Lonesome Onry and Mean has been a Corb Lund fan since about five minutes into his first pass through Lund's album Five Dollar Bill. I remember watching those guys during the opening hour of SXSW at B.D. Riley's five years ago with some musician buddies. Like the posse chasing Sundance and Butch, people kept asking "Who the hell are these guys?" Finally one guitar player from L.A. said, "I don't know who they are, but I damn sure hope I never have to follow them."

Lund and bassist/compadre Kurt Ciesla are both grads of the Edmonton School of Jazz and they've got chops to burn. Lund combines this musical sophistication with a Western (and Northern!) sense of what life is and what life means, always employing cowboy, soldier or oilfield-hand motifs in his songs. Horses, whiskey and cards abound.

Well, LOM's faith in these wild-haired Canucks has finally paid off: New West Records just announced the signing of this blue norther' of a band that is part Ian Tyson, part Fred Eaglesmith, part Django Reinhardt. Lund and his Hurtin' Albertans band will be showcasing at the New West Records party in Austin during SXSW, followed by the release of their first New West record this fall.