Mercury Records Inc.

Lee Hazlewood Re-Issues Chart an Unexpected Trajectory

Top 25 Lists of 13 New Times Contributors

Top 10 Country Records of 2008

By Michael McCall Photo by Michael Alan GoldbergTwo young blondes with toothy smiles and hard-core work ethics, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, helped country expand its fan base in these years of shrinking music sales. Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Tim McGra ... More >>

Positive Spin

Locals find national success – despite a lack of Valley interest

Critics VS 2002: Rebuilding From Ash

2002 spent the year in a 9/11 hangover. Through the confusion, notable and amazing works still arose

Are They It?

Believe the hype, because The Strokes are as good as advertised

Battery Power Trio

Recharged with a new rhythm section, an ever-ready Nine Volt returns

Obsessions, Passions, Perversions 2000

Music critics reveal their deepest, darkest record-buying secrets in New Times' annual poll

No Lag in the Hag

Merle Haggard makes a triumphant return. Wait -- he never went away.

Brother 'Hood

Philly kids Marah mine the sights and sounds of their hometown for a brilliant sophomore effort

She's the One

Local songstress gets ready to do business with the high and mighty

Lick It Up

Trashman dreams of Genie, but he never shows

End of the Road

For Jesus Chrysler Supercar and Windigo, breaking up is hard to do -- unless you're partying with the Me So Horny girls

Hip-Hop's Clown Heavy

Kool Keith and his multiple aliases take listeners on a real warped tour

Honky Tonk Union and Real to Reel Review

Mr. Clyne's Wild Ride

After more than two years of turmoil, Roger Clyne emerges scarred but undeterred with a new band and double album

Taking Liberties

Elvis Costello's recent collaboration with Burt Bacharach restores order to his maddening decade

Mystery Men

Face it, you don't really know what the Everly Brothers have been doing all these years, do you, Bird Dog?

Life of O'Reilly

The Valley's best drummer is moving to Boston, and a handful of bands are feeling the crunch

Dusty Rides Again

Being good wasn't always easy, but seven Dusty Springfield reissues prove that "the White Negress" never settled for less than great

Repackaged Goods

The boxed-set dilemma: When are four CDs too little and three CDs too much respect?

Mule Train

Sleepwalker's Jamal Ruhe vents his aggressive side with new band Yearofthemule

Letters

9 Volt Leads the Charge

Tempe power trio proves that it really is a fine line between clever and stupid

End of a Record Run

The sudden demise of Zia founder Brad Singer shakes the local music community he helped to build

Austin Stories

Confused agenda of SXSW can't obscure the many musical highlights

Letters

Loose Pucks

It's the end of the world as we know it, and Puck is master of ceremonies

Recordings

Wanted Man

Johnny Cash may be just a legend, but he has never sounded better

Hacker, Cracker, Watchman, Spy

Some old-school Valley hackers grew up to be high-tech cat burglars. Some went to work for the man. Some just never grew up.

Power Trio

Peter Buck goes West with Eitzel, Middle Eastern with Tuatara, and everywhere else with Minus 5

Recordings

Recordings

Blue Ska Ahead

Thirty years after ska was born in Jamaica, its prospects in the U.S. have never looked better, thanks in part to Toasters founder Rob "Bucket" Hingley

RETRO ROCKET

VIVA JERRY JEFF!

AUSTIN OUTLAW WALKER HITS THE ROAD. AGAIN.

YOU DON'Y KNOW DIDDLEY

BO CAME UP WITH THE BEAT, BUT HE DIDN'T GET THE BUCKS. NOW HE'S GOT A DREAM.