Upon entering Hondo, Texas, visitors are greeted by a large sign: "This is God's country. Please don't drive through it like hell." It may be God's country, but with local band Buster Jiggs ascending national country charts, Hondo soon may be known for a little hell-raising too.

Buster Jiggs' self-titled debut album, released January 1, 2005, currently sits at #3 on the charts at XM Radio's X Country (XM Channel 12). With solid reviews from coast to coast, mail order requests from Europe and other points overseas, and strong sales at such regional outlets as LoneStarMusic.com, it's clear that Buster Jiggs is on the brink of something big.

Scott Muennink (drums) and Brett Kastner (guitar) started jamming together in Scott's garage just before Christmas 1998. They soon were joined by Scott's future wife Kristin (guitar/mandolin) and her high school friend Cody Scherer (bass). After cycling through several lead vocalists and auditioning dozens more from points far beyond Hondo, the group finally found Will Dodson (vocals) in March 2004. "And the funny thing is," says Scott, "he lives just a few blocks away from us, and we had no idea."

With Will on board, everything just seemed to click. The band was booked for studio time at Austin's famed Congress House Studio and had just six months to get Will acclimated to its material. But through the chaos, something funny happened: the band members found themselves creating new material. "We wrote four of the 12 songs on Buster Jiggs in those three weeks before hitting the studio," says Kristin. "We didn't really sit down and try to write," agrees Scott. "The songs just came."

Reckless Kelly's Cody Braun and David Abeyta produced the album, which was mixed and mastered at the legendary Cedar Creek in Austin.

Thanks to a loyal and growing fan base and the band's raucous live shows, Buster Jiggs is in high demand at venues throughout Texas and around the country. For a band with one album to its credit, simply getting a foot in the door at some of the state's most prestigious clubs, dance halls, and festivals can be difficult. But after some initial perseverance, the band lets its performance speak for itself. "We basically bug the hell out of people to let us play," says Scott, "and they always seem to invite us back."

The band adopted its name from an old poem by the cowboy poet Gail Gardner, "The Sierry Petes (or, Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail)." The poem has been recorded in song by such legendary figures as Rex Allen, Michael Martin Murphey, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. As its logo the band adopted a devil in boots playing the guitar. A friend designed the distinctive album art, which helps Buster Jiggs stand out in crowded record store bins.

With its intoxicating country-rock fusion—thanks to such disparate influences as Reckless Kelly and Nirvana, Black Sabbath and the Eagles—and with broad exposure online and on XM Radio, Buster Jiggs is sure to continue accumulating new fans around the country and across the globe. "I never expected to be in a band," says Will. "But this is the perfect place for me and things have really just exploded."

So, Hondo, get ready for a little hell-raising from some homegrown talent. The devil's got a guitar, and he's not afraid to play.