When a publicist sent out notice that the folk band All Our Exes Live in Texas was heading out on its first U.S. tour, we wondered where in Texas the mandolin-pickin’ quartet resides. Houston? Abbott? Poteet? Nope. It turns out that All Our Exes live in Australia.

A brief Google search reveals that this kind of bait and switch isn’t unusual. Bands from all over the world have piggybacked on Texas’s international reputation for, well, a few different things. To better understand this phenomenon, we’ve put together a taxonomy of groups that aren’t actually from Texas but would maybe like you to think otherwise.

SOUTHERN GOTHIC

A lot of non-Texan hardcore, post-hardcore, and deathcore bands have Texas in their names. Maybe they’re raging against the blond hair and big suburbs. Or maybe they just really like Pantera.


A Night in Texas
“Technical Deathcore”
Brisbane, Australia
Nights spent in Texas so far: 0

Texas is the Reason
“Emo/post-hardcore”
New York City, New York
Conspiracy theory referenced in one song: Texas Democrats loyal to LBJ assassinated JFK.

Texas in July
“Metalcore”
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Dubious reason for their name: Their drummer once visited Texas during the month of July.

Texas Thieves
“SoCal hardcore punk revivalists”
San Francisco, California
Not to be confused with: Thieves, a punk band based in Central Texas

SPAGHETTI WESTERNERS

Making country music is tricky if you’re not really from the country. However, a Texas name can make a sonic carpetbagger seem more down-home.


All Our Exes Live in Texas
“Acoustic Folk”
Sydney, Australia
Song not about Texas: “Childhood Home”

Goodnight, Texas
“Folk rock”
San Francisco, California, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Dubious reason for name: “At the midway point…between San Francisco and Chapel Hill…sits an unincorporated town called Goodnight, Texas.”

Little Texas
“Early nineties pop country”
Nashville, Tennessee
Why they are, arguably, a little Texas: One member was born in Oklahoma but raised in Arlington, where he met another band member.

IRONIC EUROS

When a European synth act puts Texas (or a Texas city) in its name, it’s probably an attempt at humor. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Klaus.


Austin Newcomers
“New York-style indie rock”
Besançon, France
Song nominally about Texas: “Houston”

Houston
“AOR/pop/rock”
Stockholm, Sweden
Percent of band members sporting a mullet in 2014: 33.3

Texas Faggott
“Weirder-edge psychedelic trance”
Helsinki, Finland
Finnish word for weirder-edge psychedelic trance: “Suomisaundi”

Texas Motherfuckers
“Garage punk”
Malmö, Sweden
Swedish-est band member name: A three-way tie between Ulrich Ruchlinski, Peter Särnegårdh, and Magnus Larsson