Mudcrutch, a band Tom Petty started in 1970 and a precursor to the Heartbreakers, was a local hometown hero in Gainsville, Florida in the early ‘70s. Unfortunately, like a lot of good bands we’ll never hear, they never broke through to the national spotlight and never made a full album, eventually breaking up to make way for the Heartbreakers we know and love.

Over thirty years later, and to the surprise of everyone, the hometown boys of Mudcrutch are actually back together. To add to the surprise, they’re releasing an album, the first full-length to see the light of day. Consisting of Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench on guitar and keyboard, respectively, plus Tom Leadon on guitar and Randall Marsh behind the kit, and of course the Petty himself singing lead, this act sounds more or less like a bomb out of the blue.

Quoth Petty on his new/old band’s Web site, "I guess I started thinking that we left some good music back there, and it was time to go and get it."

The album, recorded over just two weeks, is titled simply Mudcrutch and is out today, April 29. For a taste, check out the video below for the album’s second track, “Scare Easy,” courtesy of imeem.com. And if you decide you like it (and I know you will), there’s more where that came from on the band’s profile page.