No Depression
Issue 33, May/June 2001; 144 pp.; $3.95

Named for Uncle Tupelo's first album, No Depression began to cover the emerging alternative country movement in 1995. Issue #33 includes features on alt-country staples like Lucinda Williams, Greg Trooper, and Charlie Robison, but the magazine isn't doctrinaire. Bluegrass (Dale Ann Bradley), gospel (Blind Boys of Alabama), and rock (Cowboy Junkies) also receive space. This bi-monthly magazine carries a generous portion of album reviews — both new and reissued — and offers sections on live and regional music. With engaging writing and clean editing, No Depression fills a unique niche in the alt-country community and continues to uphold its original mission. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
(Appomattox, VA)