DBT is probably the best band in America. They put out great records and play great shows. Maybe their southern accents and songs about the American South are off-putting to "indie rock" enthusiasts, but I don't think DBT cares. They've always followed their own path and have created their own scene that really transcends silly crap like "indie cred." You can call them southern rock, but like a lot of southerners such as Tom Petty, REM, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and that guy named Elvis, you should probably just call them rock.
Re: “Why indie rock continues to ignore the Drive-By Truckers, and what it's missing”
DBT is probably the best band in America. They put out great records and play great shows. Maybe their southern accents and songs about the American South are off-putting to "indie rock" enthusiasts, but I don't think DBT cares. They've always followed their own path and have created their own scene that really transcends silly crap like "indie cred." You can call them southern rock, but like a lot of southerners such as Tom Petty, REM, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and that guy named Elvis, you should probably just call them rock.