This article is a supplemental part of theMusic of the United States series. |
Roots music: before 1940 |
1940s and 50s |
1960s and 70s |
1980s to the present |
African-American music |
Native American music |
Latin, Tejano, Hawaiian, |
| Table of contents |
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2 Country music 3 Punk rock 4 El Paso 5 References |
Tex Mex and Tejano
Tex Mex and Tejano music was invented by Mexican communities in Texas in the early part of the 20th century. Santiago Almeida, Flaco Jimenez, and Narciso Martinez remain perhaps the most influential performers; they helped to invent conjunto. The most popular was the superstar Selena Quintanilla, who added influences from Colombian cumbia before her early death.
Country music
Honky tonk country musicians like Alvin Crow helped invent Western swing and other genres of country. Some, like Marcia Ball, combine country with Cajun influences. Ponty Bone, Joe Ely, Lloyd Maines, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Tommy Hancock, among others, helped invent the 1960s Lubbock sound, based out of Lubbock, Texas.
Punk rock
Texas has long had a distinctive punk rock sound spread across copious cities, especially Austin and Dallas.
Austin
Austin, Texas's liberal community helped popularize bands like The Police and Elvis Costello in the American midwest. Tex-Mex/New Wave act King Carrasco & the Crowns gained some national fame. Local punk and New Wave bands in the late 1970s included The Huns and The Skunks, along with The Textones, Terminal Mind, The Violators, The Delinquents, D-Day, Delta, The Next and Standing Waves. These bands soon clashed with an influx of hardcore punk bands like Sharon Tate's Body, The Dicks, The Offenders, The Inserts, Big Boys and The Stains.
San Antonio
Known primarily for Tex Mex and heavy metal, San Antonio are known for the Butthole Surfers, a hardcore band that broke into the mainstream in the mid-1990s.
Dallas
Dallas is a conservative town, and never took well to punk rock of any kind. Two notable hardcore punk acts included Stickmen With Rayguns and The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Earlier pioneers included the Vomit Pigs and The Scuds.
Houston
Houston's most influential punk bands were the hardcore Really Red and DRI. Culturcide, Mydolls, Verbal Abuse, Stark Raving Mad, Dresden 45, Legionaire's Disease, The Hates and The Degenerates also played.
El Paso
El Paso's Tex Mex-flavored The Plugz and Ed Ivey's Rhythm Pigs launched a small scene.