Ryan Bingham's roadhouse inspired, whiskey and Pall Mall flavored brand of country grit has earned him praise well beyond the Texas borders. Rolling Stone, the BBC, Pop Matters and oodles of other publications have lauded his major label debut, Mescalito, and recent performances on The Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien have helped secure his name as a near-household utterance (at least for those folks keeping up with true Southern alt-country). Fans of Joe Ely, Steve Earle, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore rave about the youngster, just 26 years old, who sounds like an equally grizzled Tom Waits bloated on Lone Star and road stand barbecue. The music draws on influences in bayou blues, old school country, bluegrass and good old fashioned rock'n'roll. ...

Next week, Merle Haggard, undoubtedly one of country music's great legends will take the stage at the Paramount Theater downtown. Haggard's backstory is the kind that inspires, well, good country songs. Raised in a no-frills Great Depression-era household in Bakersfield, he found himself in and out of trouble as a young man, eventually landing in prison. At San Quinton. It was there that he watched Johnny Cash perform (three times), and decided to focus on his songwriting pipe dream. He earned his diploma and performed with the prison band for years before his release in 1960, which he has described as being "One of the loneliest feelings I've ever had." Luckily for him, his incredible voice and visionary approach to country music, which incorporated electric telecasters and revolutionized the country rebel image, earned him 38 #1 hits, several Grammys and Country Music Awards, Hall of Fame honors and an official pardon for past crimes from Ronald Reagan. ...

This week’s installment of Music Mondays at the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz is all country, all the way. You’re Looking at Country, a film that shares the name of a Loretta Lynn song, is a look back on that golden age of country and western music when George Jones, Johnny Cash, and their ilk ruled the airwaves and parlayed their fame into television spots and even shows. Dolly Parton, one of SXSW’s most anticipated performers, also makes appearances in the film, as does Lynn and many, many more....

This year's SXSW Music lineup seems to be taking shape a bit more quickly than last year, as bands have taken it upon themselves to announce showcases publicly before the official list release by SX organizers. This is a departure from prior years, but since festival officials aren't complaining, we assume they're happy to let the hype build as the acts trickle in. This week's top twelve additions:...

Tonight, Alamo Music Mondays presents Michael Mabbott's 2005 country rock mockumentary The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico. The films stars Matt Murphy, best known for his Canadian indie-rock bands The Superfriendz and The Flashing Lights. The film features appearances by country music superstars like Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson, as well as Canadian country favorites like Ronnie Hawkins and Blue Rodeo (and CBC TV personality George Stroumboulopoulos). The film had its Austin premiere......

Texas country music legend and one-time spiritual advisor to Kinky Friedman, Billy Joe Shaver was questioned by Waco-area police after a man was shot in the face near Papa Joe's Texas Saloon. Details about the shooting remain scarce, including any possible role that the Texas Country Music Hall of Famer might have had played in it, but Shaver's attorney reportedly confirmed his client's involvement. The Waco Tribune-Herald also quoted an anonymous truck driver yesterday,......

Cortney Tidwell may be from Nashville, but her music seems to be the product of an entirely different world. Her debut album, Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up, makes you struggle to keep up with comparisons and references to other bands you might admire (our list included Hope Sandoval, Mogwai, St. Etienne, and Bjork.) This is all quite wonderful, because the parts all meld into a style that is dreamy, catchy, and quietly......

There are several Welsh acts playing this year's SXSW, but none are newer to Texas than The Gentle Good. Essentially a one-man folk music project, Cardiff's Gareth Bonello has been playing a quietly captivating mix of English, Welsh, and Spanish folk to drunken (his words, not ours) Welsh audiences for several years. Bonello has already released an EP and is currently recording his first full-length album. He recently chatted with us about cowboy boots,......

The Lonesome Heroes have recently initiated a weekly residency at Headhunter's to showcase Austin’s alt-country offerings. Appropriately titled the Alt Country Showcase, the communion occurs every Wednesday with an agenda to build a practical platform for the genre’s oft-scattered acts and create a unified arena for the emergence of new talent. The latest bill features the country sounds of six piece The Skeletons, as well as Leo Rondeau’s Americana anthems. Supporting will be the......

Hey, did you all hear that Haley Joel Osment pleaded no contest to drunk driving and drug possession charges? Can you imagine being in an AA meeting with that kid who saw dead people? Man, he is totally that guy now. Sad. Anyway, on to this week's new movie releases, which feature actors whose careers may or may not eventually take a turn for the worst! *Flags of Our Fathers Clint Eastwood's son makes......

Legendary Austin musician Don Walser died in his home this afternoon. Walser, labeled a "Texas country music institution" by the AC's Jerry Renshaw, had been very sick in recent weeks before succumbing to diabetes. Walser is survived by his wife and four children. Check out an interview KXAN's Jim Swift did with Walser earlier this year.......

Kinky is becoming a bit of a national phenomenon these days, and that status will only get amplified after tonight, when "Go Kinky" airs on Country Music Television. The reality-show follows Kinky around as he campaigns to take back Texas for the people, taking the governorship from the Crips and the Bloods, as he calls the Democrats and Republicans. We sat down with Kinky at his home Monday night to discuss his thoughts on......

We've a pair of tickets to give away to see Laura Cantrell at the Cactus Cafe tonight! Simply answer the following question in the subject line of an email. We'll randomly draw one lucky reader before 1pm. Update: Congrats, Clay! Q: What's the name of the unreleased MP3 posted to this site on 10/06? And, for those of you with a short attention span, we're reposting a few downloads: Laura Cantrell 14th Street I'll......

Check the IST List to see when and where these acts will be playing this week Laura Cantrell 14th Street I'll Remember You I Lost You (But I Found Country Music) Bees Letters Rain Boy The Handsome Charlies (samples) Friend of Mine Eighty One Makes Me Love You Ghostland Observatory Podcast Interview with Laurie Gallardo, KUT's "Before the Break" The Deadly Snakes Gore Veil Sound Team Don't Turn Away It's Obvious What's Happening Here......