In 2005, after three studio albums with songwriting legend Chip Taylor, the Austin-born singer and fiddler wowed audiences with him for two nights in Germany. Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez Live From the RuhrTriennale (Train Wreck) captures the duo’s much-storied chemistry. So how exactly did the live album
My adventures with Mr. Brown.
You’re never going to believe this. Mere weeks ago, Giorgio Armani made the declaration every chic native has longed to hear: “Fashion has arrived in Dallas.” Come again? The city may be the state’s most stylish (two words: Neiman Marcus), but it’s still a distant cousin to the four
The Coen brothers do Cormac.
Houston by train.
When I ran for governor, I saw firsthand everything that was wrong with our state’s political system. That’s why I know how to fix it.
El Paso
Casa Colombia, Austin and Grooves Restaurant And Lounge, Houston
Exclusive: The first three chapters of Custer’s Brother’s Horse, the new novel by Edwin “Bud” Shrake.
What Samir Patel learned in five years of not winning the national spelling bee (other than the root words of “eremacausis”).
Fifty years after the mythical trip on the Brazos that was the basis for John Graves’s classic book, I followed in his wake. Literally.
In the right light, the ornery octogenarian oilman’s guilty plea can be seen as a victory: After all, he won’t spend the rest of his natural life in jail. But the fact is, he couldn’t beat the rap—and he knew it.
Which is worse: looking the other way as millions of illegals stream across the border or building an unconscionably expensive and impractical fence that few in the Valley (a) want or (b) believe will make a difference?
Silverlake Ward, Pearland
What Dallas has in common with Beijing—and why their shared vision of the twenty-first-century world must carry the day.
Several of this month’s letters to the editor, responding to our September issue, fall into two categories: those from angry liberals and those from angry conservatives. The libs rabidly attack Gary Cartwright for refusing to canonize Austin’s own Vegan de Milo, shopping center owner Jeanne Daniels, whose commitment
Few have heard of, much less heard, Wishbone Saloon, the 2003 debut from West Texan Ryan Bingham. But those who have, including Terry Allen and Joe Ely, have fostered enough praise to help land Bingham on a major label. Mescalito (Lost Highway) arrives with a bushel of expectations,
Even by the most conservative estimates, there are thousands of piano trio CDs in release. And while each tries to distinguish itself, many fail to do so. Play it quiet, and you might stray into New Age or smooth jazz territory. Play it loose and edgy, and you’re assigned to
In 1997 newspaper reporter Mike Rosenthal left rural Maine for Austin carrying dreams of rock and roll stardom. Despite two albums, and some notoriety for his running skills (he has regularly placed high in the Austin Marathon), it hasn’t exactly worked out that way: His releases, though stylistic opposites—one
Edwin “Bud” Shrake’s picaresque Custer’s Brother’s Horse makes fine fodder of the bad blood in Texas following the Civil War, circa 1865. Federal troops visit indignities on the defeated communities they occupy; neighbors who fought on separate sides find no peace in the surrender. The horse in question,
At the three-quarter mark of Paul Drummond’s exhaustive (and exhaustingly detailed) band bio, Eye Mind: The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, the Pioneers of Psychedelic Sound, the avatars of acid rock stumble into Houston around 1968 in physical and emotional shambles. Lyricist and jug
Inspired by the popularity of a panel on Texas crime literature hosted by the Southwestern Writers Collection in 2004, editors Bill Cunningham, Steven L. Davis, and Rollo K. Newsom have compiled Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction, with thirty excerpts from the likes of Rick Riordan, David
Aha! I finally located the notebook with notes for this piece of (old, but new) news:Somebody was doing a push poll in Brian McCall’s district a few weeks back. The first question was, Have you heard of “Tommy” Craddick? Is your opinion of him favorable or unfavorable? Then, Have you
The Washington Post Web site reports this afternoon that President Bush’s longtime adviser and confidante will resign her position as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, which carries the rank of ambassador, before the end of the year. Here are the first two paragraphs from the story:Karen P.
The previous post in this space was in error. It concerned the indictment of a figure in the case of the Brownsville bridge. That report was based on a clipping from the Brownsville Herald that was faxed to me by Dannenbaum Engineering. The figure involved called me to say that
There has already been considerable speculation about how the presidential race could affect Tom Craddick’s effort to hold onto the speakership–namely, that if Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, she will be a drag on the Democratic ticket in downballot races in the general election. (Republican pollster Mike Baselice, in
Old-time Austinites (such as moi) mourned the passing of first one and then another branch of the once-legendary Night Hawk chain. The last one standing now is the Frisco Shop, just south of the intersection of Burnet Road and Koenig Lane. A national drugstore is going in there
Often when I pass through Johnson City, I see the sign for Silver K Cafe and want to sit down for a meal. This past Saturday, I finally sat down at the table.The cafe is on 290 West on your way to Fredericksburg. If you’re driving too fast
I am working on a follow-up to the blog post about the dispute involving Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation and the Port of Brownsville over a proposed bridge to Matamoros. It turns out to be one of those South Texas stories that’s hard to unravel. More to come ….
The latest Field Poll of the Republican presidential race in California came out today, and it shows Rudy Giuliani still in front, but falling. He has dropped 10 points since the previous poll in August. Here is how the candidates stand on the basis of polling conducted between
On the heels of discussing Tex-Mex cuisine, let us consider the larger category of Ameri- Mex. I nearly lost my tacos a few weeks ago when I read about Taco Bell’s move into the Mexico market. They tried once before and didn’t make the grade. Go figure. This second attempt
The morning news clips carry a story from the Midland Reporter-Telegram about a speech Tom Craddick gave yesterday to the Downtown Lions Club in which Craddick said that the challengers to his speakership, Republicans all, are backed by trial lawyers who want to repeal the lawsuit reform he
Griffin Smith, one of Texas Monthly’s first staff writers, forwarded me this story from the American Spectator about Mike Huckabee. It’s a killer. Smith, whose signature piece was “Empires of Paper” about the big Houston law firms (November 1973), is editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The author of
The last post about Mikal Watts you’ll ever have to read (from me, at least):It’s not much of a mystery why he pulled out of the race. He was going to lose–and he was going to spend a bunch of his own money and have nothing to show for it
For the love, Mr. Drape, you should have stopped before you even began. Granted, myself being in Boston and in a whole new world of food, I can understand wanting to gush and “celebrate” a less-familiar cuisine. But a few things—okay, a lot of things—about Joe’s M.O. are really confusing.
ESPADRILLES? Since when are espadrilles Texans’ “indigenous footwear”??? In his lead to the most pathetic article on Tex-Mex food I’ve ever read (in today’s New York Times “Dining Out” section), non-native-Texan Joe Drape says espadrilles are our native shoe. Dude: Espadrilles are French.
All signs point to Earle’s retirement as district attorney. The first indication I received was an e-mail from a prospective candidate:Paul, I am writing to inform you of my decision to commence an exploratory campaign to become the next District Attorney of Travis County. If, as I expect, Ronnie decides
Back in September, fueled by a diet of mealy apples and concern about global warming, I signed up for a CSA share. CSA stands for “community supported agriculture;” it’s a small farm that sells food directly to, you got it, members of the community. Mine is called Johnson’s
One of the three men Governor Perry appointed to the University of Texas Board of Regents last week has been linked to political scandals at opposite ends of the Rio Grande, according to several news outlets. The appointee is James Dannenbaum, chairman of Houston-based Dannenbaum Engineering Corporation, whose company has
The alliance of convenience between Rick Perry and Rudy Giuliani could have a huge impact on Texas politics, especially the 2010 race for governor. Suppose:(1) Rudy picks Rick as his vice-presidential running mate and emissary to the right wing of the Republican party;(2) Rick’s lucky charm rubs off on Rudy,
IVR Polls, a recent addition to the Texas polling scene, released a poll last Friday showing that Rudy Giuliani has opened a five-point lead over Fred Thompson among previous Republican primary voters. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee has pulled into a tie for third with Mitt Romney. The survey was
In addition to listing the money Craddick got for Midland (see previous post, “Promoting Permian Pork”), the speaker’s Web site also announces his intention to press for enactment of legislation authorizing appraisal and revenue caps in the next legislative session. More may be involved in his support for caps than
Many legislators dip into the bottomless barrel of pork to benefit their districts, but few brag about it outside of their home towns. One notable exception: Tom Craddick. There was a lot of talk last session that the speaker had made off like a bandit for Midland. But you have
Sorry not to have been around for the past week. I’ve been writing a feature story about John Cornyn, and multitasking is not my forte. Count me as one who is skeptical that the Democrats can win that race. I spent about a thousand words explaining why, but the main
Last Friday night, My Table Magazine and the Houston Food & Beverage ManagersAssociation sponsored the 23rd Annual Caesar Salad Competition. Chefs could compete in either classic and creative Caesar salad divisions with a separate award for presentation. The third “salad” arrived in a conical Dixie cup: a Caesar salad ice
Copyright © copyright-free-pictures.org.ukBruce Auden of Biga on the Banks has sent out a newsletter and includes some tidbits from his recent trip to Peru. We are just a little bit concerned.“Guinea Pig (Cuy) soup is a great way to start the hike up the
Texas Wines are becoming more well known. The Hill Country is alive with visitors from Austin to Connecticut. And these travelers have many choices, actually 21 of them.As a beginning wine connoisseur, I have knowledge not extensive, but I know how to swirl, to smell, to taste. I forget what
We’re still taken with our little neighborhood wine store, Vinosity (3500 Jefferson, off 35th Street near Mopac, in Austin; 512-420-9111). The space is sleek, the selection diverse, and the prices fantastic. The small plates (read: tapas) are delicious and perfect for nibbling while tasting a variety of domestic and international
Eat, drink, and be merry with five of the most famous chefs in Texas at the Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner in Dallas on Sunday, November 4, from 6 to 10 p.m.It’s all for a good cause, namely to fund a ginormous professional culinary scholarship of $15,000, awarded by the
What Texan doesn’t love bar-b-que? The smell is alluring and makes many of you salivate when it hits your nose. And I am no exception. Growing up in Texas meant bar-b-que and lots of it. Brisket has always been my favorite, stemming from my dad making it when I was
