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The Riptones' love of happenin' American roots music is so giddy and unaffected, you'd think they were wide-eyed little kids at Christmas staring into a department store window full of cool old records by Ricky Nelson, Webb Pierce, Carl Perkins, the Everly Brothers, Hank Thompson, and Elvis Presley.

Don't get me wrong, though, this ain't no cheesy, heartless retro re-hashing. They know how to cook with gas when they need to. The wall of sound rhythm section (including the antics of stand-up man Earl Carter), the Johnny Horton cum Dave Alvin guitar of Jeb Bonansinga, and the odd pedal steel track are torqued into the red by producer/guitar slinger Ian Spanic (of the Spanic boys).

On Cowboy's Inn, we find the Riptones once again moving seamlessly between rockabilly, honky-tonk, and country. It's like walking down to your favorite watering hole, cozying up with your reprobate friends, having a few pitchers, and, next thing you know, you're pounding your a) boots b) glass c) pool cue d) friend's head or e) all of the above on the table in a state of happy abandon.

Come on down.....

"If hard-living country music with rustic, smart lyrics... is your style, Cowboy's Inn has a room for you. If not, you deserve all the crappy, candy-assed country music that Sony and Universal are doling out these days." Stephanie Kuenn, The Daily Cardinal

"Amid a burgeoning rockabilly/insurgent country movement--an exploding genre that's produced a few highlights in the last few years and a lot of crap--the Riptones still stand out for their polish and professionalism." Brian Lindamood, Columbus Alive

"The hot rockin' guitar licks [will] delight all Derailers fans... but the Riptones are at least one notch tougher with a wider and more modern spectrum." GM, Blue Suede News