cowpunk

Jason and The Scorchers, which formed in 1981, is an alternative country band, which combines the sounds of alternative rock and country music, and blazed the trail for cowpunk.

IT is plain that the fires of passion still burn within Jason Ringenberg - founder and frontman of the US "cowpunk" pioneers, Jason & the Scorchers - and the glow will no doubt radiate from Cluny 2 tonight when Ringenberg brings a new album, Stand Tall, to show off.

Their musical style has been variously described as psychobilly, Southern rock, hard rock and cowpunk, as well as sleaze rock.

The Outlaw Inlaws produce a high energy cowpunk experience that embodies the modern wild west.

What's happening: The Koozies, a Springfield alternative, cowpunk, psychedelic band; and Fortune's Folly, a psychedelic funk-pop band from Eugene

Former Public Works bass player Todd Kosiewski is space cowpunk Lucky Parker.

Alongside the irreplaceable Poncho, bassist Billy Talbot and drummer Ralph Molina were also in majestic form on a night when support act Los Lobos spiced up their customary melange of Tex-Mex rock, blues, cowpunk and Cajun by name-checking local heroes Black Sabbath before launching into what can only be described as Heavy Mariachi.

THERE can be few more pleasing genre names than 'cowpunk country', and that's exactly how Jason & the Scorchers describe themselves.

Lovecraft, and he has been associated with literary movements such as splatterpunk and cowpunk. Pinning down Lansdale's work isn't an easy task since he fuses genres so seamlessly and to such great effect.

And awfully catchy: McAbee's songs range from a "Rawhide"-like theme tune to swinging '60s acid rock, cowpunk and an acoustic "Pretty Little Lullaby." There's even room on the soundtrack for brief traditional Indian and Chinese instrumentation.

At reason he interviewed such eccentric Americans as the Black Panther turned Reaganite Eldridge Cleaver, a pre-Supreme Court Clarence Thomas, and Charlton Heston; he contributed reports on topics ranging from cowpunk to Kerouac, from anti-war capitalists to Delaware's former Republican governor Pete du Pont, who sought his party's presidential nomination in 1988.

Another highlight is Amy Sawers' Cowpunk Ditty which is exactly as the title suggests - a country punk-rock skiffle.