Peter Blackstock

Songwriters held in high esteem by fellow artists while remaining largely unknown to the masses are common in Texas music. From the late, legendary troubadour Townes Van Zandt to wordsmith extraordinaire Butch Hancock to psychedelic prophet Roky Erickson to simpleton-savant Daniel Johnston, the state's songbooks are strewn

As with many roots-tinged rock 'n' bands who rose to prominence (at least in the underground) during the late '80s -- say, the Silos and Souled American, to name two others who just happen to be covered in this issue of No Depression -- what probably comes as

It's easy to forget that Lyle Lovett's musical roots run deep in the heart of Texas songwriting. In recent years, his music has leaned heavily toward R&B, jazz and gospel, sounding ever further removed from the country music charts where he first made his

It's tempting to call The Wind's Dominion Butch Hancock's Blonde On Blonde, given that Hancock has often been referred to as "the West Texas Dylan," and that this epic double-album arguably stands as his greatest studio achievement. Originally released in 1979,

More a documentary project than a musical recording, Last Rights features 10 Townes Van Zandt songs rendered solo acoustic, primarily as part of an interview session with Larry Monroe, a longtime DJ at KUT-FM in Austin. Interspersed between the musical performances are quotes from Van Zandt explaining the background