When I first saw Levee Drivers two years ago at Yards Brewery, I was instantly blown away by the sheer boldness of the Bucks County outfit’s performance. The second time I saw them–at the 2009 Beta Hi-Fi competition where I was one of the judges for–I was equally mesmerized. And yes, they did win and deservedly so. These reactive moments, though, didn’t happen because what I heard was surprisingly singular. It was because there was this undeniable passionate force behind every guitar lick and salty intone. That’s probably why The Deli has had them on our radar for a long time now. Levee Drivers performed at our first-ever locals showcase, part of The Tunes Wit Whiz series, at Johnny Brenda’s. They also snagged the top spot last year in our Fans/Readers poll and got to share the stage with The Deli’s Best Emerging Artists 2009 overall poll winners Reading Rainbow and runner-ups Grandchildren. But what do you expect from a band that calls on dirty pick-ups ("Poor Boy’s Shoes") and driving swagger ("Tennessee Girl")? Just charismatic ruggedness, that’s all. On the real, their signature blend of vintage rockabilly, dust bowl country, working class rock, and crossroad blues melts to this sort of beaten Steel Country rock ‘n’ roll, and you can’t ignore it. I dare you to try. – Annamarya Scaccia