Listen: Zack Brown Band

I think some people are surprised I listen to country music. My iPod shuffles from Rob Zombie to NKOTB, so you should probably acknowledge that I love it all. Zack Brown Band is one of those bands you would have difficulty classifying. Although they're played mainly on country stations (if you're in Central PA, northern MD check out WGTY Great Country 107.7 http://www.wgty.com/) ZBB is sort of a mash-up of DMB, Kenny Chesney, Marshall Tucker Band (maybe their band name inspiration?) and Lynryd Skynryd. Their first single, "Chicken Fried," is a twangy country joint ("You know I like my chicken fried/Cold beer on a Friday night/A pair of jeans that fit just right/And the radio up"), but their follow-up, "Whatever It Is" is harder to pigeonhole into a genre. It's got a definite country feel, but feels jam-band as well. My recommendation: download "Free." It's amazing, really showcasing Brown's voice. Make sure to get the violin intro as well--it's crazy-good.