Once upon a time, four dudes from Springfield, Missouri, started a group called Amsterband and began harvesting a CCR-informed racket that riffed on deep-South gospel vocals and Alan Lomax field recordings. Realizing that their name made them sound like barefoot hippie stoners, the quartet re-emerged as Ha Ha Tonka when Bloodshot Records got onboard to release the breakthrough LP, Buckle in the Bible Belt. The album introduced the group's soulful squall to sideswiped critics and listeners who heard the Tonkas as a less trendy Kings of Leon or a swing-state Old 97's. With a king-sized sound that could fill a state park, Ha Ha Tonka makes a strong case for legalizing Ozark pop.
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