THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

** Po' Girl @ Gunther Murphy's, (773) 472-5139, Nov. 19

** Mary Lee's Corvette @ Abbey Pub, (773) 478-4408, Dec. 3

** Over The Rhine @ Martyr's, (773) 404-9494, Dec. 14

Since the cow-punk days of the '80s, when bands such as Lone Justice, Rank & File and The Long Ryders paved the way for the insurgent country and No Depression bands that followed in their wake (see Wilco, Son Volt and the Bloodshot Records catalog), the wedding of modern rock and traditional country has created some unusual marriages.

You can hear traces of Lone Justice's Maria McKee in the breathtaking vocals of Over The Rhine's Karin Bergquist. You can also hear Sheryl Crow and Karen Perris (of The Innocence Mission) in Bergquist's voice and in the 10 songs on Ohio (Back Porch), the latest album by Over The Rhine. Throughout the double-disc set's two sides, Bergquist and husband/co-writer/band member Linford Detweiler reveal the roots of their devotions to each other and their families, to Ohio and to God. The old-time religion that shows up here and there (listen to 'Jesus In New Orleans') is tastefully and gracefully delivered—no bible thumping here. As you might have guessed from the album's title, it is the songs of personal geography songs (the title track, 'Suitcase,' 'Changes Come,' 'Long Lost Brother,' 'Hometown Boy') that are among the best traveling companions.

Another male/female duo is the basic components of eastmountainsouth and its self-titled debut disc (DreamWorks). Also like Over The Rhine, eastmountainsouth has a touch of the traditional on its album, opening the disc with Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times,' and including an African-American spiritual ('Rain Come Down') and a ballad ('The Ballad of Alban and Amandy'). In their favor, many of eastmountainsouth's original songs, including 'Winter,' 'So Are You To Me,' 'Still Running,' 'Too Soon,' and 'Mark's Song,' hold their own alongside such standards.

Hot on the heels, or should I say wheels, of Mary Lee's Corvette's 2002 live CD re-enactment of Dylan's Blood On The Tracks comes the studio album 700 Miles (Bar/None). Produced by Eric 'Roscoe' Ambel, the husband of Mary Lee Kortes (of the band's name), and producer of other like-minded alt-country acts including The Bottle Rockets and Whiskeytown, the album has enough piano, fiddles, cellos, acoustic and electric guitars for it to pick up a slight country lilt. Standout tracks include 'Like Water,' 'More Stupider,' '(Give It To) The Needy,' 'Haunting Me,' and 'No Place To Fall.'

Oh Susanna's well-received independently released Sleepy Little Sailor full-length debut established Suzie Ungerleider as a force within the alt-country music scene. On her self-titled major label debut (Nettwerk America), Ungerleider, dare I say it, takes a dip in the commercial creek and the water is fine. Beginning with memorable opening track, 'Carrie Lee,' on which Ungerleider recalls Patty Griffin, the tone of this album is more immediately gratifying. Other songs that elicit a well-deserved 'Oh!,' include the upbeat blues of 'Right By Your Side,' the bare-bones ballad 'The One,' an acoustic reading of Dylan's 'I'll Keep It With Mine,' the political message of the propulsive 'Cain Is Rising,' and the beautiful album closer 'Billy.'

At the forefront of the insurgent country club since 1995, husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks of The Handsome Family consistently distinguish themselves from the others by sticking with the haunting and harrowing formula that has made them so distinctive; Brett's baritone and Rennie's airy alto give the songs an early morning fog quality. Singing Bones (Carrot Top) is no exception, each song hovering like the ghosts they sing about in '24-Hour Store.' Respectfully retro, yet ultimately contemporary country attractions include 'The Forgotten Lake,' 'Gail With The Golden Hair,' 'A Shadow Underneath,' 'Fallen Peaches,' 'Sleepy' and 'The Song Of A Hundred Toads.'

Blacky Ranchette, the alter ego of prolific singer/songwriter/musician Howe Gelb, has resurfaced with Still Lookin' Good To Me (Thrill Jockey) by The Band of … Blacky Ranchette. Joined by a stellar assortment of guest performers, including Neko Case, Richard Buckner, Chan (Cat Power) Marshall, M. Ward, Kurt Wagner (of Lambchop), Jon Rauhouse and Calexico, to name a few, Senor Ranchette walks the line between accessibility ('Mope-A-Long Rides Along,' 'Getting It Made,' 'Left Again') and obscurity ('The Train Singer's Song,' 'Airstream,' 'My Hoo Ha,' and a bizarre rendition of 'Working On The Railroad') with the grace of a latter day Johnny Cash.

Speaking of insurgent country goddess and diva supreme Neko Case, she can be heard singing with her side project Canadian popsters The New Pornographers on their amazing sophomore effort Electric Version (Matador). Dreadful album cover aside, Case's priceless presence on songs such as the title track, 'From Blown Speakers,' 'The Laws Have Changed,' 'All For Swinging You Around,' 'It's Only Divine Right,' 'Miss Teen Wordpower,' and the 'lesbian rage' of 'Chump Change, ' is kind of like Dolly Parton singing with the Beatles.

If Emily Dickinson was alive today, and from Appalachia and not Amherst, she might sound a bit like Trailer Bride on their newest album Hope Is A Thing With Feathers (Bloodshot). Dickinson gets a nod in the album title and in the song of the same name. Lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Melissa Swingle (that's her playing the saw, too) could be P J Harvey at a hoedown on 'Skinny White Girl,' 'Mach 1,' 'Lightning,' 'Vagabond Hotel' and 'Drive With The Wind,' if you didn't know better. Trish Klein (a founding member of The Be Good Tanyas, whose recent album, Chinatown, is well worth a listen) teams up with Allison Russell under the moniker Po Girl (Hightone) and singing and songwriting twin sisters The Mickeys (Amy and Julie) have their say on their debut disc Finding Our Way (RiverBeat).

Two other sisters, Vikki Simpson and Donna Simpson, are joined by Joshua Cunningham to form The Waifs. 'Fisherman's Daughter,' from their latest album Up All Night (Compass/Jarrah) contains the line 'I'm just your regular West Australian fisherman's daughter,' which tells you right from the start that this isn't going to be your 'regular' country disc. Sure, in the next line she declares 'I'm a middle class folk singing guitar playin girl,' and the instrumentation, including dobro, ukulele, mandolin, acoustic guitar and harmonica backs up that claim. But this album still has a down-under accent, giving the songs a somewhat unusual feel. Heck, even the band-members themselves are conscious of it, as you can hear in the song 'London Still,' with the lines 'I wonder if you can pick up/My accent on the phone.'

The niece of the late Chicago-based queer icon and cult-figure, writer Jon-Henri Damski, Alene Bertman is an accomplished musician. With her husband William, they are known as the duo William & Alene and their latest album of acoustic instrumentals is titled Gypsy Supper (Wishcake). Most of the songs, including 'Reception,' 'Mermaid,' 'No Words,' 'Morrison's Jig & Andy De Jarlis,' and 'The Fine Woven Thread,' have a pleasant Celtic curve to them. The album's hypnotic closing track, 'Parade,' with Jay Kenney on piano, was my favorite on the disc.

Even though it pre-dates the cow-punk and insurgent country scenes by some 20 years, the influence of Sweetheart of The Rodeo (Columbia/Legacy) by The Byrds is undeniable. The impact may, in fact, have more to do with the late Gram Parsons than anything else, but it's hard to imagine any of the country-tinged bands that followed in the wake of Sweetheart … not citing this album in some way. Now available in a deluxe double disc 'Legacy Edition,' the considerably expanded version includes the original LP, additional master takes, six songs by Parsons's pre-Byrds band The International Submarine Band and 14 'working demos, outtakes & rehearsal versions.'

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First photo, eastmountainsouth, Peter Adams and Kat Maslich.

Second, Mary Lee Kortes of Mary Lee's Corvette.

Third, The International Submarine Band. From top: Gram Parsons, Mickey Gauvin, John Nuese, Ian Dunlap.

Fourth, Over the Rhine, Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler.