Field of Dreams

"Mandatory on the Attack," Centro-matic, Redo the Stacks (1997)

"The bastard child of Archers of Loaf and Bob Pollard, this one makes me want to hurl a full Lone Star can towards the stage in some shitty bar in Denton, with a P.A. that can't hold them back." – Phil Waldorf, former manager of Misra Records

"Numbers One and Three," Centro-matic, Navigational (1999)

This spurned breakup serves as the most obvious precursor to the dramatic tension that hallmarks South San Gabriel, lilted by Scott Danbom's closing fiddle treatment.

"Members of the Show 'Em How It's Done," Centro-Matic, All the Falsest Hearts Can Try (2000)

"In his true heart, Will's a pop songwriter. He writes inherently catchy melodies that can make me tear up involuntarily in a way I can't really explain. He just slays me." – Matt Pence

"Tent of Total Mystery," Will Johnson, Murder of Tides (2002)

"We didn't play it with the Undertow Orchestra. I just couldn't take it; it's just so sad. I like sad songs, but for one to bring me to that place every time I hear it is a profound thing." – David Bazan

"Smelling Medicinal," South San Gabriel, Welcome, Convalescence (2003)

An unsettling portrait of a domestic dispute with an avant-Americana backdrop that recalls Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. "You were smelling medicinal," laments Johnson, "juggling the daggers that I tried to hide away."

"Flashes and Cables," Centro-matic, Flashes and Cables EP (2004)

This slightly tweaked version of Centro-matic's signature epic bests the original if only for the reworked intro, which trades acoustic guitar and a distant vocal for eerie keyboards and a fuzzed-out guitar entrance.

"Patience for the Ride," Centro-matic, Fort Recovery (2006)

Exception to a visceral album of abstract war games, both personal and political, this rugged gem illustrates Centro's own endurance.

"Two Seats Gold Reserved," Centro-matic, Dual Hawks (2008)

A four-minute amalgam of Centro's best traits: Southern fuzz crunch, near constant harmonies, warbled keys, and a bopping piano bridge, all propelled by Matt Pence's spot-on percussion.

"Almost Let You In," Molina & Johnson (2009)

This desolate duet marks the flatland crossroads between the cryptic detachment of Songs: Ohia and the bedroom intimacy of Johnson's solo material, highlighted by Jason Molina's ghostly tenor.