I’m a little late to the Alabama Shakes blogging party, but I figure it’s never too late to add one more hipster to the proverbial bandwagon. I first heard the Shakes a few months back with their single “You Ain’t Alone” and I was captivated by their sound. It was like, The Black Keys of old meets Led Zeppelin meets something more, they were uniquely southern blues.

I saw them on Conan a few weeks back and my mouth was pretty consistently agape. You know that feeling when you read a book and you develop a visual for the main character, only to have that visual obliterated once they turn it in to a movie? Or maybe you hear someone’s voice and expect them to look completely different. This was one of those moments.

And they were absolutely awesome. It’s hard to imagine a band being better live than in studio, but the Alabama Shakes are the real deal.

Check ‘em outttt