Does hailing from Texas automatically brand you an “alt-country” band when you leave? Such was the dilemma three Texan friends faced after reuniting in Boston, adding a local Bostonian, and taking the name CASSAVETTES. But after five years, four albums, an armful of awards, and energetic shows with The Allman Brothers, Kings of Leon, and Dr. Dog, just to name a few, does it really matter what people label your music?

Known for energetic, powerful live shows that crackle with the electricity of The Replacements, Old 97s, and The Rolling Stones, Cassavettes (pronounced kass-uh-vets) has turned more than a few heads, locally and beyond — scooping up “Best Local Band” in the Boston Phoenix reader’s poll, nabbing a Boston Music Award nod for “Outstanding Americana Act” and “Best Roots Act” in the Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll 2009, and making a splash at South By Southwest 2007 and 2008 in Austin, Texas, the Midpoint Music Festival 2007 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Dewey Beach Music Conference 2008 in Dewey Beach, Delaware.

Extensive touring from the northeast to Nashville and back to their native Texas, as well as hometown gigs headlining The Paradise Rock Club and Middle East Downstairs, helped the group solidify a live persona, which was captured on the recent live album, “Animal Friends.” Most recently, Cassavettes brought that raw energy to the studio with Dave Minehan (Paul Westerberg; The Neighborhoods) and Todd Thibaud at the helm to produce “Shake Down the Sun.” The new record was released in the fall of 2009, and has already garnered rave reviews, including being named one of the Top Records of 2009 by several publications. Additionally, its songs continue to consistently chart in CMJ’s Top 200.

Crossbreeding the sounds of The Band and Neil Young with contemporary influences like Superdrag, Nada Surf, and Ryan Adams, the band mixes the sound into a blend of rock, folk, country, and blues. While they’ve drawn comparisons to everyone from The Byrds to Tom Petty to Young himself, the Weekly Dig called Cassavettes’ music difficult to “pin down” — and that’s exactly how the band likes it. Cassavettes blurs genres musically, while keeping the storytelling element prominent in folk and country lyrics. The Boston Globe said this gives Cassavettes “charm to spare.”

Cassavettes Band Members

Coyote Scott Jones is the panhandle slim manhandling the bass guitar and providing backing vocals.

Josh Kiggans is the fashionable wee man who plays the drum kit and comes not from the land of the cotton, a land that was nearly forgotten by everyone.

Mike McCullagh is the crooning, multi-talented vocalist, guitarist, and lap steel..ist.

Glenn Yoder sings while playing guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica, and whatever else he found as a substitute for friends while spending too much time in his room as a child.

Cassavettes has shared the stage with …

• The Allman Brothers Band
• Bob Weir & Ratdog (Grateful Dead)
• Kings of Leon
• Dr. Dog
• The Toadies
• Superdrag
• Letters to Cleo (reunion show)
• Heartless Bastards
• Deer Hoof
• The Devil Makes 3
• Jesse Malin (Ryan Adams; D Generation)
• Drag the River
• Earlimart (Elliot Smith/Grandaddy)
• Tim Easton
• Illinois
• Hymns (toured with Beck, The Lemonheads, and Ben Kweller)
• David Dondero (named one of top 10 living songwriters by NPR; Bright Eyes collaborator)