Johnny Cash

Vintage Q&A With Rodney Crowell

Zombie Hate Brigade's awesome micro-epic "I Wanna Put my JUNK in Stacy"

Local grindcore band Zombie Hate Brigade are a clever bunch who clearly love and know the zombie mythos. They not only produced the amazing zombie Johnny Cash shirt pictured on the left (this is the back, the front says zombie in block letters -- I wear mine often), they've also managed to put out a ... More >>

Best juke-friendly jukebox

Skylark Lounge

Best Ozzy Cover by a Country Act

"Crazy Train"
The Railbenders

Q&A with William Elliott Whitmore

"William Elliott Whitmore Stretches the Definition of Hardcore," a profile in the January 22 edition of Westword, only scratches the surface of an enjoyable and revealing Q&A with this deep-voiced roots-and-folk purveyor, who shares more in common with punk rockers than just his record label. (He' ... More >>

Etta James and The Roots Band

Saturday, June 6, Boulder Theater, 303-786-7030.

Best Social Melting Pot

Sundown Saloon

Best Jukebox

Don's Club Tavern

Rexway

Last Call Scars (Hapi Skratch)

Best Alternative to Alt-Country

Out on Bail

Waterloo Ice House

An Austin institution opens a new location in Louisville.

Snoop Dogg

Ego Trippin'
Geffen Records

Discmania

Backbeat writers revisit their favorite albums of the year.

Cave Exploring

Nick Cave opens up about his most fascinating creation: himself.

The Circle Is Unbroken

O Brother's success revealed Norman Blake's genius to a wide audience. Bluegrass fans have seen it all along.

Rub-a-Dubb's Pub

O Brother's success revealed Norman Blake's genius to a wide audience. Bluegrass fans have seen it all along.

Murder by Death

Friday, May 9, Bluebird Theater, 303-830-8497.

PS Lounge

The bloom is off this rose.

Pro Choice

What does your jukebox selection say about you?

Listen Up

Fast reviews of recent releases

Johnny Cash

American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway/American)

The Great Cash-In

American V: A Hundred Highways (Lost Highway/American)

Diamonds in the Rough

Rick Rubin put the polish on Neil Diamond's new disc. Who's next?

Hello, He's Not Johnny Cash

Walk the Line never strays from the dull telling of a tall tale.

Outlaw Celebrations

Americana music gets its due from this duo.

Twist of Fate

When Rodney Crowell stopped trying to write hits, his music got better.

Now Hear This

When Rodney Crowell stopped trying to write hits, his music got better.

For the Record

For national releases, 2003 wonked as much as it rocked.

That's a Wrap-Up

Backbeat writers sound off on a few of their favorite musical things from 2002.

Johnny Cash

The Essential Johnny Cash
The Fabulous Johnny Cash
Hymns by Johnny Cash
Ride This Train
Orange Blossom Special
>Carryin' On With Johnny Cash & June Carter (Columbia)

Pledges of Allegiance

What does old-fashioned patriotic music mean in a newfangled war?

On the Records

Backbeat contributors reflect on the releases that helped them survive the year 2000.

Judgment Day

Backbeat contributors offer up their favorite recordings of 1999.

Honky-Tonkin'

Two-steppin' through a slew of recent country releases.

Feedback

Two-steppin' through a slew of recent country releases.

Cash on the Barrelhead

After a period of obscurity, Johnny Cash is once again a wanted man.

Thrills for the week

After a period of obscurity, Johnny Cash is once again a wanted man.

THRILLS

After a period of obscurity, Johnny Cash is once again a wanted man.

PLAYLIST

After a period of obscurity, Johnny Cash is once again a wanted man.

Q&A with Snoop Dogg

Photo by Jeff FarsaiSnooperman with Slightly Stoopid. It only took about six weeks to get Snoop Dogg to answer a batch of e-mail questions for a profile advancing the July 15 Blazed and Confused Tour stop at Red Rocks co-starring Slightly Stoopid, Stephen Marley and Mickey Avalon -- but it was wort ... More >>

Catherine Wheel playing Johnny Cash songs? That's what David DeVoe's shooting for with the New Ben Franklins

Photo by Jeff FarsaiSnooperman with Slightly Stoopid. It only took about six weeks to get Snoop Dogg to answer a batch of e-mail questions for a profile advancing the July 15 Blazed and Confused Tour stop at Red Rocks co-starring Slightly Stoopid, Stephen Marley and Mickey Avalon -- but it was wort ... More >>

Honky-Tonk Angels

Photo by Jeff FarsaiSnooperman with Slightly Stoopid. It only took about six weeks to get Snoop Dogg to answer a batch of e-mail questions for a profile advancing the July 15 Blazed and Confused Tour stop at Red Rocks co-starring Slightly Stoopid, Stephen Marley and Mickey Avalon -- but it was wort ... More >>

Behold this week's Double Rainbow: A five-year-old Cashing in on "Folsom Prison Blues"

So this one just popped on the radar, and will likely begin reinfecting the internet again (its already gone viral judging by the fact that it's been out a year and generated almost a million views) by the time you finish reading this. If you've already seen it, our apologies. We hadn't, and thoug ... More >>

Top Ten musical jailbirds: In honor of Lil Wayne and T.I. and their respective prison stints

​Earlier this morning, Lil Wayne was released from New York's Rikers Island after serving eight months of a one-year sentence for criminal possession of a weapon. Fellow Southern rapper T.I., meanwhile, went back to jail on Monday after a federal judge in Atlanta revoked his probation follow ... More >>

Top five best music action figures

​NECA is gearing up to release a topless, Skeletor-esque Iggy Pop action figure onto unsuspecting fans this coming June, a fact that might seem a bit odd for those who aren't familiar with rock stars' long and illustrious history with action figure manufactures. Over time we've seen plenty of ... More >>

Top five Pulitzer-worthy music memoirs

Nothing, to our way of thinking, is more captivating than the true story of very real struggle. We all have these little musical fantasies, strumming our Fenders in the dark of our apartments, listening to a little Miles Davis or Johnny Cash.

Slakjaw

Bumcore
Self-released

May 21 Judgement Day / The Rapture: Top songs to rock out to while awaiting the end

​Unless you've had your head parked squarely up your hiney for the last month or so, you've heard that May 21 is Judgement Day (aka The Rapture) -- that's this Saturday, people! It's really far too late to stockpile six months of food or build that cozy bomb shelter you and your besties have b ... More >>

Top 10 flipping the bird moments in honor of Shane Boor, whose finger case has been dropped

​Shane Boor, who faced harassment charges for flipping off a state trooper, is free to let his finger fly again. The Colorado State Patrol requested that the matter be dropped after the ACLU let it be known the organization would defend Boor's right to express himself digitally -- just like th ... More >>

Disney jacks Joy Division and other great moments in copyright infringement

Disney yanked this shirt off the shelves after they discovered the design ripped off Joy Division.​It's really hard to be a successful corporate retailer. Not only do you have to sell truckloads of stuff to make money, but you have to keep track of whose stuff it is you're even selling. Sigh. ... More >>