On the cover: Bottle Rockets, photograph by Thomas Petillo. Song lyric from "I.D. Blues" by Mark Ortmann.

FRONT PORCH
Hello Stranger; Box Full Of Letters; Field Reportings; Farther Along (Johnny Cash, Floyd Tillman, Warren Zevon, Ronnie Dawson, Bob Pinson).

Mark Zingarelli's Lunch Counter Diaries

MIKED — live reviews
Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, TX; Americana Music Association Conference in Nashville, TN; Blind Boys Of Alabama in Seattle, WA; R.E.M., Wilco in Morrison, CO; Jay Farrar, Canyon in Chicago, IL; Jesse Winchester in Bearsville, NY; Blue Rodeo, Oh Susanna in Carrboro, NC; Joe Henry in Seattle, WA; Beaver Nelson, Jud Newcomb, Michael Fracasso, Adam Carroll in Cary, NC; Alejandro Escovedo benefit in San Francisco, CA.

TOWN & COUNTRY — brief regional features
Glen Bonham (Atoka, OK); Richmond Fontaine (Portland, OR); Crooked Jades (San Francisco, CA); Rusty Truck (New York City, NY); Two Time Polka (Cork, Ireland); Pat McLaughlin (Franklin, TN); Jeff Klein (Austin, TX); Rodney Hayden (Pleasanton, TX).

A PLACE TO BE — regional portrait (David Cantwell)

DON’T ASK ME NO QUESTIONS — Q&A (Geoffrey Himes)

THE LONG WAY AROUND — extended features
Josh Ritter (Roy Kasten)
Handsome Family (Kurt B. Reighley)
Don Rigsby (Geoffrey Himes)
Bottle Rockets (Peter Blackstock)
Merle Haggard (Andy McLenon & Grant Alden)
Wanda Jackson (Holly George-Warren)

SITTIN’ & THINKIN’ — essay (Jesse Walker)
Bob Dylan’s Christian albums.

NOT FADE AWAY — reissues
Blues In The Mississippi Night/The Story Of The Blues; Johnny Cash/June Carter; Waylon Jennings; Glen Campbell; Stanley Brothers/Ralph Stanley; Neil Young; Country Got Soul, Volume One; Charlie Walker; Moe Bandy & Joe Stampley; Mickey Gilley.

WAXED — reviews
Dolly Parton tribute; Robert Earl Keen; Paul Westerberg/Grandpaboy; Sam Bush & David Grisman; Flaco Jimenez; Albert Lee; Chris Scruggs; Darrell Scott; Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez; Jason Ringenberg; Paul Burch; Matthew Ryan; Ben Atkins; Autumn Defense; Nadine; Frog Holler; Innocence Mission; Downpilot; Thea Gilmore; Dixie Hummingbirds; Joe Isaacs; James Blood Ulmer; Carla Bozulich; Luther Wright & the Wrongs; Cracker; Jud Newcomb; Jan Smith; Renee Austin; Ellis Paul & Vance Gilbert; Mercy Brothers; John Gorka; Tipton Hill Boys; Waterboys; Robert Bradley & Blackwater Surprise; Kaz Murphy; Band Of Blacky Ranchette.TRIBUTARIES: Gordon Lightfoot; Uncle Tupelo. LIVE WIRES: Steve Earle; Delbert McClinton; Loudon Wainwright III; Tommy Womack Band. FILM AT 11: The American Folk Blues Festival 1962-1966; Blues Story; Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues; Mance Lipscomb In Concert; Texas Blues Guitar. BOUND: Lester Bangs; Eight Miles High; Danny Gatton; Blind Lemon Jefferson; Portraits Of Country Music 1972-1981.

THE NO DEPRESSION TOP 40
A retail chart for July-August 2003.

SCREEN DOOR — stuff we like (Nate Clesowich)
Johnny Cash and friends.