Corndaddy

Corndaddy is a band, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, whose style is rooted in Americana/alt-country sound, though there are also strong accents of power pop and straight-up rock & roll in their music. Lead guitarist Kevin Brown, a devotee of counry rock legends Gram Parsons and Clarence White, played in a number of Michigan country-rock bands in the 1970s, '80s and '90s. In 1998, he met up with guitarist and singer Jud Branam; together, they formed Corndaddy with drummer Will Stewart and bassist Jerry Hancock. The group released a self-titled debut album in 2000, with a follow-up, Better Days, released in 2002.

Will Stewart left the band in 2010 to focus on his work in the Ypsitucky Colonels.

The band continues to play live and record, and has opened for notable bands including the V-Roys and Mike Ireland and Holler. Don Was, famed musician and record producer recently played their version of the Carter Family's "No Depression" on his Sirius satellite radio show.

Some reviews:

Corndaddy's roots rock is refreshing September 8, 2002

With a pure purpose and honest intent, Corndaddy makes refreshingly uncluttered country rock -- keenly aware of the genre's standard-bearers but not absorbed with imitation.

Guitarist-vocalists Kevin Brown and Jud Branam are the creative forces here, a position they staked out on the group's stellar 2000 debut album. On "Better Days," they've delivered more of what made that album click: classic rustic sounds processed through a Midwestern rock 'n' roll filter and balanced with a touch of humor and catchy melodies.

The spirit of the Jayhawks permeates the album, manifested on songs like "Sparkle's Real" and the title track, with tight harmonies from Brown and Branam. Up-tempo tracks like "Big Wheels" reveal Brown's facility with a guitar, as he crafts finely finessed lines that come off clean but not too polished.

Corndaddy is at heart a rock band, a status pleasantly affirmed by the album's official closing track, "Saved By a Dead Man," a just-gothic garage tune inspired by Livonia's Trinity House Theatre. But that's not the end: Tucked on as a hidden track is a spirited cover of the Carter Family's ancient "No Depression."

Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press

"Despite reports to the contrary, alt-country is not dead in the Midwest, and Corndaddy is here to prove it. Corndaddy is a Michigan-based band who blend a country-influenced twang, a power pop band's love of hooks, and a rocker's passion for the backbeat on their second album, Better Days. The band's greatest asset is the fleet-fingered lead guitar work of Kevin Brown, whose sharp, wiry lines sound like the work of a souped-up Roger McGuinn, especially on "Better Days" and "Rainbow on a Girl," while drummer Will Stewart and bassist Jerry Hancock make for a lean and emphatic rhythm section and Jud Branam's reedy vocals are a great fit for this material.

Both Brown and Branam are solid songwriters as well, who can comfortably embrace laid-back country-rock ("Delaware"), bluegrass-tinged folk ("Sparkle's Real"), Bakersfield-style twang ("Kansas City, Mississippi"), and neo-psychedelic pop ("Rainbow on a Girl") without losing touch with the band's musical personality. Fine stuff from a band who deserves wider exposure." — Mark Deming, All Music Guide