'I grew up on the cosmic cowboy music of the Flying Burrito Brothers, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, and Jackson Browne," says Peter Bolland of the Coyote Problem. This youngest of three boys born to Dutch immigrants spent his teen years in Ventura. After earning an M.A. in philosophy, he settled in San Diego with wife Lori and began teaching in San Diego before deciding, "There just wasn't enough hard-core alt-country Americana roots-rock stuff being played out there. Hey, I'm busy too, but damn it, something had to be done."

He was soon joined by California-native Danny Cress on drums ("His style is dead center in the heart of classic American roots rock, back when there was no difference between rock, jazz, and country") and longtime musical collaborator Marcia Claire, another native, on bass and vocals ("Tying the songs together like a shuttlecock through a loom").

The Coyote Problem's newest CD Wire was released in February and features vocals from Gregory Page and Dave Howard. "I like to say [we] blend together the sadness of alt-country, the swagger of swamp rock, and the insight of singer-songwriter folk into Americana rock," says Bolland. They appear Friday, May 13, at Hooley's Irish Pub in Rancho San Diego and Saturday, May 14, at the PB Block Party on the Fanuel stage.

WHAT'S IN YOUR CD PLAYER?

Peter Bolland

1. Son Volt, Trace ("Dark, alt-country heaven.")

2. AC/DC, Back in Black ("The greatest rock-and-roll record of all time, and anyone who disagrees with me is an idiot unless they suggest Highway to Hell.")

3. Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road ("My number-one desert-island disc.")

Marcia Claire

1. The Best of Elvis Costello ("Disc one, yellow.")

2. Berkley Hart, Twelve

3. Snow Patrol, Final Straw

Danny Cress

1. Bob Dylan, Live 1966 ("Disc two.")

2. The Kinks, BBC Sessions

3. Various Artists, 94 Baker Street -- The Pop-Psych Sounds of the Apple Era '67-'69 ("An Apple Records compilation with Grapefruit, the Iveys/Badfinger, etc.")

4. Eden Ahbez, Eden's Island

5. Various Artists, Rare West Coast Surf Instrumentals ("The Strangers, Gary Usher, the Surfmen, Davie Allen, and more")

FAVORITE TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODE?

Peter "The one where a very young Robert Redford plays Mr. Death ['Nothing in the Dark']. Edgy and sweet at the same time."

Marcia " 'The Eye of the Beholder,' a.k.a. the 'Everybody Has a Pig Snout Except Me' episode."

Danny "The baseball one ['The Mighty Casey'], about this team called the Hoboken Zephyrs with the robot pitcher Casey."

GINGER OR MARY ANN?

Peter "Neither. I want Jeannie. In fact, I dream of Jeannie."

Marcia "I guess I'd choose Mary Ann for the long-term relationship/mother of my children role and Ginger for the one-night stand."

Danny "Does anybody ever pick Ginger?"

COVER SONG THAT GETS BEST LIVE RESPONSE?

Peter " 'Folsom Prison Blues' by Johnny Cash. Marcia sings the shit out of it. People go nuts for Johnny Cash. He owns, then transcends every genre. He is über cool. You can't learn how to be a Johnny Cash at songwriter conferences. He writes songs without bridges."

Marcia " 'Highway to Hell' [AC/DC], countrified...it takes people a moment to realize that it's an AC/DC song, but once they get it, it's happy headbanging time."

WORST GIG STORY?

Peter "The night I got a DUI on my birthday, driving home from a lame gig at a bar in Vista. The gig was underwhelming and exhausting, and jail pretty much blows too."

Marcia "I had a bowl of popcorn thrown on me at a gig in 1983 by a very drunk Moose Lodge member in Fullerton...the band got to leave early with full pay (and it was Halloween)."

Danny "New Year's Eve a couple years ago at the Embarcadero. Couldn't find parking. I parked so far away that I got lost walking back to the gig. Then I couldn't find my car afterwards."

CRAPPIEST MOVIE EVER?

Marcia "I really hated Mel Gibson in Hamlet. I mean hated. I'm not big on romantic comedies so chances are, if Sandra Bullock was in it, I thought it was crap."

Danny "Star Wars. The first one. I never saw any of the others."

SOMETHING FEW WOULD KNOW OR GUESS ABOUT YOU?

Peter "That I am not circumcised. Hey, I'm European."

Marcia "I can do a handstand on a skateboard -- best on long downhills."

Danny "I fought the law and I won."