Cosmo Sex School

Jerry Joseph is at his best when the power of song has completely taken over, stripping him of self consciousness – and even conscious thought – as it often does on this live album recorded in 2009. He’s written hundreds of songs, many of them undiscovered classics – and some celebrated hits because of Widespread Panic’s cover treatment – and his studio work has moments of brilliance, but it’s live where Jerry Joseph truly shines. Here, with his longtime band the Jackmormons and special guest Jen Drizos (The Decemberists) on keys, Joseph is confident, tearing-off guitar solos and wrestling with lyrics. Badlandia is a reminder that Jerry Joseph is one of the great underground heroes of rock and roll, bleeding for his work night after night in shitty bars, bringing redemption in a road case for weary souls.