Tennessee Stiffs

The Stiffs—who hail not from the Volunteer State but that other roots-music Mecca, Austin, TX—dip their bucket deep into the well of American music. Warped lo-fi folk gives way to frenetic honky-tonk riff rock and gutbucket country; forlorn Americana anthems resound off Texas hillsides, and blazing Southern rock screeches like tires on the last lap of a cup-winning speedway run. Their third and most recent double concept album goes deeper still, dredging up minor-key Southern-gothic circus waltzes, spaghetti-Western vampire shuffles, and the kind of fuzz-drenched blues you’d hear wafting from a Detroit garage.

Formed in late 2011 and fueled by their eclectic musical interests, co-founders-turned-married-couple Ethan Lee and Cara B were determined to create something never heard before.

Cara’s melodies range from hauntingly beautiful to wildly soulful. Blended with Lee’s foot-stomping rhythms and gravelly vocals, the two take the “Beauty and the Beast” standard to heart.

After recording the debut…