More than anything, the South is known for its music and its strong family ties. Both are highlighted with Black Stone Cherry, a Kentucky band that redefines southern rock for a modern audience. By any standard, BSC is unconventional: they take the larger-than-life mystique of classic rock and modernize it with a driving attack that is equal parts roots and modern hard rock. Few bands this young sound this powerful or versatile. They're hard and heavy, but Black Stone Cherry is southern to the core, and they come by their love of music in a genuine way. While there are echoes of the past in their music their fluid musicality recalls Zeppelin and they have an honesty often associated with bands like Skynyrd and the Black Crowes it merely acts as a foundation for their music. Black Stone Cherry is a full-throttle modern rock band, with guitars that rage and a shuddering rhythmic attack. They sound as earthy and raw as Soundgarden, as heavy and fun as AC/DC, yet there's a higher level of musicianship to their performances and songwriting that makes them like no one else. They can grind out an intense, bluesy riff that's equal parts Guns N Roses and Alice In Chains on Lonely Train, a gripping song currently climbing the Rock charts, about how war effects the families left behind when a soldier goes off to war. There's an intensity to Lonely Train that cuts to the bone.