On the cover: Victoria Williams and Mark Olson. Photograph by Grant Alden. Song lyric from "Hummingbird" by Victoria Williams and Mark Olson.

FRONT PORCH
Hello Stranger; All The Fixin's; Box Full Of Letters; Ten Second News; Farther Along.

A PLACE TO BE
Regional portrait
The Carter Family Fold in Maces Springs, Virginia.

MIKED
Live reviews
Del McCoury Band in Columbia, SC; Derailers in Austin, TX; Bill Kirchen & Too Much Fun in Mill Valley, CA; Son Volt and Buick MacKane in Carrboro, NC; Mickey Newbury in Nashville, TN; Steve Goodman tribute in Chicago, IL; John Fahey in New York City, NY; Ex-Husbands in Chicago, IL; Beck in Los Angeles, CA; The O Jeez in Chicago, IL.

TOWN & COUNTRY
Brief regional features
Chris Mills (Chicago, IL); Mollys (Tucson, AZ); Old Joe Clarks (San Francisco, CA); Hayseed (Nashville, TN); Tonebenders (Raleigh, NC); Highway Matrons (St. Louis, MO); Blue Rags (Asheville, NC); Damnations (Austin, TX); Lonesome Brothers (Northampton, MA); Willie P. Bennett (London, ON).

THE LONG CUT
Extended features
Chris Knight (by Grant Alden)
16 Horsepower (by Linda Ray)
Freakwater (by Allison Stewart)
Victoria Williams and Mark Olson (by Grant Alden)
Doc Watson (by Roy Kasten)

NOT FADE AWAY
Reissues
J. D. Crowe & the New South; Fred McDowell; Dottie West; Barbara Dane; Bill Withers; Kossoy Sisters with Erik Darling; Michael Hurley; Raw Pre-War Gospel; Coal Mining Women; Bill Withers.

WAXED
Record reviews
Butch Hancock; Cheri Knight; Hollisters; Sid Griffin; Bobby Hicks; Waco Brothers; Jon Langford; Kevin Johnson & the Linemen; Sacred Steel; Chuck Prophet; Donnie Fritts; Will Oldham; Corey Harris; 44 Long; Longview; Elaine Summers; Paul Burlison; Riders In The Sky; Pete Krebs; Archie Roach; Martin Simpson; Harvester; John Jennings; Terri Binion; Robin & Linda Williams; Golden Delicious; Ronny Elliot & the Nationals. Imports: Paul Burch & the WPA Ballclub; Silos; Neal Casal; Sherry Rich & Courtesy Move. Singles: Rising Shotgun/Will Oldham; Volebeats; Chris & Carla/Willard Grant Conspiracy; Drive By Truckers.

BOUND
Book reviews
Cash: The Autobiography (by Johnny Cash with Patrick Carr); Cactus Tracks & Cowboy Philosophy (by Baxter Black); That's All Right, Elvis: The Untold Story Of Elvis's First Guitarist And Manager (by Scotty Moore as told to James Dickerson)

THE NO DEPRESSION TOP 40
A retail chart for September-October 1997.

SCREEN DOOR
Stuff we like
Roxy Gordon, Picking Up The Tempo, and the smaller circles between places.