One of America’s finest songwriters, Jay Farrar is a man who’s always worth listening to. Honky Tonk, his newest album with his band Son Volt, finds the former Uncle Tupelo man paying tribute to his country music forbears without, as he puts it, “becoming a nostalgia act.” Elmore’s Tom Hallett had high praise for Honky Tonk, saying that the album was the strongest since Trace and that the album’s songs are “the deepest, most fascinating collection of nuggets that he’s written to date.” Son Volt’s tour brings them to New York’s Bowery Ballroom later in June. We’ve seen Jay live a number of times, so take it from us that you shouldn’t miss out on this one.