It's been a good year -- a really good year -- for Alejandro Escovedo, with his first-ever Billboard chart appearance and loads of endorsements from famous friends. But there is one lingering bit of awkwardness, over the song "Chip N' Tony" on Escovedo's new album. It's a tribute to the Kinman Brothers, Escovedo's former bandmates in the early-1980s band Rank & File; but the Kinmans are reportedly less than thrilled with the namecheck.

"I've heard various things, and it's hard to know what to believe about what is and isn't true," Escovedo said last week. "I heard they weren't too happy, that I was on their [expletive] list -- which wouldn't surprise me, since I kind of always felt that way ever since we were in a band together. But that's the way it goes with bands, you know? The funny thing is, that song does not slag them at all. It celebrates what we had at the time. I've always felt Rank & File was never fully appreciated. Regardless of our shortcomings as friends, I learned a lot from them about how to be in a band. They're still phenomally great songwriters and singers and musicians, and I've got nothing but respect for them."

For more, see this interview in Tuesday's paper. Also, Escovedo is playing Thursday night at Cat's Cradle. Go.