Chris Schutz and the Tourists

Though born in Kansas City, Chris Schutz cut his musical teeth in his current home of Philadelphia. But don't expect to hear any hints of the classic soul that the City of Brotherly Love is famous for. Drawing heavily from '70s-era Bob Dylan and John Lennon, Schutz grounds himself in traditional Americana and left-field pop. The EP Stowaway feels like a set of outtakes from the I'm Not There soundtrack. Think Calexico singing Dylan — that's meant in the best possible way. "Continental Drifter" eases into a sunny Tex-Mex shuffle, with Schutz playing the part of the restless cowboy. "I Know That Shit Ain't Right" is the perfect sing-along for a boozy Saturday night. Sometimes the songwriting summons up too many alt-country clichés, but there's enough good old-fashioned honky-tonk to make you forget that you've heard a lot of these lines somewhere else.