Email Author William Michael Smith

2009 Stories by William Michael Smith

• Lost Tuneage: "The Singing Fisherman," Honky-Tonk Man Johnny Horton

  published Nov 18, 2009

  Other than Buck Owens, no artist had a bigger effect on Dwight Yoakam than "The Singing Fisherman," Johnny Horton. This East Texas rockabilly cool cat grabbed Rocks Off's attention every time his nam... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Sickest, Most Twisted Musical Genre Isn't Gangsta Rap - It's Bluegrass

  published Nov 18, 2009

  Not really sure whether it's our alcohol mixture, some pharmacological imbalance our sex life or just male menopausal phenomena, but lately Lonesome, Onry and Mean has been on an evil bluegrass jag. ... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Lonesome Onry and Mean: How Two Houstonians Helped Make Dwight Yoakam a Star

  published Nov 17, 2009

  Dwight Yoakam live at Rockefeller's, October 1986rOther than his adopted Los Angeles, Houston may be the most important city in country singer Dwight Yoakam's career. Yoakam's music finally found a r... More >>

• Hilary York

  published November 19, 2009

  Former Ginger Man bartender Hilary York has been in Austin for over a decade now and, at least part time, pursuing a music career. She recently... More >>

• Send Lawyers, Guns & Money: Nine Non-Boring Songs About the Work Attorneys Do

  published Nov 17, 2009

  Rocks Off's local watering hole is frequented by a lawyer named Eugene Lawley, whom we always refer to as our Walker Percy. Lawley has more than a small literary bent - we hardly ever mention a book ... More >>

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  Lonesome Onry and Mean: Last Men Standing

  published Nov 12, 2009

  rLonesome Onry and Mean vaguely remembers someone telling us a couple of years ago that Las Vegas bookies actually had a line on whether Chuck Berry would die that year (we think it was 2007). T... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Dear Local Musicians, Grammy Consideration Is Not the Same Thing As Grammy Nominations

  published Nov 11, 2009

  Ah, here we go again with local artists trumpeting "Grammy nominations." The latest is Atascocita-grown country singer Susan Hickman, who seems to fancy herself as a Miranda Lambert/Martina McBride t... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Poppies Still Blow In Flanders Fields... A Veteran's Day Salute from Rocks Off and Lonesome Onry and Mean

  published Nov 11, 2009

  "In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short... More >>

• Darrell Scott

  published November 12, 2009

  Superlatives surround Darrell Scott: hit song writer, monster picker, amazing voice. I still find it amazing that an artist of so many talents is... More >>

• Dengue Fever

  published November 12, 2009

  Dengue Fever was one of our most pleasant discoveries of 2008, when the Los Angeles outfit wowed us with a sold-out performance at the Orange... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: An Artist Best In Texas and LOM Can Agree On. Seriously.

  published Nov 09, 2009

  While anyone who follows this column knows that Lonesome, Onry and Mean can't stand about 90 percent of what gets touted in Best in Texas magazine and labeled Texas/Red Dirt music, we have always had... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Old Home Weekend at Anderson Fair

  published Nov 06, 2009

  Two alumni of Houston's fabled folk scene return to Anderson Fair this weekend. Vince Bell lives in Santa Fe, N.M., these days, but he will always be associated with the heyday of the Houston folk sc... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Mucky Duck Hits a Hot Streak In the Cool Weather

  published Nov 04, 2009

  Lonesome, Onry and Mean just noticed that venerable listening room McGonigel's Mucky Duck has a major streak of high-grade talent Nov. 12 through 17. Beginning with the Subdudes on the 12th, the Duck... More >>

• Black Lightning

  published November 5, 2009

  Since beginning his professional career at the tender age of 18 in UK folk-rock trailblazers Fairport Convention, for more than 40 years Richard... More >>

• Mojo Nixon, Dash Rip Rock, New Duncan Imperials

  published November 5, 2009

  Something tells me it's not the worldwide economic meltdown that has brought Mojo Nixon back out on the road in what he describes on his Web site... More >>

• The Fabulous Thunderbirds

  published November 5, 2009

  It's hard to believe the Fabulous Thunderbirds have been around 35 years. Formed in Austin in 1974, the respected band found its way onto stages... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Drive-By Truckers or the Old Quarter Acoustic Cafer

  published Oct 30, 2009

  Lonesome Onry and Mean is torn as to his whereabouts this evening. Drive-by Truckers will be knocking down walls and eardrums at House of Blues, and that's where we'll probably end up. But if Galvesto... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" and the Tragic Ballad of Kirsty MacColl

  published Oct 28, 2009

  Lonesome, Onry and Mean has never hidden our distaste for Christmas music. So if we were ever called on to choose our favorite Christmas song, the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" would win hands down... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Lonesome Onry and Mean: All Hail the King of Irish Rock and Soul, Van the Man Morrison

  published Oct 27, 2009

  Obviously with U2 and the Pogues alone, the Irish scene has had a huge effect on the pop music of the past half century. But no list of Irish influences on 20th century rock and roll can be complete ... More >>

• More Like Him

  published October 29, 2009

  One of Nashville's most enigmatic figures, Webb Wilder is not only a balls-to-the-wall rocker in the Rockpile/Small Faces tradition, his series of... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Clancy Brothers, or the Pogues of the '60s

  published Oct 26, 2009

  Wonder what the Pogues show Thursday is going to look liker Here's our guess... "I had the good fortune to meet Liam Clancy of the Clancy Brothers once and while talking with him over a cup of tea I ... More >>

• R.I.P. Former Ale House and Stag's Head Manager Angela Mullan Jenkins

  published Oct 23, 2009

  A wake will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Stag's Head Pub for Angela Mullan Jenkins, who passed away Thursday from breast cancer complications. Jenkins came to Houston from Northern Ireland... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  R.I.P. Thirteenth Floor Elevators/International Artists Engineer Walt Andrus

  published Oct 23, 2009

  Andrew Brown/ Patrick Lundborg/ lysergia.com Walt Andrus in his studio, 1967r Walt Andrus, best known as the engineer of numerous Thirteenth Floor Elevators sessions, has gone where the pyramid meets ... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Celtic Accordion Queen Sharon Shannon

  published Oct 23, 2009

  One of Lonesome Onry and Mean's favorite Pogues tracks is actually Steve Earle's great anti-war song "Johnny Come Lately" from Earle's Copperhead Road album. Earle has frequently spoken of his affinit... More >>

• Lonesome Onry and Mean: Has Miranda Lambert Sparked a Revolution In Nashviller

  published Oct 22, 2009

  If there is a ticking time bomb signaling the impending end of the '80s hair-band nature of mainstream country music, Miranda Lambert is probably lighting the fuse. Lambert's third album, Revolution,... More >>