Ty Hurless has been playing Tom Petty in the Damn Torpedoes for 15 years. A natural brunette, he wore his hair short for much of his original musical career. Now, though, it sits just above shoulder length, dyed a gentle golden blond. The look suits him, his graying stubble and laugh-lined cheeks. As a person, […]
Caroline Drew
Caroline is the Music and Culture staff writer and reporter, covering, well, music, books, and visual art for the Chronicle. She came to Austin by way of Portland, Oregon, drawn by the music scene and the warm weather.
Posted inBook Reviews
Flipping Through Austin’s Music Scene
Pinning down the buzzing, cross-pollinating music scene of this here Live Music Capital is like trying to catch a cloud and pin it down, or trying to hold a moonbeam in your hand. Austin’s Music Scene: Your Guide to the City’s Most Iconic Artists & Venues does it anyway via good ol’ fashioned blurbs, crafted […]
Posted inArts
Top 10 Lessons I Learned From Austinites While on the Culture Beat
If you’re looking for a crash course in Austin’s music, art, and culture scene, I suggest writing a biweekly column on the subject – it sure worked for me. In between sets at five-band shows and in the lobbies of museums and galleries, I’ve been jotting down notes, learning from the city and the creative […]
Posted inMusic
The Top 10 Austin Albums of 2025
I fell back in love with Austin music in 2025. Our city has been rife with talented performers since long before I came around, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the embarrassment of riches – and by everything else going on these days. These records – anticipated follow-ups, big-time debuts, new outfit premieres – […]
Posted inIn The Pocket
Robert Earl Keen Presents Christmas for Jokers
Robert Earl Keen didn’t even set out to write a Christmas song. He certainly didn’t set out to create a Christmas show. Still, the country singer-songwriter has never been one to pass up an opportunity to have fun. For 15 years, that’s exactly what Keen’s Christmas show has meant to him. “We aren’t there to […]
Posted inIn The Pocket
Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Takes the Benefit Stage
Tiered skirts in confectionary colors, an austere classical soundtrack, and predictably old-fashioned roles are the sugar plum visions that the Nutcracker conjures – but not at this performance. Caitlin Elledge, artistic director of Capital Contemporary Ballet and co-founder of the fledgling nonprofit ATX Artists for Social Impact, has imagined a different variation on the dance. […]
Posted inMusic
Texan Troubadour Joe Ely Dies at 78
Texas roots singer-songwriter Joe Ely passed away at age 78 on Monday, Dec. 15, due to complications with Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s, and pneumonia, according to a statement from his family. Ely was born in Amarillo in 1947 and became a pivotal part of Austin’s progressive country and Americana scene throughout the Seventies and Eighties […]
Posted inRecord Reviews
It’s A Very Carper Christmas Indeed
Melissa Carper’s tender, time-warping voice is well-suited to Christmas material. Turns out, so is her storytelling. A Very Carper Christmas presents 13 original tunes lovingly plucked from the songwriter’s hardscrabble universe of scrappy living and simple joys, plus two classic covers that pay homage to the legacy of sorrow and humor in holiday tunes. Fifties […]
Posted inMusic
Flight by Nothing, Good Looks, Theo Lawrence, and More to Play Free Week 2026
Red River Cultural District’s no-cost mini fest Free Week takes over the neighborhood a week later this year, Jan. 9-10, with performances from nearly 100 local bands of every genre, including pop rockers Flight by Nothing, folk rock quartet Good Looks, and old-fashioned country singer Theo Lawrence. Plenty of Free Week veterans will take to […]
Posted inIn The Pocket
Almost Heaven Manifests World Domination With Raw Cranium
At the pearly gates of stardom, will your outfit unlock the door? Almost Heaven originator and multi-instrumentalist Stefan Barraza arrives at our interview without his signature bug-eyed sunglasses – not a part of the plan, he assures me. His primary set broke in the car, granting me the rare treat of a glimpse behind the shades […]
Posted inIn The Pocket
Jackie Venson’s Found Sound Rehearsal Space Takes Music Seriously
Curated artwork, Seventies-style wood-panneled walls, a neat display of chip bags and sparkling waters for sale – if walking into Found Sound rehearsal studio feels like walking into a co-working space or a hip new office, founder Jackie Venson’s vision is going according to plan. “The whole mission statement is: Yes, this is a real […]
Posted inCrosstalk
Beloved Institutions Expand, Restaurants Honored, and NYE Shows Announced
The Head and the Heart will headline Austin’s New Year’s party at Auditorium Shores on Dec. 31 from 7pm to midnight. Local stars Chaparelle, Taméca Jones, and the Point will also perform at the free, family-friendly event hosted by the city and Visit Austin, alongside a drone show and, of course, a fireworks finale to […]