OK, so our World Cafe: Next artist this week isn't exactly a new artist. It was back in 2000 that the Recording Academy chapter in his hometown of Memphis named him "Newcomer Of The Year." He pokes fun at the lack of national attention he's received since then in the title of his fourth album, The No-Hit Wonder.
Branan lives in Nashville now, but it was back in Memphis — where his first gig was in a Black Sabbath cover band — where his world changed when he discovered the music of John Prine. Branan soon began writing songs that featured detailed, realistic characters of the sort you might find in Hold Steady songs. Those songs just keep getting better.
Both Craig Finn, from The Hold Steady, and Jason Isbell help out on Branan's new album. We'll play a couple of songs from The No-Hit Wonder on this installment of World Cafe: Next.
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