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1. SCOTT COX: This Foo Fighter would do his honky-tonk heroes proud

   By Scott Cox

   Tuesday, Jun 18 2013 06:04 PM

   I went to the Crystal Palace last Thursday to see Foo Fighters guitar player Chris Shiflett. It seems Chris and some friends decided to devote a year to proper honky-tonk music. The tour they're on is obviously to get comfortable with the material in advance of their album, "All Hat and No Cattle," which comes out in July. I've only heard a few rough cuts of the songs on the record, but they're fantastic, and it was great seeing them play live at the Palace. Their set list was a virtual who's who of country greats, from Hank Williams to Buck and Merle, with some Waylon thrown in for good measure. The combination of reverence for the material combined with their very personal spin on the songs is fantastic. Buck would've loved this band....

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2. 

   SCOTT COX: Dark and twisted? Right up my alley, brother

   This week's coolest thing, believe it or not, is an e-book. I think. I'm not really sure what those are, and I've never had one before. I'm an old-fashioned actual-book kind of guy. Here's how it happened: I was watching "The Colbert...
3. 

   SCOTT COX: Modern TV classic gets paroled by way of Netflix

   This week's primary obsession was anticipated well in advance. There's nothing like having something taken away from you, only to get it back later. Such is the case with "Arrested Development." One of my favorite TV shows of all time, it...
4. 

   SCOTT COX: This hungry judge ready for seconds

   I am a huge barbecue fan, and I've eaten well more than my share of it at smokehouses all over the country. But last weekend, during my debut as a certified Kansas City Barbecue judge at Bakersfield's Biggest, Baddest BBQ competition,...
5. 

   SCOTT COX: Hitting the hotel jackpot in Vegas

   Just got back from my buddy's wedding in Las Vegas, where I discovered that all is not lost if you happen to be exiled -- as we were -- from staying on the Strip. When I called to book a room, all the hotels on the Strip were full for the...
6. 

   SCOTT COX: No Show Jones showed 'em all

   I had quite a few things lined up for the column this week, but their inherent coolness was overwhelmed by the news of the passing of a giant: George Jones. So this week's "Obsessions" is for, and about, one of the greatest singers country...
7. 

   SCOTT COX: Bakersfield's got talent -- and how

   Friday night was the Bakersfield Phenom competition at BHS. A shameless ripoff of "American Idol," this contest pits kids from various high schools against one another, and I was a judge. I didn't want to do it at first, but my pal Monty...

9. SCOTT COX: Best Blu-ray player ever and it's not overpriced?

   The Oppo BDP-95 Blu-ray player is my current favorite thing in the world. I really hate junk electronics, but I also have a very low tolerance for overpriced gear. Well the folks at Oppo have once again proved that there's still really...
10. 

    SCOTT COX: How I got my Merle Haggard signature guitar

    There are exactly two people I've asked for autographs. The first was pedal-steel great Lloyd Maines, whom I met last year at Gruene Hall in Texas. He signed my sweaty hat, which I still wear. The second was Merle Haggard, who signed my...
11. 

    SCOTT COX: Best film of 2012? I'm thinkin' 'Lincoln'

    This Week's Obsessions is a regular feature that touches on what has us buzzing in Eye Street. This week brought us the release of "Lincoln" on Blu-ray. I loved it when it hit theaters a few months ago, and I love it even more now. I don...

12. SCOTT COX: This album is cool, even for Clapton

    Welcome to This Week's Obsessions, a regular feature that touches on what has us buzzing in Eye Street. The thing I gravitated to first this week is "Old Sock," the new album by Eric Clapton. Now anything Clapton does is automatically...
13. 

    SCOTT COX: Look! That's me on 'First Look'!

    Welcome to This Week's Obsessions, a regular feature that touches on what has us buzzing in Eye Street.   This week's obsessions are all no-brainers. We have this new morning show called "First Look with Scott Cox," and it's been...
14. 

    SCOTT COX: No mouse ears in this joint

    A few weeks ago, I was faced with the unenviable task of trying to come up with something special for my wife's birthday. It was one of those big birthdays. I won't say which one it was, but suffice it to say that she probably got at least...