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Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
is the "Live Music Capital of the World" due to the high volume of live music venues in the city. Austin is known internationally for the
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
(SXSW) and the
Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...
(ACL)
Music Festivals A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...
which feature eclectic international lineups. The greatest concentrations of music venues in Austin are around 6th Street, Central East Austin, the Red River Cultural District, the Warehouse District, the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 students as of fall 2 ...
,
South Congress South Congress (abbreviated SoCo) is a neighborhood located on South Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas known as a shopping and cultural district with many eclectic small retailers, restaurants, music and art venues and, more recently, food truck ...
, and South Lamar. "Austin music" in its modern form emerged in 1972 when "a new form of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
exploded on the scene that turned its back on
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and embraced the
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
", much of it centered around the Armadillo World Headquarters music venue, which opened in 1970, alternating country and rock music shows. In 1972,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
left
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and moved to Austin. Austin has become renowned as a haven for young innovative musicians who were drawn in by the creativity, liberal politics, and low cost-of-living. Austin's reputation continued to grow and become celebrated for its
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, bluegrass,
Tejano Tejanos ( , ) are descendants of Texas Creoles and Mestizos who settled in Texas before its admission as an American state. The term is also sometimes applied to Texans of Mexican descent. Etymology The word ''Tejano'', with a ''J'' instead ...
,
zydeco Zydeco ( ; ) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by French speaking, Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends African and Caribbean rhythms, blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana ...
, new wave,
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
, and indie music scenes. The City also hosts the Austin Symphony, Austin Civic Orchestras, Austin Opera, Austin Baroque Orchestra and La Folia Baroque.


History

A large portion of Austin's early musical heritage began in the German Beer Gardens and Halls in the late 1800s, in places such as Scholz Garten and Hall (the hall later to become Saengerrunde Hall) and further up the road at Dessau Hall. Dessau Hall peaked in the 1940s and 1950s with acts as diverse as
Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...
,
Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...
, and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
. Other major venues for country music included Big Gil's on South Congress and The Skyline on North Lamar. Local singer/yodeler Kenneth Threadgill opened Threadgill's in 1933 on North Lamar, a venue that later hosted Folk/Country jams where
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
participated in her early days. On the east side of town, which historically had a rich culture of African American heritage and influence, music venues such as the Victory Grill, Charlie's Playhouse, Big Mary's, Ernie's Chicken Shack, and Doris Miller Auditorium featured local and touring acts. These destinations, which were part of the " Chitlin' Circuit" featuring big bands, jazz and blues, became famous for later hosting musical legends including
Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...
,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
,
Bobby Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was describ ...
,
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
,
Ike Turner Izear Luster "Ike" Turner Jr. (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, record producer, and talent scout. An early pioneer of 1950s rock and roll, he is best known for his work in the 1960s and ...
and
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939 – May 24, 2023) was a singer, songwriter, actress, and author. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", her vocal prowess, raspy voice, and electrifyin ...
. In 1964 the Broken Spoke opened, featuring country acts such as
Bob Wills James Robert "Bob" Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade C ...
,
Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), marked ...
, and the young
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
. The late-1960s and 1970s saw the
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
popularized by
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
and others being joined by a host of other music brought by the more liberal inhabitants, who migrated to Austin during these two decades. Specifically,
Roky Erickson Roger Kynard "Roky" Erickson (July 15, 1947 – May 31, 2019) was an American musician and singer-songwriter. Called an "outsider genius," he was a founding member and the leader of the 13th Floor Elevators and a pioneer of the psychedelic r ...
and his
13th Floor Elevators The 13th Floor Elevators was an American rock band from Austin, Texas, United States, formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland. The band was together from 1965 to 1969, an ...
helped bring in this
psychedelic era The psychedelic era was the time of social, musical and artistic change influenced by psychedelic drugs, occurring from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. The era was defined by the proliferation of LSD and its following influence in the development ...
. In the 1960s in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, legendary music venues including the
Vulcan Gas Company The Vulcan Gas Company is a live music and entertainment venue in Austin, Texas. Located at 418 E 6th Street, it opened in 2014 and adopted the name of a previous venue that operated in the 1960s. The two are otherwise unrelated. The club featur ...
and the Armadillo World Headquarters and musical talent like
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
, the 13th Floor Elevators, (
Johnny Johnny is an English language personal name. It is usually an affectionate diminutive of the masculine given name John (given name), John, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly ...
and
Edgar Edgar is a commonly used masculine English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Edgar'' (composed of ''wikt:en:ead, ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''Gar (spear), gar'' "spear"). Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the Late Midd ...
) Winter brothers, Shiva's Headband and, later,
Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...
. Austin was also home to a large New Left activist movement, one of the earliest underground papers,
The Rag ''The Rag'' was an underground press, underground newspaper published in Austin, Texas from 1966–1977. The weekly paper covered political and cultural topics that the conventional press ignored, such as the growing antiwar movement, the sexu ...
, and
graphic artist A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming l ...
s like creator
Gilbert Shelton Gilbert Shelton (born May 31, 1940) is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters '' The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'', '' Fat Freddy's Cat'', and '' Wonder ...
, underground comix pioneer Jack Jackson (Jaxon), and
surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
armadillo artist Jim Franklin. The Vulcan morphed into the Armadillo World Headquarters in 1970 and for more than ten years featured music of all genres, from
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
to
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
, as well as local
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, blues and jazz. The artwork from this establishment was a part of the Austin scene and the Armadillo became the Austin city animal. Songs such as
Gary P. Nunn Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing "London Homesick Blues", which was the theme song for ''Austin City Limits'' from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29). Nunn is also consi ...
's "London Homesick Blues" (which includes in the chorus "I want to go home with the armadillo") made this a staple of Austin. The artist who began the Armadillo logo was Jim Franklin, who is still working today. "Austin music" in its modern form emerged in 1972 when "a new form of
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
exploded on the scene that turned its back on
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and embraced the
counterculture A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
". Eddie Wilson had opened the Armadillo World Headquarters music venue in 1970, alternating country and rock music shows, but in 1972,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
left
Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
and moved to Austin, following others including
Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs (Michael Martin Murphey alb ...
,
Marcia Ball Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana. Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp me ...
,
Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American country, rock, and folk singer-songwriter. He began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Earle's breakthrough album was his 1986 debut album '' ...
,
Gary P. Nunn Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He is best known for writing "London Homesick Blues", which was the theme song for ''Austin City Limits'' from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29). Nunn is also consi ...
,
Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He also wrote t ...
,
Ray Wylie Hubbard Ray Wylie Hubbard (born November 13, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter. Early life Hubbard was born on November 13, 1946, in Soper, Oklahoma. His family moved to Oak Cliff in southwest Dallas, Texas, in 1954. He attended W.  ...
, and
Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...
. Willie Nelson's audiences at the
Armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...
included both
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...
s and
redneck ''Redneck'' is a derogatory term mainly applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the southern United States.Harold Wentworth, and Stuart Berg Flexner, ''Dictionary of American ...
s. On New Year's Eve, Austin's local
KOKE-FM KOKE-FM (99.3 MHz) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican radio format. Licensed to Thorndale, Texas, KOKE-FM serves the Greater Austin radio market. The station is owned by Genuine Austin Radio, LP, with a sale to Nors ...
radio station switched to a new programming format geared to mixed crowds first called "
country rock Country rock is a music genre that fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal sty ...
", and later "
progressive country Progressive country is a term used variously to describe a movement, radio format or subgenre of country music which developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a reaction against the slick, pop-oriented Nashville sound.''Cosmic Cowboys and ...
". By November of that year; the first pilot for the iconic
Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...
was being filmed with Willie Nelson,
Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...
named KOKE “the most innovative radio station in the country," and Austin had a national reputation thanks largely to the reporting of
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
stringer
Chet Flippo Chester White "Chet" Flippo (October 21, 1943 – June 19, 2013) was an American music journalist and biographer. Biography Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1965, serving thereafter in the U.S. Navy ...
, who seemed to get a dispatch from the
Armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...
into every issue.''"'' In the following years, Austin gained a reputation as a place where struggling musicians could launch their careers in front of receptive audiences, at informal live venues. A major influence during this time was
Clifford Antone Clifford Antone (October 27, 1949 – May 22, 2006) was the founder of the eponymous Austin blues club Antone's and independent record label Antone's Records and Tapes, as well as a mentor to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson ...
and the namesake blues club he founded in 1975, at the age of 25. Antone's located on Austin's 6th Street fostered the careers of a number of musicians, including
Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...
. Liberty Lunch was a live-music venue in Austin and during its heyday in the late 1970s and 1980s featured all kinds of music, including
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
and
ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...
, punk, indie, country and rock. The venue was forced to close to make way for Austin's downtown redevelopment in the late 1990s. Since then, Liberty Lunch has attained a legendary status in the history of Austin music. Now-defunct Armadillo World Headquarters has attained a similar status. Austin's live music scene has experienced a resurgence in the past few years after losing some of its best loved venues (Liberty Lunch, Armadillo and others), a host of new clubs have risen up to continue Austin's rich live music heritage. However, The Hole in the Wall, open since 1974 and a live music staple that lent a corner and then finally a stage to
Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tejano music, Tex-Mex music and Music of Texas, Texan Music pe ...
and Blaze Foley, is still operating. Places such as the Skylark Lounge, Stubb's, Ginny's Little Longhorn, and a list of others have also become a stalwart of a new generation of live music venues throughout the city. The punk/new wave era in Austin began in earnest in 1978. The Club Foot played an important role in hosting many of the local punk/new wave acts. The city's first two rock/new wave bands, the Skunks and the Violators, made their debut at a University-area club called Raul's in February. The explosive show by the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
in San Antonio the previous month helped build toward an excited reception for local purveyors of the style. The Skunks' lineup consisted of
Jesse Sublett Jesse Sublett (born May 15, 1954)"Biographical Note" a, Wittliff Collections, Alkek Library, Texas State University–San Marcos (retrieved September 18, 2009). is a musician, writer, and visual artist from Austin, Texas. As a musician, he is best ...
on bass and vocals, Eddie Munoz on guitar and Bill Blackmon on drums. The Violators featured
Kathy Valentine Kathryn Valentine (born January 7, 1959) is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and cre ...
(later of
The Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American all-female Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar ...
),
Carla Olson Carla Olson (born July 3, 1952) is an American, Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer. Biography Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Olson moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where she formed the Textones, whose deb ...
(later of the Textones), Marilyn Dean and Sublett on the bass. The Violators were short-lived, as all the members except for Sublett moved to LA the following year. Margaret Moser, of the
Austin Chronicle Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
, later wrote that "The Skunks put Austin on the rock n' roll map."Jesse Sublett
" ''
Austin Chronicle Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...
''. Retrieved on August 3, 2016.
Another influential band that led the punk scene in Austin was the Big Boys. Austin became one of the important stops on every tour of important punk/new wave acts. Many of these bands, such as
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
, Joe Jackson, Blondie and
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads
, played at the Armadillo. A number of them, including
the Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
,
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
and Blondie, would make appearances at gigs by the Skunks and take the opportunity to jam with the band. The 1980s and 1990s also helped shape Austin's music scene.
Waterloo Records Waterloo Records is an independent record shop, music and video retailer in Austin, Texas, which has been an integral part of Austin's music scene since 1982. The store provides a large selection of new and used Compact Disc, CDs, Gramophone reco ...
, which has been voted the best independent record store in the country and hosts live in-store shows, first opened in 1982. Austinite Stevie Ray Vaughan won a Grammy in 1990 for best contemporary blues album. After tragically dying in a helicopter crash, he was memorialized with a statue on the shores of Austin's
Lady Bird Lake Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River (Texas), Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pon ...
. Additionally in 1991, Austin city leaders named Austin, "The Live Music Capital of the World", because of the number of live music venues. Visitors and Austinites alike may notice the 10-foot guitars standing on the sides of the city's streets. In 2006, Gibson Guitar brought Guitar Town to Austin, placing 35 of these giant guitars around the city. The Austin Music Foundation is one of several Austin groups that help independent artists further their music careers. Assisting musicians with medical needs are the SIMS Foundation and Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM). Promotion, preservation and education is the mission of the Austin Blues Society, formed in 2006 by Kaz Kazanoff and other blues community notables. Helping to promote the $1 billion music industry in the city is the Austin Music Office. A department of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Austin Music Office offers creative, personalized assistance in booking live music, discounted Austin Compilation CDs and mini-guides to the city's live music scene, assistance with utilization of live music venues for off-site events, and guidance with local music attractions and creation of music tours.


Television

The
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
live music
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
show ''
Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...
'' began in 1974 and has featured, , over 500 artists of various genres, including
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
, bluegrass and
zydeco Zydeco ( ; ) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by French speaking, Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends African and Caribbean rhythms, blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana ...
. Partly responsible for Austin's reputation as a live music hub, the show is broadcast worldwide and stands as the longest running music television program ever. On February 26, 2011, ''ACL'' held its first taping in its new purpose-built Moody Theater and studio in downtown Austin's
W Austin Hotel and Residences W Austin Hotel and Residences is a 37-story hotel and residential skyscraper in the Block 21 mixed-use development in Downtown Austin, Texas, adjacent to the Second Street district. It opened in December 2010. Standing at 478 feet above the gro ...
. Despite a seating capacity of over 2,700, audiences will be limited to around 800 (the original total seating capacity of the old studio). The additional seating capacity will be used for the ''ACL Live'' concert series at the venue. Austin was also home to the Austin Music Network (AMN), which broadcast from 1994 to 2005. AMN, featured on cable channel 15, proclaimed itself to be the only non-profit independent music television channel, and its programming was mostly
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
s or recorded live sessions, interspersed with presenters. Although all musical tastes were broadcast, AMN emphasized non-mainstream music such as
indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests *Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...
,
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
. Channel 15 was a 24-hour music channel now run by Music and Entertainment Television (M*E). M*E launched October 1, 2005, and was broadcast to Austin and the 44 surrounding cities. M*E was a regional network dedicated to showcasing and providing television exposure for regional artists as well as the hundreds of touring groups that make up the vibrant Texas live music scene. Supporting established artists and promoting and discovering new talent is a priority. M*E represented different musical genres and areas of the arts community with numerous original programs highlighting everything from filmmakers to art galleries, and musicians to the ballet. In addition, M*E's mostly music lineup, spotlighted live performance footage, concept music videos as well as biographies, reviews, restaurant tours and more.


Festivals

Austin is the home of
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
(SXSW), an annual music, film and interactive conference and festival, and the expanding number of fringe events that take place during the festival, at venues all over town. In the fall, Austin hosts the
Austin City Limits Music Festival Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, on two consecutive three-day weekends and is inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series ''Austin City Limits''. The festival is pro ...
(ACL) and the
Fun Fun Fun Fest Fun Fun Fun Fest (often abbreviated as "FFF" or "F3F") was an annual music and comedy festival held in Austin, Texas, United States. It featured stages that focused specifically on hip-hop / electronica, indie rock, punk / metal, and comedy. S ...
. In the spring, the long-running
Old Settler's Music Festival Old Settler's Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Tilmon, Texas, just southeast of Lockhart, Texas. The festival, started in 1987, features artists from Texas and beyond. Camping, arts and crafts, food and drink are available. T ...
takes place at the Salt Lick Pavilion & Camp Ben McCulloch just outside the city. Every summer, Austin City Limits Radio puts on a series of free blues shows in
Zilker Park Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in south Austin, Texas, at the juncture of Barton Creek and the Colorado River that comprises over of publicly owned land. It is named after its benefactor, Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated t ...
entitled "Blues on the Green. " Also in the summer, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department holds the Hillside Summer Concert Series music festival, throughout the month of July. This is held at the Pan American Recreation Center. This festival features popular local and national Tejano and Latin music performers. Jason Rubio, o
Austin's Best DJs
was the first DJ to perform at the festival, in 2014. Numerous other music festivals occur year-round. Other annual festivals include the "Keep Austin Weird Festival " and the Heart of Texas Quadruple Bypass Music Festival a.k.a. The Texas Rockfest. Austin is home to other large annual festivals including: * Carnaval Brasileiro * Eeyore's Birthday Party *
Levitation Levitation, Levitate, or Levitating may refer to: Concepts *Levitation (illusion), an illusion where a magician appears to levitate a person or object *Levitation (paranormal), the claimed paranormal phenomenon of levitation, occurring without an ...
(formerly Austin Psych Fest) * Oblivion Access Festival * Old Pecan Street Festival * Republic of Texas Biker Rally


Venues

''
The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...
'', Visit Austin,
Do512 Do512 is a localized event listings website featuring concerts, drink specials, and other arts and culture events in Austin, Texas. The site typically features 1,000 to 1,500 events per week, and receives around 250,000 unique visitors each month. I ...
, and Phosphene Productions offer information on the most common venues that host local bands. Below is a short list of notable venues: * Antone's (reopened in new location) * B. D. Riley's (new location) * The Backroom * The Backyard * Beerland * The Broken Spoke * C-Boy's Heart & Soul * Cactus Cafe (UT campus) * The Carousel Lounge * Cedar Street Courtyard *
Central Market Central Market may refer to: Fresh food markets *Adelaide Central Market, Australia * Cardiff Central Market, Wales *Central Market, Hong Kong * Central Market, Casablanca, Morocco *Riga Central Market, Latvia * Central Market (Columbus, Ohio), Uni ...
* Central Presbyterian Church * Cheer Up Charlies * Come and Take It Live * The Continental Club * Dirty Dog Bar (formerly The Metro) * Donn's Depot * Ego's * Elephant Room * Elysium Night Club *
Emo's Emo's is a music and event venue located in Austin, Texas. Emo's got its start as a Houston punk club in 1989, with the Austin location opening in 1992. The Houston location closed its doors in September 2001. The nightclub is an official ...
* Empire Control Room and Garage * Evangeline Café * Flamingo Cantina * Friends * Geraldine's * Green Mesquite * Guero's * The Highball * Hole in the Wall * Hotel Vegas/The Volstead * Icenhauer's * The Little Longhorn Saloon * Maggie Mae's * The Mohawk (formerly The Caucus Club) * Moody Center * ACL Live at the Moody Theater * Nutty Brown Café * One-2-One Bar * One World Theater * The Parish * The Parlor * Poodies * Red 7 (now Barracuda) * The Sahara Lounge * Saxon Pub * Scoot Inn * Skylark Lounge * Shooters * Speakeasy * Spider House Cafe * Steamboat * Stubb's BBQ * Swan Dive * Tellers * The White Horse In addition to the usual restaurant/bar venues listed above, Austin offers live music in unexpected places as well. These unique venues include: * City Hall - Every Thursday, City Council honors a local musician at its council meeting. Also, the free concert series "Live from the Plaza" takes place at City Hall every Friday at noon from April to December. * Austin-Bergstrom International Airport - Live music is featured 11 times a week at four locations. * Grocery Stores -
Central Market Central Market may refer to: Fresh food markets *Adelaide Central Market, Australia * Cardiff Central Market, Wales *Central Market, Hong Kong * Central Market, Casablanca, Morocco *Riga Central Market, Latvia * Central Market (Columbus, Ohio), Uni ...
features live music three times a week, while
Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market, Inc. (colloquially referred to as simply Whole Foods) is an American multinational supermarket chain store, chain headquartered in Austin, Texas, which sells products free from Hydrogenated fat, hydrogenated fats and artificia ...
hosts the "Music at the Market" music series every Thursday evening in the spring. * Road Races - The
Austin Marathon The Austin Marathon (officially known as Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in Austin, Texas, since 1992. The race weekend also features a half marathon and a 5K run wi ...
hosts more than 30 bands along the race course and the Capitol 10K features a band at every mile marker. * House Concerts - Hosting a variety of genres, Austin locals often open their doors to both local and touring musicians, with audiences ranging from a few friends to up to 200.


Musical acts

Austin musicians: * The Alice Rose *
Alpha Rev Alpha Rev is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas, fronted by Casey McPherson (formerly of Endochine). McPherson remains the group's only consistent member. However, historically the core members have also included Zak Loy on l ...
* Alan Haynes *
The American Analog Set The American Analog Set (sometimes referred to as AmAnSet) is an Austin-based indie rock band. They have released seven studio albums, on the record labels Emperor Jones, Tiger Style Records, and Arts & Crafts. On October 27, 2023, they released ...
*
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (often abbreviated as Trail of Dead), are an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1994. The band's earliest stable lineup consisted of Conrad Keely, Jason Reece, Kevin Allen a ...
*
Arc Angels Arc Angels is a blues rock supergroup formed in Austin, Texas in the early 1990s. The band came together after the death of Stevie Ray Vaughan and was composed of Vaughan’s friends Doyle Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton and two of the band ...
*
ArcAttack ArcAttack is a performance art group that specializes in playing music through a combination of homemade, high-tech instruments, and more traditional instruments such as guitar and bass. Background The main attraction of their performance is the ...
*
Asleep at the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel is an American country music, Western swing music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, in 1970, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards, released over 20 albums, and has charted more t ...
*
Asylum Street Spankers Asylum Street Spankers was an American acoustic blues and roots rock band from Austin, Texas, United States. The band played cover versions of early jazz and comical, often risqué original songs. In 2006, the band's satirical antiwar video "Sti ...
*
Austin Lounge Lizards The Austin Lounge Lizards are a musical group from Austin, Texas, formed in 1980. The band includes founding members Hank Card and Conrad Deisler, along with Tim Wilson and Kirk Williams. The third founding member, Tom Pittman, retired from th ...
*
Averse Sefira Averse Sefira was a black metal band from Austin, Texas. Biography Averse Sefira was formed in 1996 by guitarist and vocalist Sanguine Mapsama and bassist Wrath Sathariel Diabolus.True, Chris " Averse Sefira Biography, ''Allmusic'', Macrovis ...
*
Balcones Fault The Balcones Fault or Balcones Fault Zone is an area of largely normal faulting Edwards Aquifer in the U.S. state of Texas that runs roughly from the southwest part of the state near Del Rio to the north-central region near Dallas along Inte ...
*
Marcia Ball Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana. Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock and Louisiana blues-swamp me ...
* Balmorhea *
Band of Heathens The Band of Heathens is an American rock and roll band from Austin, Texas. The band was originally formed by Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist in 2005. History The three original principal songwriters - Colin Brooks, Ed Jurdi and Gordy Qui ...
*
Carpetbagger In the history of the United States, carpetbagger is a largely historical pejorative used by Southerners to describe allegedly opportunistic or disruptive Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War and were pe ...
*
Lou Ann Barton Lou Ann Barton (born February 17, 1954) is an American blues singer based in Austin, Texas since the 1970s. AllMusic noted that "The grace, poise, and confidence she projects on-stage is part of a long tradition for women blues singers". Biogr ...
*
Best Fwends Best Fwends are a musical group from Fort Worth, Texas. All but unknown in the United States, the duo have attracted much more notice in Europe, having been featured in a Bacardi commercial in the United Kingdom and performing at Iceland Airw ...
* Beto y los Fairlanes * Big Boys * The Black and White Years * The Black Angels *
Black Heart Saints Black Heart Saints is an American rock music, rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 2014. In 2019, they won Austin Chronicle's "Best Metal Band" award, being recognized along with Willie Nelson, Jackie Venson, and Ghostland Observatory. His ...
* Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears *
Black Pistol Fire Black Pistol Fire is a Canadian-born, Austin-based rock duo. The group consists of Kevin McKeown (guitar/lead vocals) and Eric Owen (drums). Their sound is a mix of classic southern rock and garage punk. History Early years Kevin McKeown and Eri ...
*
Black Pumas Black Pumas is an American psychedelic soul band based in Austin, Texas, led by singer/songwriter Eric Burton and guitarist/record producer, producer Adrian Quesada. The group received its first Grammy Award nomination in 2020 for Best New Artis ...
* The Boxing Lesson * Blue Cartoon *
Blue October Blue October is an American Rock music, rock band originally from Houston, Texas, formed in 1995. It currently consists of singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist #Personnel, Ryan Delahoussaye, b ...
*
The Bright Light Social Hour The Bright Light Social Hour is an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. The band is composed of Jackie O'Brien on bass and vocals, Curtis Roush on guitar and vocals, Zac Catanzaro on drums, Mia Carruthers on keys and vocals, and Jua ...
*
Brobdingnagian Bards The Brobdingnagian Bards are a Celtic music group from Austin, Texas, United States. History Marc Gunn, formerly of Austin Texas' alternative rock bands Skander and Breastfed, released a solo album (''Geography'') featuring himself on autoharp ...
*
Doyle Bramhall II Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968) is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall. Early life Bramhall was born ...
*
Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has ...
*
Ray Campi Raymond Charles Campi (April 20, 1934 – March 11, 2021) was an American singer, musician and songwriter, nicknamed "The Rockabilly Rebel". He first recorded in the mid-1950s. Campi's trademark was his white double bass, which he often jump ...
*
Cindy Cashdollar Cindy Cashdollar (born May 25, 1956) is an American musician specializing in steel guitar and Dobro. She grew up in Woodstock, New York, where she perfected her skills by playing with bluegrass music, bluegrass musician John Herald, blues musi ...
* Chaski (Latin American folk music ensemble) * Chingon * Courtyard hounds * Gina Chavez *
Gary Clark, Jr. Gary Lee Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American guitarist and singer who fuses blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop. In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released ''The Bright Lights'' EP. It was followed ...
* Lakrea Clark * W. C. Clark *
Slaid Cleaves Richard Slaid Cleaves (born June 9, 1964) is an American folk singer-songwriter who has been performing extensively and recording albums in the Americana genre since the early 1990s. Raised in South Berwick, Maine, he has lived in the Austin, ...
*
Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...
*
Court Yard Hounds Court Yard Hounds were an American country music and folk duo, founded by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. They, along with Natalie Maines, make up The Chicks, formerly the Dixie Chicks. The sisters decided to record a side project ...
*
Kacy Crowley Kacy Crowley is an American musician and singer-songwriter. A New England native, she currently resides in Austin, Texas. Early life Born in Northampton, Massachusetts, her mother was a piano teacher and her father was a construction worker. Her ...
*
Dax Riggs Dax David Riggs (born October 15, 1973) is an American musician, best known for fronting the sludge metal band Acid Bath in the 1990s. He has been a part of many projects since then, including Agents of Oblivion and Deadboy and the Elephantmen, ...
*
Dangerous Toys Dangerous Toys is an Austin, Texas-based rock band, with often humorous lyrics. Founded in 1987, Dangerous Toys released four full-length albums and one live album before unofficially disbanding at the turn of the millennium. The band found mai ...
*
Jesse Dayton Jesse Dayton is an American musician, actor and record producer from Austin, Texas best known for his guitar contributions to albums by country musicians including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. He is also notable for his col ...
* Death is not a joyride * Del Castillo *
The Derailers The Derailers are an American country music band based in Austin, Texas. They were founded by Portland, Oregon, natives Tony Villanueva and Brian Hofeldt in 1994. History The Derailers' first LP, ''Live Tracks'', was issued in 1995. It was the ...
*
Dexter Freebish Dexter Freebish is a band based in Austin, Texas, consisting of Robert Kyle (lead singer), Scott Romig (guitarist), Chris Lowe (bassist/backing vocalist), Charles Martin (additional guitarist), and Rob Schilz (drummer). They are perhaps best know ...
*
The Dicks Dicks were an American punk rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1980 and initially disbanded in 1986. After the first breakup, singer Gary Floyd formed the band Sister Double Happiness, with drummer Lynn Perko, then later fronted a project ...
*
The Dixie Chicks The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. The band consists of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) and Emily Stra ...
* The Eastern Sea * Electric Touch *
Joe Ely Joe Ely (; born February 9, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was "one of the main movers" of Austin, Texas' progressive country scene in the 1970s and '80s. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce ...
*
Alejandro Escovedo Pedro Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, includin ...
*
Esther's Follies Esther's Follies is a modern-day vaudeville theatre located on 6th Street in downtown Austin, Texas. The group is named after actress Esther Williams. Acts incorporate magic, juggling, singing, dancing, and sketches on current events. The show ...
* Explosions in the Sky * Dickins *
The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds is an American blues rock band formed in 1974. Singer Kim Wilson is the only constant member through the band's entire history. Their 1986 album ''Tuff Enuff'' sold over a million copies, and spawned two minor hit singl ...
* David Persons *
Fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
*
Feathers Feathers are epidermis (zoology), epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both Bird, avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in ...
*
Rosie Flores Rosie Flores (born Rosalie Flores; September 10, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, where August 31 was declared Rosie Flores Day by the Austin City Council in 2006. Biography Rosie Flo ...
*
Michael Fracasso Michael Fracasso is a singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas. His music spans Country music, country and rock as he sings in a high tenor that evokes the "high lonesome" sound of early Country music, country. He was a regular performer at th ...
*
Max Frost Matthew Alexander "Max" Frost (born July 5, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Austin, Texas, who is signed to Atlantic Records. He has released two EPs: ''Low High Low'' in October 2013, and ''Int ...
*
Full Service Full service or Full Service may refer to: Entertainment Books * ''Full Service'' (book), a 2012 memoir by Scotty Bowers * '' Full Service No Waiting'', a 1998 album by Peter Case Music * "Full Service", a song by the New Kids on the Block fr ...
* Future Clouds and Radar *
Davíd Garza David Garza (pronounced Dah-veed; born February 4, 1971) is a Grammy winning producer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and visual artist who has crafted a 35-year repertoire of over 400 original compositions. Biography Davi ...
*
Larry Gatlin Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers are an American country music vocal group. The group consists of lead singer Larry Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) and his brothers, Rudy and Steve Gatlin. The group achieved considerable success within the country ...
* Ghostland Observatory *
Eliza Gilkyson Eliza Gilkyson (born August 24, 1950, Hollywood, California) is an American folk musician based in Taos, New Mexico.Gilkyson moved her base from Austin, Texas, to Taos in 2020. Gilkyson is a two-time Grammy Award nominee, receiving a nomination ...
*
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Jimmie Dale Gilmore (born May 6, 1945) is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas. Life and career Gilmore is a native of the Texas Panhandle, having been born in Amarillo and raised in Lubbock, Texas. His ear ...
* Golden Arm Trio *
Johnny Goudie John Charles Goudie (born October 14, 1968, Coral Gables, Florida) is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, record producer, actor, and podcaster based in Austin, Texas. Over his five-decade career, he has received ...
*
The Gourds The Gourds are an American alternative country band that formed in Austin, Texas, during the summer of 1994. After playing together for 19 consecutive years, the band went on hiatus in 2013. Career Primarily evolving from the Picket Line Coyote ...
*
Slim Richey David Michael Richey (February 11, 1938 – May 31, 2015), known professionally as Slim Richey, was an American jazz guitarist, fiddle player, bandleader, and publisher. Early life Richey was born in Atlanta, Texas, and became a jazz enthusias ...
's Jitterbug Vipers *
Jon Dee Graham Jon Dee Graham is an American musician, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas, United States. Graham was named the Austin Musician of the Year during the South by Southwest (SXSW) music conference in 2006. He was inducted into the Austin Mu ...
* Kydd Jones *
Patty Griffin Patricia Jean Griffin (born March 16, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.Griffin, Patricia She is a vocalist and plays guitar and piano. She is known for her stripped-down songwriting style in the folk music genre. Her songs ...
*
The Pictures The Pictures are an Australian rock band based in Melbourne, Victoria. They were founded in 2000 as a side-project by Davey Lane, the lead guitarist of Australian alternative rock band You Am I. In their initial run, The Pictures released thre ...
* Grupo Fantasma *
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...
* Roy Heinrich *
Tje Austin Tje Austin, pronounced TYE, is an American R&B singer-songwriter based out of Austin, Texas. He is also a former contestant of NBC's singing competition '' The Voice''. Early life Tje Austin was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and adopted by a Morm ...
*
Terri Hendrix Terri Ann Hendrix is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and independent artist who has been writing and performing an eclectic mix of Americana genre, encompassing folk, pop, country, blues, and jazz, since 1990. Since 1988 H ...
*
Sara Hickman Sara Hickman (born March 1, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist.Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University)Guide to the Houston Folk Music Archive(Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library ...
*
Tish Hinojosa Leticia ("Tish") Hinojosa (born December 6, 1955, San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter, recording in both Spanish and English. Early life and career Hinojosa is the youngest of 13 children. Hinojosa's parents were Mexican immigrants. K ...
*
The Hot Club of Cowtown The Hot Club of Cowtown is an American Western swing trio that formed in 1997. History The band's name comes from two sources: "Hot Club" from the hot jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli's Quintette du Hot Club de ...
* I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness *
Jack Ingram Jack Owen Ingram (born November 15, 1970) is an American country music artist formerly signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eleven studio albums, one extended play, six live albums, and 19 singles. Alt ...
* Eric Johnson * River Jones * Kaleo *
Robert Earl Keen Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956) is an American country singer and songwriter from Houston, Texas. Early life and education Keen was born and grew up in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, he was an avid reader who excelled in writing an ...
*
Ben Kweller Benjamin Lev Kweller (born June 16, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A former member of Radish, Kweller has released six solo albums and appeared on several collaborations. Early life Ben Kweller was born in S ...
*
Jimmy LaFave Jimmy LaFave (July 12, 1955 – May 21, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. After moving to Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaFave became a supporter of Woody Guthrie. He later became an Advisory Board member and regular performer ...
* The Lovely Sparrows *
Lower Class Brats Lower Class Brats are an American street punk band founded in Austin, Texas in January 1995, based out of Southern California since 2017. The play a mix of Punk, Oi!, 70s Glam and straight ahead rock and roll. Line-up Current *Bones: vo ...
* The Lucky Strikes *
Lloyd Maines Lloyd Wayne Maines (born June 28, 1951) is an American country music record producer, musician and songwriter. He was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame as one of the first three members, the other two being Willie Nelson and Stev ...
* Julian Mandrake * Matt the Electrician * Carson McHone *
James McMurtry James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/ americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor ('' Daisy Miller'', '' Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hour ...
* MDC * Missio * Mingo Fishtrap *
Monte Montgomery Monte Patrick Montgomery (born August 11, 1966) is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. Early life Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, at age 13 he moved to San Antonio, Texas. Career The Austin, Texas based guitarist fir ...
* Mother Falcon *
Abra Moore Abra Moore (born June 8, 1969) is an American folk-styled rock singer-songwriter. Moore was a founding member of the Hawaiian rock band Poi Dog Pondering, but left to pursue a solo career after the group's move to Texas in the late 1980s. Her 19 ...
* Ian Moore *
Gurf Morlix Gurf Morlix (born 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and music producer. Career Born in Buffalo, New York, Morlix moved to Texas in 1975 and performed with Blaze Foley. He moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and joined Lucinda Williams's band. ...
* Mothfight *
Trish Murphy Trish Murphy is an American singer-songwriter, based in Austin, Texas, United States. She appeared in the Austin City Limits Music Festival twice and has released four records. Music career Trish Murphy grew up in Houston, Texas, the daughter ...
*
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
*
The Nightowls The Nightowls are an American musical group from Austin, Texas, whose debut album ''Good As Gold'' was named Top 10 of the 2014 Austin Music Awards Albums of the Year. Their sound combines R&B, Funk and soul music. Lead singer and multi-instrumen ...
* The Noise Revival Orchestra *
Matt Noveskey William Matthew Noveskey (born June 16, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, guitarist, and bassist, best known as the bassist in the bands Blue October and Harvard of the South (band), Harvard of the South, and as bassist ...
*
The Octopus Project The Octopus Project is an American experimental music, experimental band formed in Austin, TX in 1999 by Toto Miranda, Yvonne Lambert & Josh Lambert. Their first album, ''Identification Parade'', came out in 2002, setting them off on a musical pat ...
* The Offenders *
Okkervil River Okkervil River is an American rock band led by singer-songwriter Will Sheff. Formed in Austin, Texas, in 1998, the band takes its name from a short story by Russian author Tatyana Tolstaya set on the river Okkervil in Saint Petersburg. They bega ...
*
One-Eyed Doll One-Eyed Doll was an American Gothic rock, gothic rock music, rock duo based in Austin, Texas, which was voted the Best Punk Band in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Austin Music Awards at SXSW. One-Eyed Doll officially retired on May 21, 2021, after ...
*
Paul Oscher Paul Allan Oscher (February 26, 1947 – April 18, 2021) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Primarily a harmonica player, he was the first permanent white member of Muddy Waters' band.Norman Darwen, "Obituary: Paul ...
* Ephraim Owens *
Patrice Pike Patrice Pike is an American singer-songwriter. She was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Austin, Texas-based rock band Sister 7. The band produced three independent and three major label albums, and has toured in the U.S. and Wes ...
*
Toni Price Toni Price or Luiese Esther Price (March 13, 1961 – November 22, 2024) was an American country blues singer from Austin, Texas, United States. Price began her career in Nashville, where she recorded a few country music, country and western sin ...
* Pushmonkey *
Quiet Company Quiet Company is an American rock band from Austin, Texas, fronted by Taylor Muse. They have released five albums, which includes a re-release of their debut album '' Shine Honesty'', multiple EPs, a live DVD, and Christmas-themed offerings. The ...
*
Reckless Kelly ''Reckless Kelly'' is a 1993 Australian comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian out ...
* Recover *
Redd Volkaert Redd Volkaert (born 1958) is a Canadian guitarist and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players in the modern era and is "among the country’s top Telecaster guitar slingers” particularly in the genres of western swi ...
* Luke Redfield *
The Reivers ''The Reivers: A Reminiscence'', published in 1962, is the last novel by the American author William Faulkner. It was published a month before his death. The bestselling novel was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1963. Faulkner previou ...
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Riddlin' Kids Riddlin' Kids (sometimes referred to as RK) was an American pop punk band from Austin, Texas, United States, and was made up of Clint Baker (vocals/guitar), Dustin Stroud (guitar/vocals), Mark Johnson (bass), and Dave Keel (drums). History 199 ...
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Ringo Deathstarr Ringo Deathstarr is an American shoegaze band from Austin, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Elliott Frazier in 2005. The band name is a combination of the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and the ''Star Wars'' Death Star. History Ringo Deathstarr ...
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Riverboat Gamblers Riverboat Gamblers is an American punk rock band originally from Denton, Texas, formed in 1997, now residing in Austin, Texas. The band's current line-up comprises vocalist Mike Wiebe, guitarist/voc Fadi El-Assad, guitarist/voc Ian MacDougall, ...
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The Rocketboys The Rocketboys is an indie rock band from Austin, Texas. History Formerly known as Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys, the band formed late 2005 in Abilene, Texas. The original line-up met while they were attending Abilene Christian University. Si ...
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Carrie Rodriguez Carrie Luz Rodriguez (born July 31, 1978) is an American singer-songwriter and the daughter of Texan singer-songwriter David Rodriguez and Texas painter Katy Nail, and is the granddaughter of prolific Texas essayist Frances Nail. She sings and ...
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Bruce Robison Bruce Ben Robison (born June 11, 1966) is an American Texas country music singer-songwriter. Bruce and his brother, fellow singer-songwriter Charlie Robison, grew up in Bandera, Texas, near San Antonio. His self-titled debut album was released ...
* Calvin Russell *
Bob Schneider Robert Schneider (born October 12, 1965) is an Austin, Texas based musician and former lead singer of the rock band Ugly Americans. He has recorded and officially released over 20 studio albums and EPs, many on his own Shockorama Records label. He ...
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Charlie Sexton Charles Wayne Sexton (born August 11, 1968) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Sexton is best known for his years as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band, though also has become well known as a music producer. Sexton co-founded Arc A ...
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Shakey Graves Shakey Graves (born Alejandro Rose-Garcia; June 4, 1987) is an American musician and actor from Austin, Texas. His music combines blues, folk, country, and rock and roll. Rose-Garcia received his stage name at Old Settler's Music Festival in 20 ...
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Shearwater Shearwaters are medium-sized long-winged seabirds in the petrel family Procellariidae. They have a global marine distribution, but are most common in temperate and cold waters, and are pelagic outside the breeding season. Description These tube ...
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Shinyribs Shinyribs is a 9-piece swamp funk / Southern soul band from Austin, Texas. History Shinyribs began in 2007 as a solo side project of singer/guitar player Kevin Russell, then of longtime Austin band The Gourds. At first "Shinyribs" referred to ...
* Soul Track Mind *
Soulhat Soulhat is an American rock band from Texas. The group formed in 1990 around the nucleus of Kevin McKinney, Bill Cassis, and Brian Walsh; Barry E. "Frosty" Smith, who had previously played drums with Lee Michaels and Funkadelic, joined soon after: ...
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Spoon A spoon (, ) is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a table setting, place setting, it ...
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Stars of the Lid Stars of the Lid is an American ambient music project that formerly consisted of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. The duo formed in Austin, Texas, in 1992. They have been acclaimed for their music incorporating droning, effects-treated guitars a ...
* Storyville *
Sunny Sweeney Sunny Michaela Sweeney (born December 7, 1976) is an American Country music, country singer–songwriter. Since beginning her career, her recordings have been released through five studio albums. Her best-selling album was 2011's ''Concrete (Sunn ...
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The Sword The Sword is an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band is composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III for most of its ten ...
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Owen Temple Owen Temple (born September 4, 1976 in Kerrville, Texas) is an American folk and country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the A ...
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Rick Trevino Ricardo Treviño Jr. (born May 16, 1971), known professionally as Rick Trevino, is an American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Nashville in 1993, Trevino began his career that year with the release of his debut single "Just Enough Rope", ...
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Kathy Valentine Kathryn Valentine (born January 7, 1959) is an American musician who is the bassist for the rock band the Go-Go's. She has maintained a career in music through songwriting, recording, performing and touring as well as additional academic and cre ...
* Vallejo *
Jimmie Vaughan Jimmie Lawrence Vaughan Jr. (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was a founding member of The Fabulous Thunder ...
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Jackie Venson Jackie Venson (born 1990) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Austin, Texas. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2011. Venson has released five studio albums, ''Joy'' (2019), ''Love Transcends'' (2021), ''Evolution of J ...
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Patricia Vonne Patricia Vonne (; born December 19, 1969) is an American singer and actress. Biography A native of San Antonio, Texas, Vonne is the sister of filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and moved to New York City in 1990–2001 to pursue her artistic ambitions ...
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Voxtrot Voxtrot is an American indie pop band formed in Austin, Texas, in 2003. Their first recordings were released in 2003, and their debut EP, '' Raised by Wolves'', was released in 2005 to critical acclaim, garnering attention from music bloggers as ...
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Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He also wrote t ...
* Tank Washington *
Watchtower A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are ...
* Dale Watson * What Made Milwaukee Famous *
White Denim White Denim is an American rock band from Austin, Texas, United States. Their music is influenced by dub, psychedelic rock, blues, punk rock, progressive rock, soul, jazz, experimental rock with home-based recording, jamming approach, intense ...
* White Ghost Shivers *
Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
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Kelly Willis Kelly Diane Willis (born October 2, 1968) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her music has been described as being new traditionalist and alternative country. Early life Born in Lawton, Oklahoma, Willis was the youngest of three ...
* The Wind and The Wave * Wiretree * Carolyn Wonderland * The Yuppie Pricks Musicians who previously contributed to the Austin music scene (including those who died, have broken up, or moved from the city): *
13th Floor Elevators The 13th Floor Elevators was an American rock band from Austin, Texas, United States, formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland. The band was together from 1965 to 1969, an ...
*
Angela Strehli Angela Strehli (born November 22, 1945) is an American electric blues singer and songwriter. She is also a Texas blues historian and impresario. Despite a sporadic recording career, Strehli spends time each year performing in Europe, the US an ...
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Bad Livers The Bad Livers were an American band from Austin, Texas whose inventive musical style defied attempts to categorize them according to existing genres.McLeese, Don. "Musical Mayhem: Bill Monroe, Metallica inspire Bad Livers' High-Speed Style" '' ...
* Dynamite Hack *
Experimental Aircraft An experimental aircraft is an aircraft intended for testing new aerospace technologies and design concepts. The term ''research aircraft'' or '' testbed aircraft'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, ...
* Gal's Panic *
Glass Eye An ocular prosthesis, artificial eye or glass eye is a type of craniofacial prosthesis that replaces an absent natural eye following an enucleation, evisceration, or orbital exenteration. Someone with an ocular prosthesis is altogether blind ...
* Kellye Gray * Greezy Wheels *
Nanci Griffith Nanci Caroline Griffith (July 6, 1953 – August 13, 2021) was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. She often appeared on the PBS music program ''Austin City Limits'', starting in 1985 during season 10. In 1990, Griffith appeared on th ...
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Marc Gunn Marc Andrew Gunn (born March 17, 1972) is an American musician and podcaster. Gunn rose to prominence as the autoharp-playing half of the Brobdingnagian Bards. He and partner Andrew McKee developed a following with weekly performances on the c ...
* The Impossibles *
Daniel Johnston Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in Outsider music, outsider, Lo-fi music, lo-fi, and alternative rock, alternative music scenes. Most ...
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Poi Dog Pondering Poi Dog Pondering is an American musical group which is noted for its cross-pollination of diverse musical genres, including various forms of acoustic and electronic music. Frank Orrall founded the band in Hawaii in 1984, initially as a solo p ...
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Charlie Robison Charles Fitzgerald Robison (September 1, 1964 – September 10, 2023) was an American country music singer-songwriter. Career After a knee injury at Southwest Texas State University ended a potential football career, Charlie Robison came to ...
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Scratch Acid Scratch Acid was an American post-hardcore/noise rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in 1982. One of the pioneers of noise rock in the 1980s, the band is best remembered as a stepping stone for its frontman David Yow, and bass player David ...
* Sound Team *
Shoulders The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...
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The Sword The Sword is an American heavy metal band from Austin, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band is composed of vocalist and guitarist John D. Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Santiago "Jimmy" Vela III for most of its ten ...
*
Timbuk3 Timbuk 3, stylized TIMBUK3, was an American rock band that released six albums between 1986 and 1995. They are best known for their Top 20 single " The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades". Career Timbuk 3 was formed in 1984 in Madison, Wis ...
* Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom * Two Nice Girls *
Uncle Walt's Band Uncle Walt's Band was an Americana band founded in Spartanburg, South Carolina, by Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood, and David Ball. They were among the most popular acoustic bands in Austin, Texas, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and were parti ...
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Ünloco Ünloco was an American nu metal band formed in Austin, Texas. History Ünloco was formed in 2000 by frontman vocalist Joey Dueñas, with Pete Navarrete on drums, Victor Escareño on bass, and Brian Arthur on guitar. That same year, the band rel ...
* Volcano, I'm Still Excited!! *
Wideawake Wideawake is an American alternative rock band from Austin, Texas. Their songs have been heard on ''One Tree Hill (TV series)'', ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Test Drive Unlimited 2'' and '' The Ring''. The band has shared the stage with bands and musici ...
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Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayl Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums, ''Ramblin' on My Mind (Lucinda Williams album), Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and ''Happy Woman Blues'' (198 ...
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3D Friends Daniel Chavez Wright (born July 2, 1989), known professionally as 3D Friends, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Austin, Texas. Daniel formed the project in 2009 as a solo project, but has collaborated with other musicians ...
Deceased Austin musicians include: *
Stephen Bruton Turner Stephen Bruton (November 7, 1948 – May 9, 2009) was an American actor and musician. Background Born in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, he moved with his family to Texas at the age of two. He fell into the Fort Worth music scene aft ...
*
Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...
*
Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tejano music, Tex-Mex music and Music of Texas, Texan Music pe ...
*
Randy Turner Randy J. "Biscuit" Turner (November 25, 1949 – August 19, 2005) was an American punk singer and artist. He was the lead singer for the seminal hardcore punk band Big Boys, formed in Austin in the late 1970s. Turner is regarded as a pioneer bi p ...
AKA Biscuit *
Stevie Ray Vaughan Stephen Ray Vaughan (also known as SRV; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (band), Double Trouble. Although his ma ...
* Calvin Russell *
Don Walser Donald Ray Walser (September 14, 1934 – September 20, 2006) was an American country music singer. He was known as a unique, award-winning yodeling "Texas country music legend." Music career Walser was born in Brownfield, Texas and raised ...
*
Gene Ramey Gene Ramey (April 4, 1913 – December 8, 1984) was an American jazz double bassist. Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, United States, and played trumpet in college, but switched to contrabass when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Mo ...
*
Pee Wee Crayton Connie Curtis Crayton (December 18, 1914 – June 25, 1985), known as Pee Wee Crayton, was an American R&B and blues guitarist and singer. Career Crayton was born in Rockdale, Texas. He began playing guitar seriously after moving to California ...
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Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive Swing music, swing pianist", Wilson's piano style was gentle, elegant, and virtuosic. His style was high ...
* Robert Shaw * Keith Ferguson *
Bill Neely Bill Neely (born 21 May 1959) is a retired Irish journalist. He was the Chief Global Correspondent for NBC News from 2014 to 2021. He has been a broadcaster since 1981. Neely spent 25 years at ITN's ITV News. He now teaches & mentors journali ...
* Grey Ghost *
Blaze Foley Michael David Fuller (December 18, 1949 – February 1, 1989), better known by his stage name Blaze Foley, was an American country music singer-songwriter, poet, and artist active in Austin, Texas. Background Foley was born Michael David Fuller ...
*
Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.
* Doyle Bramhall * Bobby Doyle *
Walter Hyatt Walter Hyatt (October 25, 1949 – May 11, 1996) was an American singer and songwriter. His group, Uncle Walt's Band, was involved in the alternative music scene in Austin, Texas. Early life Born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Walter Hyatt was ...
*
Rusty Wier Russell Allen "Rusty" Wier (May 3, 1944 – October 9, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas. Wier's career dates back to the 1960s and covers multiple music genres. Wier was the drummer in the Austin garage rock band The Wi ...
*
Ian McLagan Ian Patrick McLagan (; 12 May 1945 – 3 December 2014) was an English keyboardist, best known as a member of the rock bands Small Faces and Faces. He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and led his own band from the late 1970s. He was i ...
*
Jesse Taylor Jesse Taylor (born January 2, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) and 10th Planet Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt fighter who last competed in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor from 2006 to 2023, he wa ...
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Pinetop Perkins Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011) was an American blues pianist. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock-and-roll performers of his time and received numerous honors, including a Grammy Lifet ...
*
Gary Primich Gary Primich (April 20, 1958 – September 23, 2007) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for his 1995 album, ''Mr. Freeze''. Biography Gary Alan Primich was born in Chicago, Illinois, b ...
*
Nick Curran Nick Curran (September 30, 1977 – October 6, 2012) was an American blues/rock and roll singer and guitarist. He has been likened to T-Bone Walker, Little Richard, The Sonics, Doug Sahm, Misfits (band), Misfits Eddie Cochran Early life Ni ...
*
Jody Payne Jody Payne (January 11, 1936 – August 10, 2013) was an American country musician and singer. He is best known as a longtime guitarist in Willie Nelson's band, '' The Family''. Early life Payne was born James L. Payne in Garrard County, Kentuck ...
* Tony Campise The Austin Music Memorial at the Joe and Teresa Long Center honors those who have contributed to the development of the Austin music community.


See also

* List of radio stations in Austin


Notes


Further reading

* Available at
Researchgate ResearchGate is a European commercial social networking site for scientists and researchers to share papers, ask and answer questions, and find collaborators. According to a 2014 study by ''Nature'' and a 2016 article in ''Times Higher Education' ...

Available at
Project MUSE. -->


External links


Austin Music Foundation

Austin Music Office
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Austin Music scenes
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...