So I must confess I’m not fluent in country. I don’t follow its many intricacies and inflections; I only know what I like when I hear it. With that said, the new single from ramshackle Athens outfit the Pink Stones speaks in a dialect I can get behind. It’s a bit of old-fashioned Southern grit mixed with a touch of honky-tonk grime—and it’s all coated in a generous dab of bluesy rock and roll swagger.

Led by singer-songwriter Hunter Pinkston, the band is nothing if not a throwback. The Rolling Stones, the Grafeul Dead, Neil Young—you can take your pick of touchstones. But while the group mines the past for inspiration, they seemingly do so without sounding dated or falling prey to nostalgia. “The Ballad of Jimmy Meadows” is first and foremost an exuberant rocker that leans heavily on its rollicking guitars, lively piano, and foot-stomping energy. It has a feel-good, four-on-the-floor quality the pulls you into the moment—which makes sense given the circumstances behind the track.

“I wrote this song about our buddy who also plays in a band and just can’t stay off the road,” Pinkston explains over email. “We had done a tour together about a year ago and I wrote the lyrics for [and] about them as a thank you for the good times right when we got back to Athens. We ended up cutting a full-length record and during the session, I wrote the music in between takes, so we decided to cut it a few weeks later.”

Listen below.

“The Ballad of Jimmy Meadows” is one half of a double single entitled “Jesus & Jimmy” that the Pink Stones are releasing tomorrow. To celebrate, the band is throwing a release show party tonight at the Flicker Theatre & Bar in support of AthensPets. A short tour in January will follow. Check out the full list of dates below.

Dec 19 – Flicker Theatre & Bar – Athens, GA
Jan 21 – The Pocket – Washington, DC*
Jan 22 – Tubbys – Kingston, NY*
Jan 23 – Berlin – Brooklyn, NY*
Jan 24 – Bourbon & Branch – Philadelphia, PA*
jan 25 – Richmond Music Hall – Richmond, VA*
Jan 26 – Odditorium – Asheville, NC

* with Mail the Horse

The Pink Stones will celebrate the release of “Jimmy & Jesus” tonight at Flicker Theatre & Bar alongside Johnson & Beskin Got a Stew Goin’, Dylan Earl, and the Athens Cowboy Choir. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Portions of the proceeds will benefit AthensPets.

More Info
Web: thepinkstones.com
Bandcamp: thepinkstones.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @thepinkstoners
Instagram: @thepinkstoners