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Cowboy Mouth

Never mind the cowboy hats, this New Orleans quartet is not a country band. With a name taken from a Sam Shephard play, Cowboy Mouth has been around for more than a decade melding mainstream rock, elements of pop and a touch of country. If Rob Thomas started dating Shania Twain, they might write a few Cowboy Mouth tunes together.

Led by singer and drummer Fred LeBlanc, the band released "Uh-Oh" in 2003. The record is packed with cheeky covers ("Tomorrow Never Knows") and mainstream pop chart fodder ("Disconnected"). But Cowboy Mouth's fiery live shows remain its bread and butter, drawing legions of devoted fans for every gig.

Cowboy Mouth lineup

Fred LeBlanc-- vocals, drums

Paul Sanchez--guitar

John Thomas Griffith--guitar, keyboards

Mary LaSang--bass

Cracker

Cracker's self-titled debut yielded the hit "Teen Angst," and the band's sophomore release "Kerosene Hat" continued the run with the inescapable hit "Low."

These songs were mixed blessings for Cracker. While they raised its profile, they got the band lumped in with other flavor-of-the-month hit-makers, inviting a quick fade. It's a shame. Singer Dave Lowery (of Camper Van Beethoven fame) writes witty, harsh and sometimes apocalyptic songs about relationships, fame and shady characters. Despite fading from the charts, Cracker has consistently produced rock-solid albums.

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