The Improbably Rise of Redneck Rock

August 30, 2015

An Open Letter to “Austin City Limits”: In Consideration of Ray Wylie Hubbard

I know you probably receive dozens of these types of letters, and they all make strong cases for who the author wishes you select for the next season. But in the case of Ray Wylie Hubbard, I really think it would not only mean a tremendous amount to Ray, but it would mean a tremendous amount to Austin City Limits to finally and formally recognize one of Austin’s most important performers, and help preserve his place in Austin music.

Austin City Limits, Dale Watson, Eric Church, Jason Isbell, Lyle Lovett, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Sturgill Simpson, The Improbably Rise of Redneck Rock, Valerie June, Willie Nelson

January 20, 2011

Is Indie Rock Incorporating Country / Roots Infrastructure?

Trigger Random Notes 39 Comments

Indie doesn’t really have its own traditions, its own infrastructure like country, blues, or even Texas music. And in this music climate of massive contraction, this is not the time to be creating new infrastructure that may not be sustainable moving forward. So the solution appears to be to incorporate existing infrastructure that was built years ago for roots and country artists, ostensibly squeezing the support for these types of artists out of the picture.

Sure, the attrition is slow and calculated.But over time, as you look at the yearly schedules for things like Austin City Limits, or ACL Fest, or Pickathon…

ACL Fest, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo, Budweiser, Cheap Trick, Dave Matthews Band, Dr. Dogg, Fat Possum, Hayes Carll, Jan Reed, Junior Kimbrough, Matthew Johnson, Pearl Jam, Pickathon, RL Burnside, Robert Earl Keen, Saturday Night Live, The Black Keys, The Improbably Rise of Redneck Rock, Vegoose