Music
December 4, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Delectable Dallas Doughnut Shop
Plus, a trip to the garden store and a cozy Christmas album from Austin musician Molly Burch.
Music
Storytelling and reviews about the artists and trends that define the sounds of the Lone Star State
Latest
301-350 of 1778 Articles
Music
December 4, 2020
Megan Thee Stallion Breaks Yet Another Record
Plus, Selena Gomez fans break ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Jim Parsons breaks the silence on his failed audition for ‘The Office,’ and McConaughey breaks out the clippers.
Music
December 2, 2020
Why Netflix’s Selena Series Ultimately Misses Its Mark
The initial installment of the two-part television show details the first 20 years of Selena’s life—yet it feels like we’ve hardly gotten to know the person the series is about.
By Cat Cardenas![Cat Cardenas's Profile Photo]()
Music
November 30, 2020
Collings Guitars Are Worth Every Penny
In a nondescript space outside Austin, the team behind these world-renowned guitars carry on the exacting legacy of their founder.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
One by Willie
November 27, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 8: Wesley Schultz on ‘Pretty Paper’
The Lumineers lead singer and cofounder on the power of lonesome songs during the holidays, and an apples-to-apples comparison between Willie and Bruce Springsteen.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
November 24, 2020
On ‘Good News,’ Megan Thee Stallion Owns Her Well-Deserved Fame—and Gets Down to Brass Tacks
The Grammy-nominated Houston rapper’s confrontational, irreverent debut album feels like an apt fit for the year we’ve had.
One by Willie
November 20, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 7: Lee Ann Womack on ‘Three Days’
The Texas singer-songwriter and country music star on a song she’s been singing since childhood, the origins of inspired lyrics, and how Texas country songs are designed for dancing.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
November 13, 2020
Beyoncé Runs Your Peloton Class
Plus, Selena Gomez plays a mountaineer, Jennifer Love Hewitt joins the pantheon of talking dogs, and William Jackson Harper takes the lead in a rom-com.
One by Willie
November 13, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 6: Sonny Throckmorton on ‘What a Way to Live’
The lauded songwriter behind many of country’s greatest hits talks Willie's picking parties with Darrell Royal and why you should never beat Willie Nelson at poker.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
One by Willie
November 6, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 5: Wynonna Judd on ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’
The country music legend remembers hearing it on the radio in rural Kentucky and describes Willie's kindness to her grandmother backstage at the CMAs.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
November 2, 2020
Sweeping Landscapes and Other Soothing Texas Videos to Assuage Your Election Day Anxiety
Ahead of tomorrow’s nail-biter, we present a grab bag featuring a Big Bend documentary, Beyoncé clips, the Houston Zoo’s baby animal playlist, and more.
Music
November 1, 2020
Jerry Jeff Walker, Remembered by Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, Dan Rather, and Many, Many Others
The New York–born singer-songwriter got to Texas as soon as he could—and spent the next five decades changing the lives of seemingly everyone he met.
Music
November 1, 2020
How Jerry Jeff Walker Helped Put Jimmy Buffett on the Road to ‘Margaritaville’
The king of the Parrotheads remembers the ups and downs of his half-century friendship with the late cosmic cowboy.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Books
October 30, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Soothing Japanese Bookstore in Houston, Austin, and North Texas
Plus, a psychedelic music festival, Fat Tony's new album, and a book that casts a critical eye on the true-crime genre.
Film & TV
October 30, 2020
Thomas Haden Church Will Star as the Texanist
Plus, how ‘Dallas’ brought down the Soviet Union, Netflix’s ‘Selena’ gets a real trailer, and Luke Wilson plays a fire-belching robot duck.
One by Willie
October 30, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 4: Jack Ingram on ‘I’d Have to Be Crazy’
The singer-songwriter talks the surprising complexity of Willie’s songwriting and a special request President George H.W. Bush made while Ingram was playing for him.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 29, 2020
On Texas Time: Surfaces, College Station’s Viral Pop Duo
Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki on working with Elton John, what they hope to accomplish next, and more.
Music
October 28, 2020
Willie Nelson Singing ‘Under Pressure’ With Karen O Is the Duet We Didn’t Know We Needed in 2020
The legendary collaboration between Queen and David Bowie gets a remake by an intergenerational pair of icons.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 28, 2020
Billy Joe Shaver, the Blustery, Tenderhearted Country Star Known as the “Wacko From Waco,” Dies of a Stroke
After contracting COVID-19 earlier this year, the musician had spent most of this past summer in isolation—where he was still writing songs.
By Michael Hall![Michael Hall's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 28, 2020
Khruangbin Might Be the Biggest Band in the World of Vinyl
The Houston psychedelic rockers are a fixture on listeners’ turntables.
By Dan Solomon![Dan Solomon's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 27, 2020
Musician Xavier Omär Never Felt at Home Anywhere. Then He Got to Texas.
A sense of belonging reverberates all throughout the San Antonio R&B artist’s new album, ‘If You Feel.’
Music
October 24, 2020
Jerry Jeff Walker, a Trailblazer of the Cosmic Cowboy Sound, Dies at 78
The country icon was, as fellow musician Lucinda Williams put it, an “American treasure.”
Music
October 23, 2020
Meet One of the Rangers Who Made It to the World Series—The Team’s DJ
This year, Michael Gruber learned to work Rangers games without fans. His new gig is a World Series without the Rangers.
Film & TV
October 23, 2020
Won’t You Say You Love a Dark ‘Barney’ Movie?
Plus, ‘Seinfeld’ stars yadda yadda yadda for Texas Democrats, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ races to TV, and the Matthew McConaughey blitz has begun.
One by Willie
October 23, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 3: Alejandro Escovedo on ‘Half a Man’
For Escovedo, the song conjures memories of his father, as well as ghost stories, old pot dealers, and a cowpunk music video.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 20, 2020
Mathew Knowles Helped Make Beyoncé a Superstar. Now He Wants to Share His “Secret Sauce.”
In his new teaching role at the University of Houston, the straight-talking music mogul promises students a primer on success and celebrity.
By Peter Holley![Peter Holley's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 19, 2020
The Late Johnny Bush on How He Wrote Willie Nelson’s Perennial Show Opener, ‘Whiskey River’
‘Whiskey River’ had only one verse and a chorus, but Willie Nelson said that was all it needed.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Film & TV
October 16, 2020
Selena Gomez Could Be Your Next Scream Queen
Plus, Demi Lovato releases an anti-Trump song, Sandra Bullock gets back into rom-coms, and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy gets the documentary treatment.
One by Willie
October 16, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 2: Lyle Lovett on ‘Hello Walls’
The four-time Grammy winner talks the solitary nature of songwriting and a big wet kiss Willie once planted on Faron Young.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 14, 2020
Why Quinn Mason, a 24-Year-Old Composer From Dallas, May Be Classical Music’s Next Superstar
Mason, one of the most sought-after young composers in the country, has a new work set to premiere in November.
By Katy Vine![Katy Vine's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 9, 2020
Watch an Animated Rendering of Willie Nelson From the All-Virtual Austin City Limits Music Festival
Nelson’s rendition of ‘On the Road Again’ gets special treatment for this year’s all-virtual festival.
Film & TV
October 9, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: ‘Dazed and Confused’ Cast to Reunite Online, Online, Online
Plus, Kacey Musgraves meets Scooby Doo, Borat meets Sid Miller, and Austin meets ‘Walker, Texas Ranger.’
Music
October 9, 2020
Willie: A Special Project
Dive into this collection devoted to Willie Nelson where you’ll find new essays about the Red Headed Stranger, our new podcast "One by Willie," a comprehensive ranking of every album Willie ever published, and more.
One by Willie
October 9, 2020
‘One by Willie,’ Episode 1: Margo Price on ‘Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground’
In the first episode of our new series, the Grammy-winning artist talks about writing sad songs and tells a great dirty joke she learned from Nelson himself.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
The Texanist
October 8, 2020
The Texanist: What Would the World Be Like if Willie Nelson Had Never Happened?
An Austin man ponders the unthinkable.
Music
October 8, 2020
Why We Need Willie Nelson Now, More Than Ever
We didn’t really need a reason to write a bunch of stories about the Red Headed Stranger. But we had a few.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Guitarist
Over the decades, he and Trigger have created an unmistakable—and uncannily human—sound.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Interpreter of the Great American Songbook
Everyone knew Willie could write great songs and sing them too. But no one—except Willie, of course—believed he could masterfully cover Gershwin and Ellington.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, the People’s Champion
The man from Abbott has never forgotten his humble roots—and has tirelessly devoted himself to helping others.
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Landlord
Before he moved his home and his headquarters out to the Hill Country, Willie conducted an experiment in communal living right in the heart of Austin. It was as crazy as you might expect—and helped turn a sleepy college town into the Live Music Capital of the World.
By John Spong![John Spong's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 8, 2020
I Wasn’t a Big Willie Nelson Fan. These Ten Songs Turned Me Into One.
Learning to love Texas’s most iconic country musician, one song at a time.
By Paula Mejía![Paula Mejía's Profile Photo]()
Music
October 8, 2020
Willie Nelson, Songwriter
Simple is simply moving to me: How Willie does so much with so little.
Music
October 6, 2020
On His New Show ‘Don’t Mess With Texas Radio,’ Pat Green Aims for an Eclectic Mix of Country Sounds
The monthly music and talk program features a star-studded guest lineup and artist roster from the Lone Star State.
Music
October 3, 2020
Remembering Lubbock-Born Country Musician Mac Davis
In a career that spanned six decades, Davis wrote hits for Elvis and Dolly Parton, found solo success, and acted on Broadway and in film.
Film & TV
October 2, 2020
Texas’s Own Conan the Barbarian Gets a Netflix Series
Plus: Jamie Foxx recharges his Spider-Man villain, Megan Thee Stallion heads to ‘SNL,’ and Woody Harrelson saves the world with dirt.
One by Willie
September 28, 2020
Announcing Our New Podcast ‘One by Willie’
Join senior editor John Spong and artists you love for intimate conversations about the Willie songs that mean the most to them.
Music
September 25, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: The Travis Scott Meal Is Wreaking Havoc on McDonald’s
Plus, Liv Tyler won’t return to Fake Austin, Selena Gomez expands her moguldom, and Audie Murphy gets his own TV series.
Music
September 21, 2020
“Nobody Talks About That Stuff”: Waylon Payne on His Candid New Country Album
The progeny of two country stars, Payne, who grew up in East Texas, writes songs informed by his struggle with substance abuse, trauma, and redemption.
Music
September 4, 2020
Texas Monthly Recommends: Khruangbin’s ‘Evan Finds the Third Room’
Plus: a Dallas coffee shop, a Houston DJ’s playlists, and a haunting documentary.
Arts & Entertainment
September 4, 2020
The Weird, Wonderful Story of Texas’s First Radio Station
From its origins airing the banter of bored firefighters to its robust classical programming today, Dallas’s WRR-FM has filled an unusual niche on the airwaves for nearly a century.