Lefty Frizzell

The 30 Best Texas Albums

Ranking the 30 best Texas albums of the past 30 years seemed like an impossible task. We did it anyway.

Coming Next Week: The Texas 30

One day this summer, it must have been, a certain Mr. Craig Hlavaty brought a book he had found at a Houston-area thrift shop called (the) Genuine Texas Handbook into the office. This book is about everything you ever loved about Texas in the early '80s condensed into 200-something pages -- big hair ... More >>

The Rocks Off 100: Miss Leslie, Queen of the Honky-Tonks

Who? Miss Leslie if you're country, Leslie Anne Sloane has played fiddle/violin in both the classical and country/bluegrass styles since age 5. In 2004, she started Miss Leslie and Her Juke-Jointers, which can usually be found once or twice a month at finer roadhouses and honky-tonks in the greater ... More >>

Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Editon Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 3

The further one digs into the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music, the deeper one's appreciation of the contributions of Houston's country-music pioneers becomes. Yeah, just check out the black circles under the eyes and drunk-ass grins on Leon Payne's band above. That photo alone sp ... More >>

Thanks A Lot: An Introduction To The Late Great Ernest Tubb

Today would have been country legend and pioneer Ernest Tubb's 98th birthday. Born in 1914 in Crisp, Texas near Dallas, his hometown is now designated as ghost town. For forty years, Tubb was a mainstay on the country circuit and the charts, with songs like "Walking the Floor Over You", "Waltz Acros ... More >>

George Strait's Top 20 Songs Of All Time: Nos. 20-16

​Tuesday, George Strait released Here For a Good Time, by our count his 39th album overall. Some may call that the Madness of King George, but Rocks Off the Elder and Younger have both heard Good Time; we both think it's one of his stronger sets, continuing the bout of second wind (Third? Four ... More >>

Top 10 Texas Movie Soundtracks

​This weekend, as the rest of the world catches Harry Potter mania for (perhaps) the final time, Houston gets a serious dose of Urban Cowboy nostalgia. Theater Under the Stars' production of the Tony-nominated 2003 musical - which The New York Times called "a conclusive demonstration that it's ... More >>

My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink: Five Songs For A Hangover

funny.desivalley.com​Every now and then after a night out, Lonesome, Onry and Mean's head feels like it's been in a fight with some guy who owns a nail gun. While we may no longer be on a regular first-name basis with morning - nor, by way of waiver, are we particularly prone to over-serving o ... More >>

Brew Blog: Beer, Burgers and Gary U.S. Bonds at the Texas Beer Festival

Home Brew Demo at Texas Beer Festival. For a slideshow of the event, click here.​Last week's post about the Texas Beer Festival garnered some interesting responses. Most seemed excited about an event born out of the desire to showcase Texas beers. A few notable exceptions were voiced. Well, no ... More >>

John Anderson

The Ten Bleakest Songs In Country Music History

decodedstuff.com​Country music isn't all high-tech rednecks and honky tonk badonkadonks. Country artists have a tendency to, every now and then, sing about some dark, disturbing stuff. Sometimes scary, sometimes violent, and sometimes just weird, here are some country songs that rival the blac ... More >>

Dave Matthews Band's Seven Best Covers

Craig Hlavaty​Tonight the Dave Matthews Band hits the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion with Austin's Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears as their supporting act. Now into their second decade of massive touring schedules, the DMB is now a cash machine on wheels - a sort of cleaner and less hairy Gr ... More >>

How Texas and Alabama Match Up... Musically

​ For once, Rocks Off is grateful for this sinus-splitting headache (thanks, Mike Stinson!), because it gives us something to focus on besides the fact that we are crawling out of our skin waiting for kickoff tonight. At this point, sports pundits have analyzed the Longhorns and Crimson Tide to wi ... More >>

Somewhere Trouble Don't Go

The best Texas albums of 2009...or what we could squeeze in.

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Stoney Edwards, Another Lost African-American Country Singer

In our previous story regarding black artists who took the country music route, we omitted a huge talent who, though he never achieved Charley Pride's level of commercial success, was a respected artist among those in the know in Nashville. Stoney Edwards was a farm boy from Oklahoma who eventually ... More >>

Dwight Yoakam

A Musical Guide to Post-Secession Texas, Part 2: "Trinity"

[Note: This week Rocks Off is looking at the musical heritage, highs and lows, for each of the five possible states that might result should Texas secede from the U.S. like Gov. Rick Perry wants it to. Yesterday we began with the Panhandle/West Texas "Palo Duro" territory; today it's northeastern qu ... More >>

Phosphorescent

Music to Shuffle Off This Mortal Coil

Patty Griffin and Jenny Lewis: Goodness, Gracious, Great Balls of Fire

Just How Texan are Hayes Carll and Miranda Lambert?

Larry McMurtry and Willie Nelson in Houston

Last Night: Sean Reefer & the Resin Valley Boys at Boondocks

Charlie Louvin

The Houston 100: The Master List

Houston's Very Best Songs Ever

...otherwise known as the H-Town 20

Merle the Pearl

Is the Hag the greatest three-tool talent in country music history?

Johnny Bush

Honky-tonk hero explores his hardscrabble Houston roots with an autobiography and a CD

Starry Lullabye

Ailing Houston-area native David Schnaufer has taken the Appalachian dulcimer to the mountaintop

Defending the Dirty Thirty

And coping with Yankee slander

Midtown Honky-tonkin'

Trains and the vintage sounds of the Swank Countrypolitans bring a time warp to the Continental Club

Sean Reefer and the Resin Valley Boys, with Zombilly

Saturday, October 25

Letters

Rock You like a Hurricane

The Press Music Awards Showcase brings a category-five storm of tunes

Songbird Silenced

Pioneering singer/songwriter and native Houstonian Mickey Newbury passes away

Musical Chairs

It's never the same show with the Good Luck Band

Achy Breaky Voice

Despite a vocal cord disorder, Johnny Bush still sings the praises of traditional Texas country music

On the Off-Road Again

Country legend Ray Price continues to take the path less traveled

Rotation

1998 Houston Press Music Awards Nominees

Static

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Honky-Tonk History

He had 78 hits over 50 years and revolutionized country music. Now, Hank Thompson gets a new green light.

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Hillbilly Revenge

Master of the Universe

From presidents to pop stars, Merle Haggard has a song for everyone

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