Houndmouth is from New Albany; the band is on the verge; and it has a beer named after it.

Photo credit: USA Today.

A quick recommendation to Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who likes to claim Houndmouth as his city's own: Read the paragraph below.

NA was there first, chum. Get over it.

Shane, if you're reading: Thanks for mentioning Houndmouth Ale.

As you were.

On the Verge: Houndmouth

This week in On the Verge, USA TODAY's spotlight on breakthrough artists, Brian Mansfield talks to Indiana band Houndmouth.

From New Albany to Sedona. Back before Houndmouth had a hit record, or even a name, the group recorded demos at a band member's house under less than ideal circumstances. "There were these two dogs that were always too loud, and they would bleed into the mics," says drummer Shane Cody. When one member complained of hearing "too much hound mouth," they knew they had a name. Now, the rootsy indie-rock group from New Albany, Ind., also has a hit record: Sedona recently topped USA TODAY's airplay chart and is now making an impact on Alternative stations.

Houndmouth revels in its Nawbany roots: "We’ve always liked the darker side of America."

Click through to view the video. The band ascendent seems in excellent form, and the hoppy ale named in the group's honor was tasting mighty fine on Friday.

Houndmouth: We’ve always liked the darker side of America (Weekly Feed with Kyle Meredith, via Salon)

The alternative country band talk Otis Redding, their newest album and distancing themselves from the folk scene.

The Potable Curmudgeon: One lump or two?

At LouisvilleBeer.com, I find it easier than Fonzie to a-a-a-apologize. It's the curious case of Houndmouth at Houndmouth, and you can read the whole story at the beer site.

The Potable Curmudgeon: One lump or two?

As the venerated journalist David Brinkley once put it, “Everyone is entitled to my opinion.”

Well, that suits me.

I’m highly opinionated, and much of the verbiage comes barreling out of my subconscious via the written word. For me, writing is a compulsion of sorts, and it comes with a sincere hope that my words will be read.

What I write, I always sign. Anonymity is tantamount to cowardice. I win some and I lose some, and there also is an inescapable element of living and dying by the rhetorical sword, but at least it’s always me.

Give and take in the debate is common, but every now and then, there’ll be a complaint to the effect that someone, somewhere, has taken offense at my words.

I’m delighted with feedback, since it means someone actually was reading, and so I’m quite willing to discuss particulars, as long as we’re reasonably clear about parameters: All I ask is that the wrong words not be placed in my mouth, because I’m wholly capable of uttering foolishness without anyone else’s help.

Houndmouth slays Iroquois.

Last night at Iroquois Amphitheater afforded my first opportunity to experience the band Houndmouth in person.

Hyperbole aside: Wow.

To my ears, numerous musical strands come together in Houndmouth's music. It's baseball, hot dogs and apple pie American -- folk, country, roots and rock -- and you can spin a playlist wheel to guess exactly which element most influences a particular song, because the weaving is seamless, but I believe it's way more than that, because the most impressive thing about Houndmouth to me is an intangible.

In our everyday working lives, we discover very early that placing otherwise disparate individuals into a team setting only rarely produces transcendence. Probably we most often strive for a modicum of professionalism that permits chores to be accomplished and paychecks issued, but two or four or fifteen persons simply don't become one in spite of our efforts to make it seem so. We muddle in the foothills, and only dream of ascending the peak.

Chemistry? Once you have found it, never let it go.

Accordingly, speaking as a lifelong music fan who knows far less about music than he pretends to, seeing Houndmouth perform was a joy precisely because four band members functioned as one on stage. They picked up (and later switched) instruments, locked into a groove, and stayed right there, communicating effortlessly between themselves and with the crowd, musically wise beyond their ridiculously youthful years, but with all the pure joy of something brand new. Each member sings beautifully, and the harmonies alone were worth the price of admission.

My hunch is that in future years, I'll grin when viewing the ticket stub with the bargain basement price of $12 printed on it.

Meanwhile, I'm frightened to look at the Friday sales number at NABC's two establishments, because everyone I know seemed to be at Iroquois for last night's show. In addition, permit me to apologize for running out of beer after blowing through four kegs of Houndmouth (the ale) a full 45 minutes before the band even took the stage. We sent eight kegs to Louisville, but only four turned up on site at Iroquois.

If I would have been allowed to drive to the wholesaler's warehouse and get more beer, I'd have done so. In Indiana we could have done it, though not in Kentucky. Luckily, Houndmouth's music was so good that the perennial iniquities and frustrations of the three-tier beer distribution system rendered me only slightly homicidal afterward -- and that's quite a feat of seduction.

Houndmouth at fuse.

You've already seen the Houndmouth beer specs.

Now NABC's graphics department (Tony Beard) has developed a second label design that perhaps better represent the band's vibe. Currently Houndmouth is on the road down South, and you can keep up with the group via Facebook.

Even I can't be sure where the evolution of Houndmouth as a beer goes from here, so we're just taking it one step at a time and having fun with it as we go along. It's not something we intended to do this year, but serendipity's like that, and there are times when adjustments must be made on the fly. There'll be more Houndmouth beer in time for the Iroquois show in April, giving all of us a bit of time to think about it.

Meanwhile, see the video at fuse:

Meet SXSW Secret Superstars Houndmouth

After a stand-out set at last year's South by Southwest, folk rock band Houndmouth went from unsigned and obscure, to sharing a label with Alabama Shakes and touring with The Lumineers. Fuse News caught up with the band this week at SXSW

Houndmouth and Houndmouth, tonight at BSB.

The true identity of Working Title, the ale we previewed recently on the hand pull at Bank Street Brewhouse, now can be revealed: It is called Houndmouth, a hopped-up American Wheat Ale brewed in collaboration with the New Albany band of the same name. Houndmouth isn't just any other band, and the beer we've brewed together isn't just another wheat -- as those of you who've heard the music, and tasted the cask-conditioned version, will quickly attest.

Houndmouth

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 28

Malts: 50% white wheat, 50% Irish stout malt and a touch of Weyermann Carabelge.

Hops: CTZ and Cascade (dry-hopped)

Yeast: House Ale

Houndmouth just returned stateside from the band's first-ever European dates, and if you're unfamiliar with the music, listen at YouTube and then buy the EP on Rough Trade Records. Tonight (March 2) at 9:00 p.m., the members of Houndmouth will be coming to Bank Street Brewhouse to hang out and taste the/our/their beer, and you are invited to do the same. It isn't a performance, just a sipping or three.

As noted earlier this week, Houndmouth will open the Iroquois Amphitheater's 2013 season with a headlining show on Friday, April 26, backed by Joe Pug and Ranger. It is my understanding that Houndmouth (ale) will be available for purchase on draft at the Houndmouth (band) show at Iroquois on April 26. Sounds like a fine Derby Festival interlude to me.

(Photo via Production Simple)