Seems Rhett Miller and Murry Hammond have finally given up on the idea of releasing their Old 97's side project efforts as the Ranchero Brothers in album form.
Today, the original two 97's gave way to anticipation and posted seven studio-recorded Ranchero Brothers tracks as free downloads on the Old 97's website's media page.
They're worth the grab, too -- especially if the Old 97's, at full speed, remain a few speeds too many for your listening pleasure.
Fans of the band will recognize a few of these cuts, for sure -- "Goin' On Down The Mountain" is just a slowed-up, acoustic take on Blame It On Gravity's "My Two Feet," and "Won't Be Home No More" finds Drag it Up's "Won't Be Home" earning similar treatment.
They're not all retreads, though. "Sweet Thing Pine Bluff," for instance, isn't, far as I can recall. Still, it's right up the 97's alley -- just as all these takes are. They might not be as rowdy as some other 97's takes are, but they do highlight some of the 97's more endearing traits -- most notably, the twosome's harmonies.