Alluringly anonymous Austin-based alt-country/indi-folk quartet Boomershack sounds somewhere between Buddy Holly and The Deslondes, crossed with a stop on the continuum between Houndmouth and The Band of Heathens.

The first time I crossed paths with Shane Smith & The Saints was nearing midnight at the Great Northern Bar & Grill on Central Avenue in Whitefish, Montana. The high-octane alt-country act jumped onstage during the late-night party for the 2023 Under the Big Sky music festival.