Waylon Speed/GS Harper

Branded as “underground outlaw dirt rock,” Waylon Speed’s sound dusts off the traditions of Lynyrd Skynyrd, et al., and delivers an ode to road in the vein of 20th-century rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities. His latest album, 2014’s Kin, is a tight spin through power chords, raunchy solos, hard-hitting drums, and the rest of the works. These guys are from Burlington, Vt., which probably accounts for the pastoral, nature-grazing lyrics and earthy guitar tones; this is blessedly and by no means SoCal rock. Check out tunes like “Remind Me” for the lyrics and “On a Wire” for the country-tinged instrumentation. It’s a solid album -- one that builds on rougher earlier efforts (2012’s Valance being a certain high-water mark that helped vault the band furhter into the regional touring circuit. (Sandy)