It’s not hard to tell The Ballet School TROUBLEMAKERS is a Midwestern alt.whatever band. Their original music is honest Americana without the self-consciousness, without the “Yeah-I’ve-Always-Been-Into-Hank-Williams” artifice. This four-member outfit is the real deal and their music shows it.

First, you’ve got two accomplished songwriters writing literate and evocative songs about real things. Russ Brown (formerly of After The Dawn and Peculiar Red) is from Kalispell, Mont., and his songs have a certain Wild West quality about them; imagine a cowboy who likes his guitar with plenty of overdrive but also isn’t afraid to tell you how much that break-up hurt. David Hanners (who has played solo and also has played guitar and mandolin with Pushin’ Daisies, Thinland and the bluegrass group The Messy Fergusons) is from Casey, Ill., and his songs don’t leave any doubt he’s from the Midwest.

The rhythm section makes all of this work. Bassist Jackie Crosby (the Blues Hounds and the Simpletones) is from Jacksonville, Fla., and you pick that up real quick in her voice. Drummer Liz Anderson (Whoops Kitty) is the lone Minnesota native of the band. She provides a driving rock rhythm and has as much energy as a 345- kilovolt power line stretched across the prairie.