Down-home and daring music from Minnesota via Georgia

I've been obsessed with ALT.COUNTRY since returning from GEORGIA -- perhaps the spirit of GRAM PARSONS seeps up to ATLANTA from WAYCROSS.

Whatever the reason, I've been listening to nothing but the OLD 97's and the JAYHAWKS (pictured) for the past three days.

I'm listening to the latter band now and wondering what the Twin Cities scenesters must have made of their twangy, Parsons-infused sound when it emerged during the heyday of the Replacements and Hüsker Dü.

Founders Mark Olson and Gary Louris could meld harmony vocals just like their country rock heroes of the past, and as a result, these Jayhawks' songs sound as timeless as their forebears.

I'm glad Georgia swept me into an alt.country phase. This music is both daring and down-home.

Bring on the UNCLE TUPELO!