Alvin a champion of Americana music (Updated January 3, 2013)

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Dave Alvin has been a member of America's roots rock scene since the early 1980's, and is a former member of the Blasters, X, and the Knitters. Despite having never garnered a rabid and enthusiastic fan base as a solo artist, he is one of the most respected champions of Americana music of this generation.

Alvin's love of music comes from his childhood, and with his older brother Phil became enamored with blues, rockabilly and vintage country music. They helped form the Blasters in 1979, and the band developed somewhat of a cult following in the United States and Europe. As a side project, Dave Alvin began playing with the Knitters and another goth-punk outfit called the Flesh Eaters. Shortly after leaving the Blasters, he joined X as lead guitarist.

It was 1987 when Alvin released his first solo album, "Romeo's Escape." The project was critically well received, but a commercial failure. He had more success writing songs for other artists, and in 1989 scored a hit when Dwight Yoakam recorded "Long White Cadillac." Alvin was later recognized for his 1994 acoustic album, "King of California," and in 2000 for "Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land," which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

In 2011, Alvin released "Eleven Eleven," marking his return to rock. He'll hit the road in 2013, with at least 16 dates scheduled between January and June. The "Dave Alvin and The Guilty Ones" tour kickes off January 5 at the 3rd Annual Beat Farmers Hootenanny in Solana Beach, California.