In New York City a few years ago, John R. Carruthers, who had just left his noisy Lower East Side rock n' roll band, the Gashounds, ran into Roy Edroso, who had just left his noisy Lower East Side rock n' roll band.

After a brief acoustic period, they were joined by bassist Mark DeAngelis who gave Lancaster County Prison a back-to-basics rock and roll sound fueled by the Ramones. Not feeling the rock sound, Roy left the band. John and Jet are currently abetted by "Smilin'" Joey Vazquez on guitar and pedal steel, Howie Mason on drums, and Gerald Donnelly on guitar, and Brett Boye (of the Rusty Nails) on bagpipes.

Two full length compact discs released on their own, and touring up and down the East Coast have brought L.C.P. to the Coolidge family. They released Live at The Village Idiot. Playing there on the first Thursday of every month for over a year, LCP thought it was time to give the rest of the world a little glimpse of what their live shows are all about. On this disc, six new songs and classic covers by Roger Miller, Waylon Jennigns, and Merle Haggard, prove that Lancaster County Prison will go down in country-punk music as one of the best, hardest working bands this side of the Mississippi.

After playing shows around the N.Y.C. area, and doing a small tour across the country. L.C.P. thought it was time to go back into the studio and record a new CD. Recording at Coyote Studios in Brooklyn,N.Y., Lancaster County Prison are back with their new CD, Death Waltz 2000. Thirteen new tracks of songs of love, war, and drinking.

If cowboys would stage-dive then Lancaster County Prison is what they'd be listening to.