Various Artists - Down to the Promised Land: 5 Years of Bloodshot Records

As independent record labels go, five years is a lifetime. Half a decade and over 70 releases after a late-night drunken tirade against the music industry gave it life, Chicago's Bloodshot Records has proven itself to be perhaps the most important Americana-no Depression-alt-country heap.

The label has always prided itself in merging punk and country in the most unholy of matrimonies, and Down to the Promised Land proves the marriage works. Within the two-disc set's 40 tracks are excellent rock tunes from the likes of the Yahoos, the Waco Brothers (doing the Who's "Baba O'Riley"), aggressive cowpunk from The Roughnecks, and Trailer Bride, straight-up honky tonk from the Cornell Hurd Band and Nora O'Connor, and speedgrass from folks like The Meat Purveyors and Split Lip Rayfield. But the biggest moment? Without a doubt the Unholy Trio's low-fi cover of Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise," complete with strains of "Dixie" thrown in for good measure. ~ John Duffy, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alan Weatherhead Producer Alejandro Escovedo Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals Amy Nelson Vocals Andre Williams Vocals Anna Fermin Vocals Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel Performer Anne Tkach Vocals, Percussion, Drums Bare Jr. Performer Bill Anderson Guitar Bill Curry Guitar (Rhythm), Bass, Guitar, Vocals Bobby Bare, Jr. Guitar, Vocals Brad Goolsby Drums Brendan Burke Engineer, Producer Brett Sparks Vocal Harmony Brian Standefer Cello Brian Wilson Drums Caitlin Cary Vocals, Violin Casper Rawls Producer Celine Fiddle Cherilyn DiMond Vocals, Standup Bass Chip Taylor Vocals, Producer, Guitar (Acoustic) Chris Grady Bass Chris Stamey Handclapping, Engineer, Mixing, Producer Clay Merritt Guitar Cody Nicolas Piano Colin Mahoney Producer Cornell Hurd Performer Dallas Good Banjo, Organ, Guitar Damon Hennessey Vocals (Background) Dan Baird Vocals, Guitar Dan Bolton Guitar Dan Massey Drums Dancing Eagle Cymbals, Drums Daniel Henzerling Guitar, Vocals, Percussion Danny Black Guitar, Vocals, Producer, Lap Steel Guitar Darcie Deaville Fiddle Daryl White Standup Bass Dave Willingham Engineer David Perales Violin Dean Tomasek Guitar (Bass) Deanna Varagona Producer, Vocals Deano Guitar, Vocals Denny Dale Guitar (Bass), Vocal Harmony Devil in a Woodpile Performer Duane Jarvis Mandolin, Vocals, Bass, Guitar Earl C. Whitehead Guitar, Vocals Earl Carter Bass (Upright) Ed Rose Producer Eddie Spaghetti Bass, Vocals Eric Ambel Drums, Producer, Bass, Percussion, Engineer, Lap Steel Guitar, Dulcimer, Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards Eric Danheim Guitar (Rhythm) Eric Mardis Banjo, Vocals Frank X. Roeber Bass George Bradfute Engineer, Mixing Gerald Collier Piano Giant Sand Performer Gina Black Banjo, Bass (Upright), Vocals Graham Parker Vocals Grievous Angels Producer Hazeldine Producer Hector Muñoz Drums Hugh Whitaker Drums, Vocals Ian Spanic Guitar, Producer James Emmenegger Drums Jamie Stirling Drums Jane Baxter-Miller Vocals Jeb Bonansinga Vocals, Guitar Jeff Eaton Bass Jerry Soto Producer Jim DeWan Banjo Joe Eddy Hines Guitar Joe Terry Accordion John Convertino Drums John Platania Guitar (Electric), Producer John Rice Bazouki Johnny Dowd Guitar, Vocals, Producer Jon Langford Cover Painting, Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer Jon Rauhouse Producer, Pedal Steel Banjo Jon Williams Mandolin, Vocals Jonboy Vocals, Guitar Jonboy Langford & the Pine Valley Cosmonauts Performer Justin "Trevor" Asher Keyboards Keith Brogdon Drums, Percussion Keith Christopher Vocals, Bass Kelly Hogan Vocals (Background), Vocals Kelly Kessler Vocal Harmony Ken Bethea Guitar (Electric) Ken Sluiter Mixing, Vocals (Background) Kevin McDonough Producer Kim Docter Vocals Kim Sherwood-Caso Vocals Kirk Rundstrom Guitar, Vocals Lloyd Maines Producer, Guitar (Acoustic) Lorne Rall Bass, Slide Whistle Lynn Blakey Vocals (Background) M.J.R. Mastering Marc Benning Vocals, Producer, Guitar (Acoustic) Mark Creswell Producer Mark Richards Engineer Matt Morano Producer Matt Weber Pedal Steel, Mixing Melissa Swingle Vocals, Guitar, Saw Michael Bitterman Engineer Michael Krassner Engineer Michael Krayniak Bass (Upright) Mickey Ferrell Bass, Vocals Mike Barfield Harmonica, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals Mike Belitsky Drums Mike Daly Handclapping Mike Deming Producer, Piano Mike Hagler Producer, Engineer Mike Ireland Producer, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals Mike Reed Drums, Vocals Misery Boys Producer, Performer Moe Jacksch Producer Moonshine Willy Performer Murry Hammond Guitar (Bass), Vocals (Background) Mycle Konopka Engineer Neko Case Vocals, Producer, Piano, Vocal Harmony, Guitar (Tenor) Nick Luca Engineer Nora O'Connor Vocals, Guitar, Performer Old 97's Producer, Performer Paul K. Guitar, Voices Paul Skelton Guitar Peter Collins Producer Phil Lee Drums, Tambourine Phillip Brennan Vocals, Guitar Ralph Power Drums Red Star Belgrade Mixing Rex Hobart Producer Rhett Miller Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals Rick "Cookin'" Sherry Drums (Bass), Washboard, Vocals Rick Barnes Engineer Rico Bell Accordion, Producer, Vocals Riptones Performer Robbie Fulks Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic) Robbie Jgersoe Pedal Steel Roddy Johnston Vocals, Fiddle Ron Heathman Guitar Ryan Adams Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Guitar (Electric) Sally Timms Vocals Scott Goolsby Guitar Sean Dean Bass Shawn Barton Vocals, Percussion, Guitar Snakehandlers Performer Solomon Hofer Pedal Steel Split Lip Rayfield Producer Steve Dorocke Accordion, Mandolin, Dobro Steve Goulding Vocals (Background), Guitar Supersuckers Producer Teddy Harper Engineer Terry Anderson Drums, Vocals Tex Schmidt Guitar Texas Rubies Performer The Handsome Family Producer The Hollisters Arranger The Meat Purveyors Performer The Roughnecks Producer The Sadies Performer The Waco Brothers Performer The Yayhoos Performer Tim Harper Mixing Timothy Powell Engineer Tom Reiss Vocals, Guitar Tom Spanic Vocals (Background) Tom V. Ray Bass, Standup Bass Tracy Hackney Dulcimer, Vocals, Harmonica Trailer Bride Producer Travis Good Mandolin, Vocals, Guitar, Fiddle Unholy Trinity Performer, Producer Wayne Gottstine Vocals, Mandolin