Archive

The background: Lyle Lovett was married to Julia Roberts for a while, and now he's not. The Road to Ensenada is Lovett's first post-split effort. It would be totally, gratuitously, fatuous to suggest that Lovett might use a CD, or any form of public expression, to

Kris McKay, a veteran of the Austin music scene as a vocalist with the Wild Seeds and on her own, is back after a six-year absence with Things That Show. Her singing chops are unquestioned -- McKay's textured vocals, less twangy than other Austinites such as Kelly Willis

God help Neil Young for making a record that could justify what Dave Marsh has written about his music. Broken Arrow lacks any real center of gravity. As a result, it meanders, indulges in whimsy, and is largely dull. "I'm a little bit here, I'm

I feel compelled to preface the following observations by saying I'm a reasonably unabashed fan of this band. I've actually seen these guys more than I have any artist (close to a dozen times), dating back to when the band was playing under the moniker Mr.

Will Giant Sand ever be a smidgen more definable? Will they ever sound slightly more commercial? Will they ever behave in an ambitious manner that behooves their potential greatness? It doesn't seem likely. Flying in the face of corporate assembly-line logic, Giant Sand records music, somehow manages to

Lacking the flamboyant vocal range of Jonell Mosser, Townes Van Zandt couldn't sing his own songs like this if he tried. And since his laconic restraint is such an integral trait of his artistry, he likely wouldn't if he could. Even so, my guess is that