Footwear: Cowboy Boots

Backsliders: Cowboy Boots [purchase]

Once again mining the classic era of alt.country ... 1997 for those of you keeping score at home ... here's North Carolina's Backsliders with a certifiable honky tonk classic. Sure, the lyrics won't confuse anyone with Harlan Howard, but killer harmonies and Chip Robinson and Stephen Howell on guitar duel more than make up for that. "Cowboy Boots" is the final track on the sadly neglected, Throwin' Rocks At The Moon, an album that gets bonus points for being produced by Dwight Yoakam's right-hand man, Pete Anderson.

Say, where in the hell ARE my cowboy boots???