When you think of country music, everybody knows the basic ingredients that come to mind:
The twang, the cowboy hats and boots, steel, fiddle, it’s the whole nine yards… we’re basically talking about George Strait.
However, there’s a huge part of the Texas country scene that goes beyond the genre norms of traditional country music, pushing the boundaries of country into the world of rock and roll.
Of course, the big stars in this lane are guys like Whiskey Myers, Koe Wetzel, and Kolby Cooper.
So with that being said, let’s explore the wild world of Texas rock, and some of the bands not named Koe Wetzel that you definitely need to be listening to.
7. Read Southall Band
The Oklahoma-based country/rock group Read Southall Band is must listen for anybody that’s a fan of the Texas country rock world. They have a handful of records in their arsenal, but their Live From Tower Records project is one of my favorites.
6. Giovannie & the Hired Guns
These dudes can rock. The group has two albums so far with Bad Habits (2017), and Giovannie and the Hired Guns (2020). Not to mention their latest single, “Ramon Ayala.”
5. Kody West
If you don’t know the name by now, you will soon. He’s released an EP and two full albums, along with his latest single “Buried Alive.”
He can also slow it down too with songs like “The Prayer.”
4. Jacob Stelly
When I first heard this guy’s stuff, I knew he had something special going. He began to garner a larger following after his 2019 album, University Heights.
Check out his latest single, “Bad Bad Things.”
3. Dylan Wheeler
Wheeler is the definition of Texas rock. The man figured out his style after his 2018 EP, Tell Me If I’m Wrong, and has released some killer singles since with “Broke Ass Kid,” “Hey Baby,” “Bad Bitch,” and his latest banger, “My Head.”
2. Slade Coulter
This guy is gonna be big. He’s picking up a huge following at a rapid pace, especially after his past two singles, “Hey Mary,” and “Coming Back Around.”
He also joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast pretty recently.
1. Pecos And The Rooftops
After the explosion of their 2019 single “This Damn Song,” these fellas are fixin’ to have a BIG year with the release of their upcoming studio album, Cabin Fever. I’m expecting it to rock harder than their previous EP, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Pecos was also a recent guest on the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast.
