Bob Wills

Hot Club of Cowtown

The Lost Art of Harassing Your Sidemen

Great names in the history of sideman harassment: Sidney Bechet, Bob Wills, Robbie Fulks, and Thelonious Monk​ One day in the 1920s, Sidney Bechet took his clarinet out of his mouth and swung it like a baseball bat against the head of vocalist Billy Banks, splattering blood and brain matter ov ... More >>

Rocket Queen: Deep in the Heart of Ballard

Musicians pay tribute to a state they love.

Junior Brown Twangs It Up Tonight @ Neumo's!

It's January. Nothin' much to do 'round these parts. It's cold. It's drizzly. But Neumo's is serving up a stiff drink tonight that'll surely cure them Winter Blues. The Indiana-born twang-master Junior Brown! Yeah, he of the "guit-steel" hybrid and baritone vocals, the latter of which you might re ... More >>

Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson to Hold Hands at The Paramount

Merle Haggard performed at The Paramount on Feb. 11, 2007, along with Neko Case. Photos by Jenny Jimenez. Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson When: April 3 Where: The Paramount Cost: $45 to $65 via Ticketmaster, on sale Saturday) Extremely long press release (and a photo of Neko Case) after the jump ... More >>

Earth and the Sweet Hereafter

Ambient doom metal and roots music move ever closer, thanks to an unlikely pairing.

Old Hag

A member of Mama Tried, a local Merle Haggard tribute band, opens up about his hero.

Skygreen Leopards

Plus CD Reviews of The Modernist, Lucinda Williams, and the Hightone Records Story.

Matthew Friedberger

Plus CD Reviews of The Sadies, Golden Smog, and Mew.

Taking Tiger Mountain

Neko Case roams the country.

CD Reviews

Neko Case roams the country.

SW Music Awards Showcase

Three views.

What the hell is "Roots Music"?

PBS serves up McFolk.

A Beat Apart

From yodeling to cartoon sound effects, these CDs can't be duplicated

Early rumblings

Psycho-country music stars like Porter Wagoner were violent before Eminem made violence cool.