First Levon Helm survived throat cancer, then, improbably, he started singing again. And then, astonishingly, he returned to form. While his voice is thinner than during his days with The Band — he is 69, after all — Helm still brings the grit, that marvelous blend of Ozark country, blues and gospel.

His first album after recovering, 2007’s Dirt Farmer (Vanguard), was a treasure, an absolutely genuine slice of Americana that won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

Its followup, Electric Dirt, is another triumph, extending the reach of Farmer while retaining its rustic character. The new disc, released Tuesday, June 30, is not simply a plugged-in extension of its predecessor. Although electric guitars pop up now and again, it’s still largely an acoustic album. The addition of horns on four tracks — two arranged by Allen Toussaint and two by Stephen Bernstein — gives the new one an added dimension, some extra oomph.

The horns get into the act right way with a springy version of the Grateful Dead’s “Tennessee Jed,” which has a decidedly Band-ish feel and kicks off the disc with a great deal of exuberance.

“Growing Trade,” written by Helm and his producer (and multi-instrumentalist) Larry Campell, evokes Band classics such as “King Harvest and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” The song, which documents the plight of a small farmer who’s turned pot grower in order to survive, is capped off with the poignant lament “I used to farm for a living/ But now I’m in the growing trade.” Swelling female background vocals (including those of Helm’s daughter Amy) intensify the tune’s sense of overarching regret.

A couple of lively shuffle blues — two by Muddy Waters, “Stuff You Gotta Watch” and “You Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had” — provide more effervescence, while the ballad “Heaven’s Pearls,” with its somber organ, adds the aroma of a back-country church.

With Richard Manuel and Rick Danko dead, and Helm and Robbie Robertson estranged, a Band reunion is out of the question. But Levon’s recent forays into authentic American music serve to open a new, improbable chapter in his career and help keep the spirit of his old group alive. (Vanguard)

Electric Dirt is currently streaming in its entirety on Entertainment Weekly’s website.

In response to Leilani’s “Top 10 Stupid Band Names,” I’d like to point out that, yes, not only are some band names stupid, or bad - sometimes they’re downright stolen.

We’ve all sat around stoned, drunk (even sober) and thought up – or accidentally stumbled upon - the next greatest band name EVER. There’s got to be a list of those names somewhere, right? I seem to remember someone saying, “We’ve got to write that one down!” 

There are plenty of band names inspired by literate source material or that just make sense (Steely Dan, named after a dildo in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch or The L.A. Guns and Hollywood Roses combining to form Guns and Roses). But to lift the name of your group straight out of another artist’s catalog instead of establishing a new identity for your sound, your band, your business? It’s like starting up a fast food chain and calling it “Big Mac’s.”

As my wife pointed out, the only time a tribute should be paid to a band’s song is when you’re actually paying tribute to that band – as is the case with “Paradise City: The Guns N Roses Tribute” or ”Strutter: The Ultimate Tribute to Kiss.”

Here’s my list of offenders (in order of offense taken):

1. Radiohead - (Radio Head, Talking Heads)

2. Uh Huh Her – (PJ Harvey, the name of an album – the title track was actually cut)

3. The Brief Candles – (The Zombies)

4. Boris – (Melvins)

5. Sisters of Mercy – (Leonard Cohen)

6. Rolling Stone(s) – (Muddy Waters)

7. Godsmack – (Alice in Chains)

8. Funeral for a Friend – (a multi-layered offense here - after Planes Mistaken for Stars’ song ”Funeral for a Friend” jacked from Elton John’s “Love Lies Bleeding/Funeral for a Friend.”)

9. Turns out I’m unwittingly guilty as well. My most recent group, Auditorium, could be accused of taking our name from the Guided by Voices song.

10. I want to hear from you – there have got to be more out there.