Whether or not you are aware of it, Todd Snider is truly one of America's treasures.

You’ve most likely heard the old saying “You can’t appreciate the artist until you’ve seen him perform live,” an arguable statement depending on the artist, but without a doubt applicable in Todd Snider’s case.

His ease and rapport with his audience is honed as only countless one-nighters in smoky barrooms can provide, and his quick wit and spontaneity both within and between songs make for unique and remarkable entertainment.

So it is with great excitement that Snider's new double live CD, “The Storyteller,” is received by his adoring fans. Backed by Great American Taxi, the band led by former Leftover Salmon frontman Vince Herman, Snider laughs, sings and jokes his way through 24 of his classic stories, and in doing so has created one of the funniest and most entertaining albums of the year.

Snider may be the last remaining hippie folkie, appearing with his well-worn hobo hat, untucked shirt, jeans, skinny tie and bare feet, and singing about “Looking For A Job,” “East Nashville Skyline,” and “Conservative Christian, Right-Wing Republican, Straight, White, American Males.” His classic “Ballad of the Kingsmen” wonders why society makes such a big deal out of rock ‘n’ roll lyrics when so many other, more important things go unnoticed.

What fans like most about Todd Snider is his utter lack of pretension: when asked about his craft of songwriting, he shuffles his feet and says something about “making sh*# up.” All I know is that whenever I'm feeling low, I can simply throw “The Storyteller” into the CD player and it'll put a smile on my face and make me laugh. That's what makes Todd Snider a national treasure, and makes so many people look forward to the next stuff he makes up.