Texas Music Magazine

THE HOUSTON BLUES COMMUNITY was shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Texas Johnny (John Riley) Brown on July 1. Brown, 85, succumbed to lung and liver cancer complications.

Backed by horns and a balls-out rock ’n’ roll rhythm section, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears exploded onto the Austin scene sometime in 2007.

For over 20 years, Sara Hickman has been making records that combine rock-solid melodies with wit and charm.

On the pleasantly woozy “Billings, MT,” environmental lawyer-turned-troubadour Breting Engel croons “I think I see a star / Or it’s just a streetlight.”

NO ONE QUITE expected the breakout success of Neon Indian, least of all the outfit’s 22-year-old creator, Alan Palomo.

A band with this kind of tenure and maturity can deliver the trademark licks, but still take some calculated risks, both challenging and delighting longtime fans. These tunes are going to be fun to hear live, and might just turn the heads of some new listeners. Now, when can we hear Volume Two?

After winning an Oscar and Golden Globe for “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart),” Ryan Bingham and his band, the Dead Horses, should...

Chalk another one up for the guys at the head of the current Texas country class.

How Texan Jeannie C. Riley Lashed Out Against Conservative Hypocrisy and Then Became Typecast

CAN THERE BE A MORE intimidating endeavor for a singer than to cover Bob Dylan? And yet, so many seem unable to resist the challenge. In fact, it’s probably easier to assemble a list of artists who haven’t covered the Bard than those who have, which means we have plenty of selections to choose from when listing our favorite Dylan covers by Texas artists. BY PETER KEANE