The Dillingers This is the first “Moment of Truth” that I’ve been asked to pass judgment on, and, needless to say, when I showed up at the Hi-Tone to see the Dillingers, a band I’d never heard of, my expectations weren’t very high. So I was pleasantly surprised when I spoke to singer-guitarist John Murry and lead guitarist Brian McDurman before the show. I remembered them from another band, the short-lived country-rock quintet Red Hip and the Boys, which I’d once seen at a University of Memphis-area dive several months ago and had enjoyed. When I quizzed Murry whether the new band, which has been together about four months and has started playing alternate Sundays at the Hi-Tone, would be in the same “alt.country” vein as his previous band, the 21-year-old singer declined to accept the terminology. “We just all grew up on punk and old country,” he explained. That’s the combination that Uncle Tupelo exploited on their first two raw albums, No Depression and Still Feel Gone, and at their best, the Dillingers sound, surprisingly and refreshingly, like they’re trying to pick up where those albums left off — like “alt.country” never happened. At the Hi-Tone, the Dillingers (which also includes drummer Josh Acosta and bassist Brady Potts) played a fairly equal mix of originals and covers, and the originals were good enough to make me wish there were more. Impressively, the band played songs written by each of the four members, and every one sounded like a keeper. The highlight was a Murry-penned tune called (I think) “Waste of Time” that sounded absolutely radio-ready and that featured a nicely understated harmonica solo from Murry and (from what I was able to make out) some provocative and well-written lyrics. Acosta took over mike duties to sing one of his songs, a sort of Dead Milkmen-meets-Michael Hurley narrative in which I could make out the lyric: “We listened to some Beefheart.” The band’s cover choices reflected impeccable taste: Merle Haggard’s “Big City,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” Jimmie Rodgers’ “Waiting on a Train,” “Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” and “I Fought the Law” (seemingly covering the Clash more than Bobby Fuller). The covers obviously show that this band knows a great song when they hear one, but if I were to quibble about what was really a highly enjoyable and impressive set, it would be that they should dig a little deeper into their favorite artists’ catalogues; their cover choices come off a little too much like the Greatest Hits of American Country-Folk Song. But as my companion pointed out, bar bands have to please the crowd. That’s something that recognizable covers accomplish, and this minor criticism is balanced, of course, by the strength of the band’s original material. The Dillingers are definitely a band to keep an eye on. — Chris Herrington The Memphis Flyer regularly reviews local bands on demand. To schedule your group’s Moment of Truth call Mark Jordan at 575-9441 or e-mail him at jordan@memphisflyer.com. You can e-mail Chris Herrington at letters@memphisflyer.com.