Randy Rogers Band, Flatland Cavalry, Koe Wetzel

On the day Randy Rogers began recording last year’s Nothing Shines Like Neon, his friend and Cheatham Street Warehouse mentor Kent Finlay died. That news set the tone for the San Marcos quintet’s seventh and best LP. Rogers has since taken over Finlay’s famed venue, bringing in Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski for a tribute on the album’s “Look Out Yonder,” charting an evolutionary leap for one of Texas country’s best performers. – Doug Freeman