers have been at it since the late 1990s and their stock-in-trade until recently has been spinning tales of southern gothic woe and debauchery sung to the tune of mostly lean and ragged three-chord knockouts. And despite the familial connection to the history of southern soul, the Truckers have heretofore stayed consistently punk in their attitude and execution – until now, that is.

Their new record, “BRIGHTER THAN CREATION’S DARK,” shows a more swinging, but no less rocking side to their musical personalities. The fact that the band backed up Bettye LaVette on her last record probably had an influence on their embracing a backbeat. And simply getting old would account for their new-found penchant for slower songs with country overtones.

Also conspicuously absent are the more grandiose themes which tended to overwhelm some of their previous work. Instead, we’re treated to closely-drawn portraits of real people in real situations with real problems. For instance, in “The Righteous Path” we hear about the plight of somebody trying to do the right thing but who’s finding it harder to get by; in “That Man I Shot” the song’s narrator obsesses over someone he killed in Iraq; in “Daddy Needs A Drink” an alcoholic father reeks the expected havoc but gets some sympathy too; “Checkout Time In Vegas” relates the sorry state of a gun seller’s luck breaking bad; and “Perfect Timing” acts as a tonic to those into too much self-analysis.

There are 18 songs here, and the songwriting duties are split three ways. Each song’s writer takes the lead vocals and thus we get a nice dose of variety. There are no clunkers present, only better songs.

This is a great place to experience this always-fascinating band if you haven’t already.

One southern band that has never had a problem with the funkier, bluesier side of its history is THE NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS. The Allstars are basically a power trio, with brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson manning lead guitar/vocals and drums; bassist Chris Chew is the third member.

Save for a brief flirtation with outright pop on “Polaris,” their albums have all tended to be traditional yet fresh takes on the very unique type of blues indigenous to their homeland. Their latest album, “HERNANDO,” shows even more growth. While still working within the blues-rock idiom, the Allstars aren’t shy about borrowing touches of other genres or simply rocking out.

“Hernando” is their fifth in-studio record and their growth in musicianship and risk-taking are astonishing when compared to their first album. But theirs has been a steady progression, one made with care under the guiding hand of their father, Jim Dickinson.

For example, the album’s opener, “Shake,” starts out as a simple blues stomp, but then veers into a deep trench of a groove, with sections of slide guitar nirvana. Years of traveling the jam-band circuit have also taught them the value of dynamics; the pace and the variance of the album are calibrated to keep up maximum interest.

Highlights include “Soldier,” which doesn’t take too much imagination to realize its anti-war message; “Eaglebird,” a trippy hard-rock gem; “I’d Love To Be A Hippy,” which lets bassist Chew emote on a slow-rolling blues obscurity written by Champion Jack Dupree; and “Come Go With Me,” a hard-luck story co-written by ex-Squirrel Nut Zipper member James Mathus.

We caught the Allstars recently at Tipitina’s, and you are strongly advised to see them during their next trip to this area. The Allstars strike the perfect balance between keeping tradition alive and ensuring all listeners have a very good time. THE BLACK CROWES are the granddaddies of the lot discussed here. It’s kind of hard to believe, but their first album dates all the way back to 1990.

Essentially on hiatus since 2002, The Black Crowes have brought forth a killer new CD, “WARPAINT.” It indeed sounds as fresh as paint, and war, among other topical themes, is much on their minds.

The Crowes have always straddled the line (if not sometimes crossing over it) separating energy and overkill. Lead singer Chris Robinson has a great rock voice and can shout in a paint-peeling mode on command. Comparisons to early Rod Stewart and Paul Rodgers (of Free) can be made, but Robinson seems to be more in thrall to southern soul and gospel giants.

With his bare feet, his long, sweaty hair shaking from side to side and his ecstatic poses, Robinson can be a bit much in large doses. But over the course of this album, with no visuals, he doesn’t wear out his welcome.

The songs here are the deal. The solid guitar crunch provided by Chris’ brother, Rich, is augmented by the addition of none other than The N.M. Allstars’ Luther Dickinson on slide. He’s said to now be a full-time member of the Crowes, and it will remain to be seen how he juggles both jobs. His presence is most welcome here.

About the songs; “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” starts off the album in a rollicking but not over-the-top way, with subtle political overtones; “Oh Josephine” combines country jangle with raunchy guitar frenzy; “Evergreen” is a dirge-like plodder, but which begs to be instantly replayed; “Locust Street” is a very tuneful, wistful breather; “Wounded Bird” is a swaggering Faces/Stones blast; and “God’s Got It” is a caustic take on fundamentalism.

“Warpaint” should bring the Crowes a whole new generation of believers. It’s sure to bring back the older fans.

Southern rock may not top any charts, but these three bands show it’s still relevant. And there are no better soundtracks to your next backyard barbeque or crawfish boil.