Email Author Chris Parker

2011 Stories by Chris Parker

• Bettysoo

  published December 8, 2011

  Don't let Bettysoo's size fool you — her voice can fill a room. Music has always been part of the Texas singer/guitarist's life,... More >>

• Ray Wylie Hubbard

  published December 8, 2011

  "I was into more the lifestyle of a wild visionary than actually learning the craft of it," explains Ray Wylie Hubbard. "I didn't do... More >>

• Byrd Song

  published December 8, 2011

  Like peanut butter and chocolate, Jonathan Byrd presents an appealing blend of flavors, combining the hill music of his native North Carolina... More >>

• Kinky Friedman

  published November 24, 2011

  Austin's own lunatic laureate, Kinky Friedman, has been a fly in the ointment for four decades, working over country and honky-tonk with... More >>

• So, How Does Kevin Fowler Feel About Beer?

  published November 24, 2011

  Singer Kevin Fowler and beer are so synonymous, you'd think he invented it and not Al Gore. The Amarillo native believes "The Lord Loves... More >>

• Pterodactyl

  published November 17, 2011

  Brooklyn trio Pterodactyl just keep getting better. Their 2007 self-titled debut showcased a squalling math-rock act that combined the... More >>

• Indian Jewelry, Prince Rama, Darktown Strutters, New Fumes

  published November 17, 2011

  They're spiritual kin of the Butthole Surfers, which is to say wild-eyed freaks bent backward at the psychedelic altar of mind-expanding... More >>

• Junior Brown, Warren Hood

  published November 17, 2011

  Like the bottle cap or happy hour, seems Junior Brown's been with us forever. A talented guitarist with a voice booming enough for... More >>

• Between the Buried and Me

  published November 17, 2011

  They're one of the most adventurous bands making music today, an experimental-metal act in thrall to a grab-bag of influences ranging from King... More >>

• Sondre Lerche; here, in arms

  published November 10, 2011

  Had he come of age in the '70s during the golden age of the singer/songwriter, Sondre Lerche (pronounced "Sonder Lerkay") would likely... More >>

• Billy Joe Shaver, Naptime Shake

  published November 10, 2011

  Willie Nelson called him "the best songwriter alive today," and Kris Kristofferson compared him to Hemingway. For the last four decades, the... More >>

• Rasputina, Wilderness of Manitoba, Bravo Max!

  published November 10, 2011

  Twin cellos and drum trio Rasputina formed two decades ago, uniting Gothic sensibilities with Victorian style and biting social... More >>

• A.A. Bondy, Gold Leaves

  published November 10, 2011

  A.A. Bondy is well into his second act as a musician after the dissolution of his band, Verbena. That Alabama outfit... More >>

• Fake Problems Find Some Real Solutions

  published October 6, 2011

  The difference between a good band and a great one is in the evolution. Given enough time, any band can write a decent debut fueled... More >>

• Frank Turner, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Into It Over It

  published September 29, 2011

  Frank Turner is finally shaking the old Billy Bragg comparisons with his fourth album, England Keep My Bones. He spent... More >>

• Bright Eyes, First Aid Kit

  published September 15, 2011

  Adulthood is tough on boy geniuses. Really: How does it feel to have peaked at 22? This is not to suggest that Conor Oberst's... More >>

• Agnostic Front, the Mongoloids, Naysayer, Hoodrat, Powertrip, Preatcher

  published September 15, 2011

  Though hardcore never completely disappeared, it spent plenty of time in the wilderness before its resurgence the last half-dozen years. The... More >>

• Smith Westerns, Sundress

  published September 8, 2011

  They're pegged as glam-rock at times — perhaps because of the prominent use of organ or the way the melody of "All Die Young" seems to... More >>

• Death Cab For Cutie, Frightened Rabbit

  published August 11, 2011

  There's a bittersweet warmth to Death Cab for Cutie's music that's reminiscent of their Pacific Northwest origins. Like Washington state... More >>

• 25 Years In, The Dwarves Keep Growing

  published August 11, 2011

  The Dwarves harken back to a time when punk was more of an insult than a marketing term. Rebellious teens trafficking in outrage and anything... More >>

• Avi Buffalo

  published August 4, 2011

  There's a sweetness and innocence to Avi Buffalo that's as indebted to leader Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg's tender age as it is the... More >>

• For Their Second Act, Digitalism Gets Bromantic

  published August 4, 2011

  They're the odd couple of indie dance, two Germans with disparate gifts that unite to create a balance of throbbing beats and glimmering... More >>

• Jessica Lea Mayfield

  published July 21, 2011

  Jessica Lea Mayfield was 19 when she released her 2008 full-length debut, With Blasphemy So Heartfelt. The album expanded upon the dark,... More >>

• Kid Cudi, Chip Tha Ripper

  published July 14, 2011

  Kid Cudi's a polarizing rapper whose sonic creativity is either weighed down by gloomy self-indulgence or enhanced by his soul-baring... More >>

• Lyle Lovett,John Hiatt

  published June 30, 2011

  Lyle Lovett emerged in the mid-'80s when, for a passing moment, Nashville invested as much in talent as looks. Lovett's first... More >>