On March 6th, 1996, Will Johnson climbed out from behind his drum kit, plugged in an electric guitar and fired up a one-man band named after a pawn shop accordion he had found in Thorny, Texas. The earliest Centro-matic shows were just Johnson's unmistakable raspy vocals, the growl of that electric guitar, and foot-stomping percussion. After a few of those solo shows, Johnson started to long for the band he'd hear in his head, so he recruited Scott Danbom, Mark Hedman, and Matt Pence to round out Centro-matic. The quartet became a North Texas staple, releasing album after album of anthemic fuzz rock and putting on a live show that became legendary -- beer-fueled marathon sets that often stretched hours in length gave them a reputation as one of Texas's finest. Fast forward to 2006. A decade, almost to the day, and Centro-matic are readying the release of Fort Recovery. So much has changed. Centro-matic have toured throughout North America and Europe. They've logged time on the road with artists like My Morning Jacket, Drive-By Truckers, Ben Kweller and countless others. Will Johnson's embarked on a successful solo career, and the Centro-matic boys have started a second band, South San Gabriel, for Johnson's hazier, more downtempo songwriting forays. Between Johnson's three simultaneous projects, he's logged approximately 250 live performances in the past two years alone. It's a long way from playing weekly gigs anyplace that'd have 'em in Denton, TX. Fort Recovery is the culmination of Centro-matic's past decade. Culled from a recording session that produced twenty-something songs, the dozen here are Centro-matic at their finest. Electric guitars screech, evoking the specter of Crazy Horse; Pence's drums blast furiously; and Danbom perfectly colors the songs with shades of violin and keyboards. The ballads are bittersweet. The hooks are pure Centro-matic -- not just in the fist-pumping bar-rock binges, but in newfangled stoned-out hymns that plumb the bottom of the rock register. And you can't forget Johnson's vocals -- the sage voice we've come to know and love -- or his effortlessly highbrow lyricism, the words soaked in surreal imagery and heartfelt emotion. Fort Recovery is Centro-matic at the top of their game, giving up honest American rock and roll of the highest standard. Ten years is a long time. Yet Fort Recovery is not just about what's new with Centro-matic. For all the miles logged and hundreds of songs recorded, it's also about what stays the same. Sure, Centro-matic have cleaned things up a bit; some songs on Fort Recovery probably wouldn't have fit in on 1996's fuzz-rock classic Redo the Stacks. But Johnson, Danbom, Hedman, and Pence are doing exactly what they've always done. A decade after their first shows and recordings, the songs sound as solid as ever. And we've said it before, but hundreds of shows later, it's pretty much undeniable: They are the most reliably kick-ass live band in the Lone Star State.