ON THE COVER: John Prine. Photograph by Thomas Petillo.

FRONT PORCH
Hello Stranger; Box Full Of Letters; Field Reportings; Farther Along (Sammi Smith, Merle Kilgore, George Scott, Goldie Hill).

MIKED — live reviews
Alejandro Escovedo, Jon Dee Graham in Berwyn, IL; Mark Olson & Gary Louris in Ames, IA; Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Tift Merritt in Nashville, TN; Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Amos Lee in Portland, OR; Jimmy Webb in Oklahoma City, OK; Flatliners in Houston, TX; Tom Russell in Philadelphia, PA; Cindy Cashdollar, Steve James & Del Rey in Woodstock, NY; International Folk Alliance Conference in Montreal, Quebec.

TOWN & COUNTRY — brief regional features
Amos Lee (Philadelphia, PA); Martha Wainwright (New York City, NY); Decemberists (Portland, OR); Milton Mapes (Austin, TX); Kelly Pardekooper (Nashville, TN); Jalan Crossland (Ten Sleep, WY); William Elliott Whitmore (Lee County, IA).

DON’T ASK ME NO QUESTIONS — Q&A
A conversation with Robert Earl Keen.
by John T. Davis

THE LONG WAY AROUND — extended features
Charlie Daniels by Jon Weisberger
Tracy Grammer by Russell Hall
Mountain Goats by William Bowers
Little Milton by David Whiteis
Robbie Fulks by Grant Alden
Dierks Bentley by Barry Mazor
John Prine by Lloyd Sachs
Solomon Burke by Kurt B. Reighley

SITTIN’ & THINKIN’ — essay
by Jesse Fox Mayshark
Bubba Sparxxx and the expanding horizons of country.

NOT FADE AWAY — reissues
Billie Holiday; Charlie Poole; Clawhammer Banjo; Doug Sahm & the Sir Douglas Quintet; Delbert & Glen; Jack Nitzsche; Roky Erickson; Jeannie C. Riley; Dirty Laundry: The Soul Of Black Country; Don Williams with Pozo Seco; Meeting In The Air: Songs Of The Carter Family; Allison’s Sacred Harp Singers; Religion Is A Fortune: Sacred Harp Singing.

WAXED — reviews
Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez; Beck; Shelby Lynne; Nic Armstrong & the Thieves; Maria McKee; Eels; Aimee Mann; Robert Cray; Okkervil River; David Olney; Greg Trooper; Sarah Borges; Over The Rhine; Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops; Alison Brown; Amy Ray; Charanga Cakewalk; Keren Ann; Tara Angell; Liz Durrett; Malcolm Holcombe; Billy Don Burns; Scott H. Biram; Audrey Auld Mezera; Wrights; Chely Wright; James Reams & the Barnstormers; Phil Leadbetter; Darrell Webb; Shurman; Lucero; Zincs; South San Gabriel; Magnolia Electric Co.; Devil In A Woodpile; Cindy Bullens; Jordan Chassan; Fire Marshals Of Bethlehem; Hickmen; Believers; Larry Campbell; Special Consensus; Heather Waters; Michael Shelley; John Evans Band; Kevin Pakulis; Chris Stuart & Backcountry. OVER THERE: Joel Plaskett; Geoff Berner. LIVE WIRES: Lucinda Williams; Otis Clay; Avett Brothers; Los Lobos. SHORT CUTS: Iron & Wine; Anders Parker; Nathan Maxwell. FILM AT 11: Drive-By Truckers; etc. BOUND: Dave Van Ronk; House of Cash; Dean Reed.

THE NO DEPRESSION TOP 40
A retail chart for November-December 2004.

SCREEN DOOR — stuff we like
by Roy Kasten
In memory of Dan Bentele.