Stone Coyotes: The Best Rock and Roll Band You've Never Heard Of

I'm sitting on my deck this fine Memorial Day listening to Rude Awakening, the latest effort by the Stone Coyotes. They're a curious trio from western Massachusetts (a location not exactly known as a hotbed of musical creativity). The 'Yotes quirky composition is well-documented: a family band that has Mom (Barbara Keith) on guitar and vocals, Dad (Doug Tibbles) on drums, and Stepson (John Tibbles) on bass. And they've been doing it for a little over a decade, with nine kick-ass albums to show for it.
This isn't really a review of their new album (I just downloaded it from CD Baby this morning, so I haven't had a chance to let it sink in yet), but it's a major plug for the band in general. I think I probably first heard these guys on the now-defunct XM 12 Cross Country. It's a well-documented shame that the brain trust behind Sirius-XM decided to get rid of that format in favor of so-called "Outlaw Country," which vascillates between the pointlessly profane and the cornpone. But I digress...
Anyhow, the Stone Coyotes exist somewhere amid the power chords of AC/DC, the literate lyrics of James McMurtry, and the searing vocals of vintage Pat Benetar. I only wish they'd come through the Midwest so I could see 'em live. At the very least, you should pick up a disc or download an album. Rock on.