Ever since country music was dragged kicking and screaming out the back door of the local honky tonk and propped up bound and gagged on the pop stage, underground artists such as Wayne Hancock have been trying to bring it back to where it belongs. Hancock pays homage to Texas tradition with his modern mixture of old-school western swing and raucous rockabilly. The singer and guitarist released his acclaimed debut, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, in 1995, then built his reputation with appearances on Austin City Limits and Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Since then, Hancock has released three more discs, earning more comparisons to the legacy of Hank Williams with each album. Yet Hancock is far from being a mere nostalgia act. His songwriting bears its own unique brand, and his style reawakens the piss and vinegar of the Lonestar State's once-pervasive juke-joint swing sound.
