Truckstop Souvenir brings y'allternative sounds to St.'s Rest

by Amelia Koford

When Truckstop Souvenir moved from Seattle this past fall, they picked a fitting destination. Iowa’s highways are dotted with souvenir-filled truckstops, including the world’s largest truckstop on I-80 near Walcott, IA. Whether or not husband-and-wife duo Dennis James and Lauryn Shapter knew this when they decided to move to southeast Iowa after several years on the Seattle scene, their move to the heartland is in line with their commitment to what their MySpace site calls “the music of the American landscape.”

Truckstop Souvenir’s acoustic music draws on country and folk traditions. Their easygoing songs invite toe-tapping and singing along. The two trade off on vocals and guitar, and incorporate fiddle, piano and mandolin.

Although James and Shapter harmonize flawlessly together, they maintain distinctive sounds. Their debut album, Leave Nothing Behind, is split into five songs written and sung by James and five by Shapter. The two join forces on a cover of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Ramblin’ Man.” Texas-born James’s songs, like "Pretty Woman (You Walk On My Soul)" and "It’s Simple Here," have a straight-up, honky-tonk Texas country feel. New York-born Shapter’s tunes, like "All-Night Franchise Diner" and "Mama's Debt," have a subdued country-folk groove and more unusual lyrics.

Their tribute to traditional American music is radical on the country scene, which is dominated by trendy, hit-based Nashville country. Truckstop Souvenir’s emphasis on non-Nashville music aligns them with artists like John Prine and early Wilco, in the movement referred to as alt-country, americana, or my personal favorite, y’allternative.

Truckstop Souvenir performs at St.’s Rest on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.