Libby Koch | (713) 865-6840 | Profile | Inventory | Website

Native Houstonian and singer-songwriter Libby Koch has been performing around town, including at this past Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Koch took a moment from her busy schedule to chat with The Western Vault about music, life and how the two are nearly synonymous in her book.

How did you get into the music scene?

Since I was way more practical in my youth than I am now--go figure--I went to law school and became a big city lawyer to support my music habit. I was writing songs and playing shows on the side, and slowly but surely, I began to increase my presence in the Houston music scene. Meanwhile, my law job was slowly but surely increasing the likelihood that I would need to visit the looney bin before the age of 35! So about two years ago, I made the leap and have been working on music full time ever since. Life as a musician certainly isn't easy, but it is definitely a blast!  

What inspires you to write music?

Musician and member Libby Koch

I think that answer changes pretty often depending on the weather! Lately, though, I've been inspired by all the great independent artists out there who are making fantastic music. It is such an exciting time for music fans and music makers because technology allows artists to affordably and independently make music on their own terms. This, in part, has contributed to the rise in the Americana music genre, which is a blend of rootsy music styles like folk, country, blues, and rock. It's also the kind of music I like to make, so I'm inspired daily by what I hear all around me. It really motivates me to keep creating.

Speaking of inspiration, what artists have helped shape the musician you are?

Some of the artists who have shaped my sound the most are Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Dolly Parton, Lucinda Williams, Patsy Cline... I could make a list about a mile long. That being said, I have to say the artists who have truly shaped who I am the most as a musician are the ones I work with everyday, both in my band and in the Houston music scene. Collaborating with them has been a tremendous blessing.

What's your favorite venue to play?

McGonigel's Mucky Duck here in Houston, and not just because I'm playing there this Tuesday, April 3rd with the fabulous Bonnie Bishop--shameless plug. It's a true listening room where everyone is there to experience the music. I love playing the rowdy places too, but it's really nice to play a room where there is space to make an emotional connection with the audience. That's like crack to a singer-songwriter!

Tell me something your fans don't know about you.

Well, a lot of my fans aren't aware that I've started a side project band with my friends Debbie Forrest and Lainey Balagia called The Grievous Angels! We sing three-part harmony and make a great songwriting team. We are touring out and about, so [fans can]check out our website for more info.

 Originally Published in Texas Monthly Magazine | Website 

Texas music is as diverse as its people. Nineteenth-century immigrants to Texas from the American South, from Mexico, and Europe, shaped a variety of sounds unmatched anywhere else in the United States. Southern blues and ragtime, Mexican orquesta, the waltzes and polkas of Central Europe, all took root, thrived, and were transformed into the rich musical legacy of the state. In this first segment of a new series on the legends of Texas music, the WWW Ranch, in cooperation with the Texas Music Museum, profiles eight Lone Star musicians, all influential in creating the unique sounds of Texas music.

The Early Years: 1900-1930

The Swing Era: 1930-1945

Rock and Jazz: 1945-1960

The Sounds of the Sixties: 1960-1970

The Outlaw Decade: 1971-1980

Texas music icon Willie Nelson

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 Templeton Thompson | (713) 248-7840 | Profile | Inventory | Website

You can find Templeton Thompson's songs on millions upon millions of CD's from country superstars Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina and Little Texas. She's one of Nashville's most sought-after session vocalists, having sung countless demos, as well as background vocals for major label artists. She has performed on stage for audiences across the United States, Europe and Japan. Most recently, Thompson sat down with The Western Vault and dished about her life and how it inspires her music. 

Musician and member Templeton Thompson

What inspires your music?

Life and my four-legged family--my horses, dogs, and kitty cats!
 

What about musicians who've inspired you?
Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Dan F, Trisha Yearwood, Kim Richey, Don Williams, Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton John...

What's been your favorite venue to play?

Puckett's Grocery, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee.

Tell me something your fans don't know about you.

I play guitar left-handed. I'm a natural rightey, but I had a horse accident when I was a kid that made it impossible for me to play a right-handed guitar. And, I speak a very limited amount of French and Japanese!
 

What's coming up this year and next? Any new projects?
 

here.] Also, scheduling more of Bring That Horizon concerts, doing more with our third Thursday sessions, building our YouTube presence and who knows what else--sky's the limit!
 

Your dream collaboration would be with whom?
I've always wanted to write with Wayne Kirkpatrick and Gordon Kennedy.
 

What's your all-time favorite album?
That's tough, but Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time is certainly one that has really influenced me as an artist. I also wore out the vinyl version of Olivia Newton John's Totally Hot album whenIi was a kid in Texas!

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 Originally Published by the Academy of Country Music | Website 

With Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton in the house, there is no doubt the April's Fools pranks will be flying fast and furiously inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Nominee Taylor Swift

The 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Sunday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Central Time. The show is being hosted for the second consecutive year by Reba and Blake. Year after year, the show honors the best country music videos of the year and features country's biggest names performing live.

There's a slew of nominees this year, including those up for the conveted Entertainer of the Year award:

• Jason Aldean
• Kenny Chesney
• Brad Paisley
• Blake Shelton
• Taylor Swift

Your votes can help determine the winners of the ACM Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year awards. Take a moment to make your selections here.

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 Originally Published by Best in Texas Magazine | Website 

It's an election year, and the focus is on Washington, D.C. ...

What this country really needs is a "President of Music," a leader to guide us through these challenging times.

A leader with an open door policy who won't mind if we stop by the Oval Office for a cold beer, to talk some NASCAR or to shoot the bull about the NFL playoffs.

The President of Music needs to be well-known, honest, willing to work with others, and must possess the ability to combine traditional country values with with state-of-the-art technology that has totally transformed the music industry.

Any ideas for such a leader?

Let's consider Josh Abbot.

Abbot already has a great deal of name recognition here in the Lone Star State, having created 2010's She's Like Texas, his 12-song offering with three huge hits to date, "Oh, Tonight," "All of a Sudden" and the chart-topping "She's Like Texas." Additionally, his just-released single, "Touch," has already broken the top ten on the Texas Music Chart.

What's the secret to his success?

For Josh, it's all about being honest, something he says he learned from Pat Green.

"When Pat released Dance Hall Dreamer a long time ago, on the credits inside the album he said he never thought he had the best voice or the he was the best-looking guy, but that people appreciated the honesty in his voice and the style he approached his songs with," [explained Josh].

"That's what I would tell someone about She's Like Texas," Abbot adds. "I may not be the best vocalist in the world, and this may not be the most outrageous, crazy style of music, but there's something honest and authentic about the way we approach music that really just relates to people. I wrote or co-wrote every song, and every song but one is about my wife. My band played on the album."

Continue reading the article here.

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 Dave Alexander | Profile | Inventory | Website 

Once you have seen Dave Alexander in concert, it's easy to understand why he has been named Entertainer Of The Year by the Academy of Western Artists.

Musician and member Dave Alexander

Throughout his successful and award winning career, this dynamic entertainer has gained the respect of his peers while mesmerizing his audiences with each performance. His talents as a performer are unsurpassed as recently exemplified upon his induction in to the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, 2004 Male Vocalist of The Year by the Academy of Western Artists and newly appointed 2005 Cadillac sponsorship.

Alexander has performed and recorded with the biggest names in country music, such as George Strait, Toby Keith and LeAnn Rimes, while carving out his own stellar career in the music industry. The three-time Grammy nominee remains as one of the nation's top selling Western artists.

Alexander has been recognized as having created the finest Western Big Band ever assembled to deliver his overwhelming performances. His star performers include guitar great Tommy Nash, formerly of the Dixie Chicks; three time World Champion, Randy "Snuffy" Elmore on fiddle; and five-time Grammy award-winner Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar. These great musicians, combined with his incomparable horn section, make up the finest musical ensemble on the road today.

On many occasions, Alexander is joined by the great Legends of Western Swing, such as seven-time CMA Instrumentalist Of The Year, Johnny Gimble, along with Texas Playboys Billy Briggs, Bobby Boatright and Leon Rausch.

As a former member of the Texas Playboys himself, Alexander combines the heritage and success of yesterday's great Western music with the fever and excitement of his own compositions and today's hottest musicians. The results remain unprecedented.

"[Touring is] simply the best way I know to get my music to my people,"says Alexander. "Western music is an important part of the cowboy world, and that world will always include riding and rodeo."

Alexander is also very active in radio, television and film. His television ads for Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac can be seen throughout Texas as he continues to honor a corporate sponsorship package for over five years.

He can be heard across the country on a nationally syndicated Radio Program as guest host of "The World of Western Swing." 

For more information, visit www.davealexander.com.
 

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Carol K | (817) 613-7646 | Profile | Inventory | Website  

Barranada Shirt Co. | (308) 382-2920 | Profile | Inventory | Website

This is the last week to save some green this March at Barranada Shirt Company.

 

RCC Western Stores | (605) 342-5223 | Profile | Inventory | Website

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