I've heard Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, and- name escapes me, but he's recent- described that way. I'm guessing it means not of Nashville.

Baltimore it depends on how many bands are playing and where and what night of the week. Most shows don't start until about 10 unless it's a pretty big name playing an all-ages show. Then it might start at 9. We have to be done by about 1:30 am in places with the liquour, which is most places where bands play here. That does mean that the headliner might not go on until almost 1. Too late for me most of the time.

As a band we like to play with only 2 other bands and to go on second--so that people have a chance to get there to see us and the drinkers in the band have a chance to drink some after.

yes, some places are calling any country/roots music peopel "alt country" if they are not mainstream. Although, I have never heard of that group, so I am just guessing.

I swear to god, there's a plot to name musical styles things that sound like I won't like them. I'm always doing that: "Ohhh! That's deep house? That's alt country??"" etc.

OK, what the hell is alt country, anyway?

Whateverthefuck the PR person wants it to be. I really hate labels.

Shows in Boston also start at varying times. At regular over-21 clubs, the headliner usually goes on between 11:30 at 12:30, depending on the bar closing time and the day of the week.

The $2 Pistols are definitely old-school country. They're just called "alt" because John Howie used to be the drummer for June and Finger.

Hayden -- Make sure you get there early enough to see the Places. It's basically just this one woman named Amy, with another guy helping out on bass. Some good stuff.

Will do.

OK, a coupla more summer tuneage:

• Guided By Voices - "Motor Away"
• Pavement - "Cut Your Hair"
• Superchunk - "Slack Motherfucker"
• X - "The World's a Mess, It's In My Kiss"
• The Blasters - "Marie, Marie"
• The Flaming Lips - "This Here Giraffe"
• The Soft Boys - "I Wanna Destroy You"

Gotta run. Later, y'all.

Also X's Fourth of July, natch.

I made a summer mix CD last year (or, man -- maybe it was the year before). It is in no way hip and cool, but it's fun:

Summertime -- Sam Cooke
summerfling -- kd lang
Talking Softball -- The Simpsons Soundtrack
Cruel Summer -- Bananarama
Dancing Barefoot -- U2
Ex Factor -- Lauryn Hill
Tell It Like It Is -- Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers
Summer Wind -- Frank Sinatra
Take Me Out to the Ballgame -- Los Straitjackets
Shame On You -- Indigo Girls
Deadbeat Club -- The B-52's
extraordinary thing -- kd lang
Every Ghetto Every City -- Lauryn Hill
it's happening with you -- kd lang
Fiona -- Lyle Lovett
And It Stoned Me -- Van Morrison
the consequences of falling -- kd lang
June Bug -- The B-52's
Summertime (Alt) -- Sam Cooke

The preponderance of kd lang is because they're all from her album "Summerfling," which, completely unto itself, is a great summer album.

Pavement - "Cut Your Hair"

Hey, "Summer Babe."

"Theme From Lawrence of Arabia" by Teisco Del Rey

"Don't Go Back to Rockville" by REM seems like a summer song to me.

As do most Allman Brothers songs in the "Sweet Melissa" vein.

"Starless Summer Sky" - Marshall Crenshaw

"Dancing in The Streets" - Martha and the Vandellas

Tell It Like It Is -- Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers

Summer Wind -- Frank Sinatra

Inspired combination.