With only two prior albums to their credit, a sixteen-song retrospective may seem premature. Then again, this is the group's tenth anniversary, those albums having come out back in the '90s. A few tracks appear on CD for the first time; a few songs have been re-recorded; three more saw the light of day only on compilations. Commander Cody's "Daddy's Drinkin' Up Our Christmas" is one of two Christmas songs. Leading this cult band from Portland, Maine, is singer-songwriter Scott Link, with Charlie Gaylord on electric guitar. In spite of the group's name, and a good one it is, not all of the songs evoke the pungent smell of diesel as vividly as "18 Wheels Of Love", "Thin White Line" and "My Girlfriend Is A Waitress". The group takes its cues from roots-rock as much as country, but a few songs, such as "If I'd Shot Her When I Met Her (I'd Be Outta Jail By Now)" and "I'd Like To Quit Drinkin' (But I Live Over A Bar)", are pure honky-tonk in spirit, albeit in a twisted sort of way. Diesel Doug formed his group the year Dick Curless died. That seems fitting somehow.
Read next
ALBUM REVIEW: Jenny Scheinman’s ‘One Hundred Years Today’ Echoes Across a Century
There is a distinct comfort in the tactile world of 2026 — a cultural pivot where physical media like compact discs and vinyl have surged back because humans are collectively starving for expanded permanence. This includes a desire for art that can be held, music with weight. Enter Jenny Scheinman’s
ALBUM REVIEW: A New Must-Have Compilation Highlights Jelly Roll Morton's Early Years
Born in the Creole community in New Orleans in 1890, Ferdinand LaMother “Jelly Roll” Morton absorbed various musical influences that he eventually combined in his own signature styles. He started playing guitar around age seven, switching to piano at age 10, always alive to the diversity of sounds that emerged
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt’s 'Trio' Remains Timeless, Continuing to Inspire Supergroups Today
Editor's Note: Annie Zaleski has been awarded one of two No Depression Criticism Fellowships to write in-depth album reviews on roots music's most important albums. Read her previous review of Gillian Welch's Time (The Revelator) here, and stay tuned for more from both
Comments ()