When most bands make an announcement, they simply do that: they make AN announcement, but not the Drive-by Truckers. No, when you get some DBT news, you get all kinds of cool shit in your inbox.

Today the Truckers released “This Fucking Job” the first song off their upcoming album “The Big To-Do,” they unveiled the cover art by the always brilliant Wes Freed, they announced tour dates, and released more screening dates for the documentary on the band “The Secret to a Happy Ending.” That’s more than most indie shitheads do in a career, and it was just another Tuesday for the Truckers.

First the song, listen to it yourself. I could go on about it for pages, but it still wouldn’t tell you as much as those first few chords. It’s huge. No one’s made rock n roll this big for years. Turn it up– you don’t have it loud enough. That better? Good.

No one can combine balls to the wall rock n roll and socially relevant lyrics like DBT. “This Fucking Job” is visceral and gut wrenching, yet you can’t help but groove on it and bob your head, while also pumping your fist, pointing, and shouting along. That’s a lot of different reactions to one song, and it’s fucking rare. No one else is doing that. For most other bands to write such a universal song, it would have to be about heartbreak or fucking, but not the Truckers—they can capture the shitty, soul crushing suffocation and entrapment of underemployment and make you dance at the same time.

While the lyrics serve as a haunting reminder of just how shitty life can be, the song has hope– not just in the soaring lift of the chorus, but in the commonality of the message. Patterson and the Truckers hit almost oxymoronic levels of contradiction with tracks like this that are as unique as they are universal. When no one else is making music like you, you wouldn’t expect it to connect with the every man, but in fact it does, on a guttural, instinctive level, and far more so than some dumbed down piece of shit about how awesome Will.i.am can a party.  Sometimes the highest common denominator is more common than the lowest.

Oh yeah, I was just going to let you listen to it and not rant on. Whatever, it’s the Truckers—I can’t help it. The album, “the Big To-Do” is out March 16^th on ATO records. As usual, Wes Freed did the album art, which you see above. Wes is amazing. No one else shines such a bright light on the Southern underbelly on canvas (or plywood). It’s as if that guy in Munch’s “Scream” had gone to a party instead of having a panic attack. His work is absolutely haunting and beautiful.  Go check it out and buy something on his page.

You can download “This Fucking Job” here.

This weekend, the Truckers are up for two Grammys for the album they did with Booker T, “Potato Hole.”

The Truckers will be on the road through May at these fine places:

Thu Jan 28            Huntsville, AL             Crossroads Music Hall

Fri Jan 29            Mobile, AL                        Soul Kitchen

Sat Jan 30            Tuscaloosa, AL            Jupiter Bar & Grill

Thu Feb 11            Greenville, SC            Handlebar

Fri Feb 12            Raleigh, NC                        Lincoln Theatre

Sat Feb 13            Raleigh, NC                        Lincoln Theatre

Sun Feb 14            Knoxville, TN                        Bijou Theatre

Thu Feb 25            Charlotte, NC                        Neighborhood Theatre

Fri Feb 26            Charlottesville, VA            Jefferson Theatre

Sat Feb 27            Charlottesville, VA            Jefferson Theatre

Thu Mar 04            Wilmington NC            Rox Nightclub

Sat Mar 06            Augusta GA                        Sky City

Fri Mar 12            Atlanta GA                        Variety Playhouse

Sat Mar 13            Atlanta GA                        Variety Playhouse

Thu Mar 18            Austin, TX                        SXSW

Fri Mar 19            New Orleans LA            Tipitinas

Sat Mar 20            New Orleans LA            Tipitinas

Thu Apr 01            New York NY                        Webster Hall

Fri Apr 02            Boston MA                        House of Blues

Sat Apr 03            Philadelphia PA            Electric Factory

Tue Apr 06            Toronto Canada            Lee’s Palace

Wed Apr 07            Toronto Canada            Lee’s Palace

Thu Apr 08            Detroit MI                        St. Andrews Hall

Fri Apr 09            Chicago IL                        The Vic Theatre

Sat Apr 10            Lexington KY           Buster’s Billiards and Backroom

Sun Apr 11            Cleveland OH               Beachland Ballroom and Tavern

Wed Apr 14            Towson MD                        Recher Theatre

Thu Apr 15            Norfolk VA                        The Norva

Fri Apr 16            Asheville NC                        The Orange Peel

Sat Apr 17            Asheville NC                        The Orange Peel

Fri Apr 30            Nashville TN                        Cannery Ballroom

Fri May 07            Los Angeles CA                       Avalon

Sat May 08            San Francisco CA            The Fillmore Auditorium

And “The Secret To A Happy Ending” is screening here:

Fri Feb 5      Silver Spring, MD     AFI Silver Theatre sold out

*Sat Feb 6     Silver Spring, MD     AFI Silver Theatre

*This is a midnight screening after the screening on Feb 5.

Sun Feb 28   San Francisco, CA    Noise Pop Film Festival

If I had to guess, I’d bet more dates and locations will be popping up for both.