Music
Storytelling and reviews about the artists and trends that define the sounds of the Lone Star State
Where To Stay Now
July 23, 2021
Time-Travel to 1920s El Paso at the Gardner Hotel
Plus: guitarist Cameron Knowler’s new album, Connie Britton in ‘The White Lotus,’ and a good ol’ country drive.
Music
July 22, 2021
On the ‘Geto Boys Reloaded’ Podcast, It’s the Message, Not the Music
Pioneering Houston rappers Willie D and Scarface reunite for a show that’s all about their community, not about them.
Music
July 21, 2021
Mary McCoy Keeps Texas Country Radio’s Golden Age Alive
After seven decades behind the mic, the Conroe deejay still spins the sort of country records they just don’t make anymore—for a town that barely resembles the one she grew up in.
Music
July 19, 2021
How Going Home Helped Inspire Leon Bridges’s New Album—And Saved His Life
“ ... I’m not handsome enough to be here, I’m not a good enough songwriter. Just feeling like I didn’t deserve to be in the position that was handed to me.”
State of Mind
July 14, 2021
State of Mind, Episode 5: G-L-O-R-I-A
Mike Hall tells the story of closing down the legendary Austin club Liberty Lunch in 1999 with a 24-hour performance of Van Morrison’s “Gloria.”
Music
July 8, 2021
The Flatlanders’ Rollicking New Album Pays Tribute to Country Music History
The Lubbock band's first release in 12 years features satisfying covers of tunes by George Jones, Ernest Tubb, Johnny Cash, and other greats.
Music
July 2, 2021
TM Recommends: A Serene West Texas Agave Garden
Plus: a Panhandle music label, a Dallas poetry podcast, and a groovy Khruangbin remix.
Music
June 30, 2021
Skid Row Front Man Johnny Solinger Was Rock and Roll Personified
The Dallas singer never quite became a huge star in his own right, but that didn't seem to bother him.
State of Mind
June 30, 2021
State of Mind, Episode 3: A Life Surrounded by Vinyl
DJ El Dusty traces the origins of the record collection that gave him his signature sound and is helping to shape the music of his hometown of Corpus Christi.
Music
June 26, 2021
“Blue” Gene Tyranny Was Texas’s Greatest Piano Prodigy
A massive box set reveals all the quirks and charms of a San Antonio–born genius.
Film & TV
June 25, 2021
A Scintillating but Uneven New Documentary Probes the Life of Trini Lopez, a Legend in Plain Sight
The Dallas native was a live-wire entertainer who never shied away from his Mexican American roots.
Music
June 25, 2021
Vincent Neil Emerson’s Album Makes Poetry of Pain
The Myrtle Springs native counts Colter Wall, Charley Crockett, and Jason Momoa among his fans. His new album should make you one too.
State of Mind
June 23, 2021
State of Mind, Episode 2: O Sister, Where Art Thou?
Skip Hollandsworth tells the story of tracking down the Goree All Girl String Band, who became national radio sensations in the 1940s before suddenly disappearing.
Texas History
June 22, 2021
A Pioneering Black Singer’s Compositions, Long Forgotten, May Finally Have an Audience
Waco-born baritone Jules Bledsoe starred on Broadway and toured Europe, but his original opera and other works languish in obscurity. A Baylor professor hopes to change that.
Music
May 22, 2021
I’m a Fan of Kacey Musgraves and St. Vincent, but I’m So Tired of Their Album Promotions
A fan’s plea: Enough already with the pre–album release media rollout.
Where To Stay Now
May 21, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Rustic Retreat in Wimberley
Plus, a psych-rock album and the pleasures of homegrown tomatoes.
Music
May 21, 2021
St. Vincent’s New Album Walks the Line Between Vulnerability and Privacy
Dallas’s Annie Clark has long railed against the idea that female songwriters must be confessional. ‘Daddy's Home’ is (sort of) a peek behind the mask.
Music
May 21, 2021
Texas’s Best Young Accordionists Carry on a Conjunto Legacy
At the Big Squeeze, the state’s most talented teen accordion players are keeping a historic Texas tradition alive.
Music
May 20, 2021
Breakout Indie Pop Star Dayglow on His Nostalgic New Album and Growing Up in Aledo
Three years ago, Sloan Struble was a high schooler making music in his bedroom. Now he's a case study in virality.
Music
May 7, 2021
50 Cent Is Texas’s Newest Celebrity Transplant
Plus, Megan Thee Stallion talks to pets, Shea Serrano turns his childhood into a sitcom, and Eva Longoria brings Flamin’ Hot Cheetos to the big screen.
Film & TV
May 6, 2021
Selena Deserves More Than Netflix Kitsch
Part two of Netflix's Selena series delivers a more confident version of the Tejano icon than part one, but fails to portray the late singer as the nuanced person she was.
Music
May 6, 2021
Miranda Lambert on the Most Unapologetically Texas Album of Her Career
While sitting in a parked car in Marfa last September, the musicians Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, and Jon Randall listened to their “work tapes”—what songwriters call raw recordings they typically make just after finishing a song. These iPhone recordings documented the trio of Texas natives’ four trips over seven years
Where To Stay Now
May 4, 2021
7 Nostalgic Texas Hotels With Vinyl Record Collections
With in-room record players, album lending libraries, and, in one case, a vinyl concierge, hotels around the state are embracing the record renaissance.
One by Willie
April 29, 2021
Sheryl Crow on ‘Crazy,’ Patsy Cline, and the Dream of Writing a Standard
With Willie Nelson turning 88 this week, One by Willie celebrates with one of his biggest fans and most frequent duet partners, singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who will talk about what may be the single best-known song he ever wrote, “Crazy.” Like the rest of the world, Sheryl initially fell in
Music
April 28, 2021
Joshua Ray Walker’s Music Is a Vivid Portrait of Working-class Life in Dallas
His country ballads tell stories about complex, imperfect people who call the city home.
Film & TV
April 23, 2021
Gabriel Luna and Pedro Pascal Will Star in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us,’ Bringing Texan Authenticity to the Apocalypse
Plus: Matthew McConaughey leads Greg Abbott in the polls, Hilary Duff will lead a ‘How I Met Your Mother’ spinoff, and Post Malone makes music history.
Art
April 22, 2021
Rooted in Her San Antonio Childhood, Lisa Alvarado’s Art Transports and Transforms
Gaze at one of her vivid, mesmerizing paintings, and you'll see more the longer you look.
Music
April 16, 2021
The Next Waltz Is an Analog Record Label for the Digital Age
From Bruce Robison’s studio in Lockhart, the company has worked with some of the biggest stars in Texas country music.
Film & TV
April 16, 2021
Can Selena Gomez and Matthew McConaughey Persuade Texans to Get Vaccinated?
Plus: Demi Lovato has an unusually good week, Spoon and ‘Shameless’ come full circle, and viewers demand the FCC do something about Megan Thee Stallion.
Critters
April 15, 2021
Chasing Down Birds of Prey With Ornithologist and Musician Jonathan Meiburg
His new book traces the evolution of caracaras—a strange and beautiful type of falcon.
One by Willie
April 13, 2021
Rodney Crowell on Bloody Mary Mornings and Recording With Willie Nelson
Plus, you’ll never guess who was doing doughnuts outside the studio during a recording session in Bogalusa, Louisiana.
Music
April 13, 2021
Veterans and Upstarts Alike Are Optimistic That Austin Hip-hop Will Finally Get Its Due—Even During a Pandemic
Those who have long worked in the shadow of creative epicenters like Houston and Dallas believe Austin rap’s moment to shine is approaching.
Music
April 7, 2021
Demi Lovato’s New Album Confronts Her Demons and Looks to the Future
The singer sheds her painful past on ‘Dancing with the Devil . . . the Art of Starting Over.’
One by Willie
April 6, 2021
Robert Earl Keen’s Car Caught Fire at Willie’s Fourth of July Picnic
In our latest episode of ‘One by Willie,’ Keen tells a whole host of entertaining stories while explaining his connection to Nelson’s “Mr. Record Man.”
Film & TV
April 2, 2021
Can Woody Harrelson Bring Good Vibes to Nazi Germany?
Plus: Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion headline Bonnaroo, the Austin Film Festival puts the pandemic behind it, and Jason Statham shoots Post Malone in the head.
One by Willie
March 30, 2021
Shakey Graves on How Willie Nelson ‘Stole’ a Song From Elvis
On our latest ‘One by Willie,’ the Austin native talks ‘Always on My Mind’ and getting to scratch his name into Trigger, Willie’s beloved guitar.
One by Willie
March 23, 2021
Rosanne Cash on How the Depression Shaped Artists Like Willie Nelson and Her Father
On the latest ‘One by Willie,’ Cash talks about that and much more while digging into Willie's 1959 hit ‘Night Life.’
Film & TV
March 19, 2021
Guy Clark’s Wife, Susanna, Tells Their Story in a Contemplative New Film
He was more famous, but she was a talented artist and songwriter too—and ‘Without Getting Killed or Caught’ finally puts her in the spotlight.
Film & TV
March 19, 2021
Who Is Demi Lovato’s Honesty For?
For a decade, the pop star has made openness about mental health and addiction a core part of her brand. With ‘Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil,’ she’s finally embracing honesty on her own terms.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena a los 50: celebrando la vida, el arte y la influencia de una leyenda tejana
Con su cumpleaños acercándose, los escritores que hemos reunido para celebrarla son parte de una generación de latinos que creció después de su época de oro.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena at 50: Celebrating the Life, Art, and Influence of a Tejano Legend
As her fiftieth birthday approaches, the writers we’ve gathered to celebrate her are part of a generation of Latinos who came of age after her heyday.
Music
March 19, 2021
Por décadas, latinas jóvenes como yo hemos visto a Selena como un ícono. Tal vez es hora de que la quitemos del pedestal.
Si vamos a honrar a la verdadera Selena, necesitamos imaginar lo que pudo haber hecho si hubiera tenido una vida completa.
Music
March 19, 2021
For Decades, Countless Young Latinas Like Me Have Regarded Selena as an Icon. Maybe It’s Time We Took Her off the Pedestal.
If we’re going to honor the real Selena—and find a way to carry her with us—we need to imagine what she might have done if she had lived a full life.
Music
March 19, 2021
Con su sensibilidad hacia la moda, Selena elevó la cultura tejana y la lanzó hacia el futuro
La imagen de Selena reflejaba las elecciones de vestimenta de las comunidades méxico-estadounidenses de clase trabajadora de Texas, al mismo tiempo mostrando la influencia de sus ídolos pop, como Janet Jackson.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena Embraced Her Heritage and Championed Its Evolution in Style
Her ensembles, influenced by pop stars such as Janet Jackson, highlighted the sartorial choices of Texas’s Mexican American working-class communities.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena sigue siendo La Reina de la música tejana (¡y punk rock!)
Cuatro compositoras latinas hablan sobre el cambio de los códigos, los modelos a seguir, Freddy Fender y la importancia de la furia.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena en los números
¿Cuánto amamos a la Reina de la Música Tejana? Contemos las formas.
Music
March 19, 2021
Selena by the Numbers
How do we love the Queen of Tejano? Let us count the ways.
Music
March 19, 2021
Los tejanos queer vemos versiones de nuestras historias reflejadas en la historia de Selena
En los años desde su muerte, se ha convertido en un ícono gay, en especial en Texas.