Rocktober '10s Song #13: "Hang Loose" by Alabama Shakes (2012)

For today's Rocktober selection, we're going with some southern garage soul rock from Alabama Shakes.  They formed in, you guessed it, Alabama in the late aughts, and it only took a couple years before they were discovered and got a record deal.  They released their debut album, Boys & Girls, in 2012.  The album title is apropos, as the band is mixed gender.

The band had pretty immediate success, with Boys & Girls reaching #6 on the Billboard album chart and eventually going platinum in the U.S.  Their debut single from Boys & Girls, "Hold On," earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance, and the band itself was nominated for Best New Artist.  While I love that song, I assume you've probably heard it before, so I'm going with "Hang Loose" from Boys & Girls.  It starts with kind of a country rock riff, but then goes into more of garage soul vibe.  I've always liked lead singer Brittany Howard's voice.  It sounds old and new all at the same time.

The band's follow-up album, 2015's Sound & Color, hit #1 on the Billboard album chart.  Then, in 2018, the band went on a hiatus, as several band members focused on solo projects.  Hopefully they get back together at some point because we need more soul in rock.