Last week, I continued my blabbing about Dallas darlings, the Old 97′s. I can’t help myself, I just think there is something awesome about a band that began in the nineties and hit it big that figures out a way in which to stay relevant so many years later. There is another North Texas group that fits into that category. The Toadies.

Sure, the scenario is a bit different the that of the more stable 97′s. Back around the turn of the millennium, the group disbanded for real after their Hell Below/Stars Above was unceremoniously crapped on by the band’s major label patrons. Also, after a few years of non-Toadies activity for the various original members, most notably Vaden (Todd) Lewis’ time fronting the Burden Brothers, the band got back together. Sort of.

Lisa Umbarger, the group’s original bassist, opted to not rejoin the group when it was clear that the time for a return was appropriate. Moving forward with a new line-up, the Toadies have become rocking veterans that seem intent to make up for time lost in a big, gnarly way. 2008 witnessed the release of their scorching No Deliverance, and a couple of months ago, the “long lost album”, Feeler, finally saw the light of day. Even though the album isn’t considered an official album release and isn’t really the actual, original recordings from the late 1990′s, Feeler is still straight-up, Toadies gold.

Give it a listen. You tell me if “Dead Boy”, “Trust Game” or say, “City of Hate” wouldn’t fit snugly into the album that we all know and love as the record that put these guys on the map, Rubberneck. After the ferociousness of No Deliverance, and the fact that Feeler is not much more than a quickly produced warm-up for a full length release in the near future, it’s beyond safe to to say that the Toadies are not only back, but they’re even better.

Kelly Dearmore is a freelance writer, mean pot of chili maker and opinionated music lover. To read more about what Kelly is listening to, visit him here on The Squawker weekly or daily on his personal music blog, The Gobblers Knob