Henry Carrigan

On their dynamic self-titled debut, Ramona and the Holy Smokes deliver some rollicking honky-tonk barroom ramblers interspersed with smoky lounge ballads. Singer Ramona Martinez’s powerful vocals move from the emotionally resonant registers of Patsy Cline to the soaring melodic heights of Mandy Barnett. The Holy Smokes—guitarist and co-producer

Out of the remains of the Dirty River Boys, co-founded in 2009 by guitarist Marco Gutierrez, comes the West Texas Exiles. Joining Gutierrez are bassist Eric Harrison, keyboardist Daniel Davis, guitarist Colin Gilmore, and former Dirty River Boys drummer Trinidad Leal. On 8000 Days, the group’s debut album, the

Grammy-winning producer and author Tamara Saviano has a knack for telling stories. She slowly creates a world into which she draws her readers; upon entering, readers find many rooms filled with entrancing conversations about the enduring power of music and its continual evolution. Although Saviano follows the founding and development