Music is at the heart of Texas culture, but with so many amazing artists hailing from the Lone Star State, it’s easy to miss stellar musical moments. The Daily Texan selected four impressive albums to celebrate underrated releases from Texas artists.
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
– 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators made psych-rock history in 1966 with the release of their debut album,
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
. Reported to be the first usage of the word ‘psychedelic’ to refer to music, the album contains 11 hypnotizing tracks. The 13th Floor Elevators emerged from the Austin music scene, spending four years pioneering the psychedelic genre before breaking up in 1969. Memorable moments on the album include the electric jug on hit track “You’re Gonna Miss Me” and “Reverberation (Doubt)” and surf-inspired guitar licks on “Fire Engine” and “Through the Rhythm.”
Telephono
– Spoon
Austin legends, Spoon, hit mainstream success with songs such as “The Underdog” and “Inside Out,” but Spoon’s debut album,
Telephono
, is often forgotten. Released in 1996, the album features fuzzy guitar and gritty vocals from frontman
Britt Daniel
, frontman and radio-television-fim 1993 alumnus. Formed while at UT, Daniel’s band Skellington originally wrote and recorded many of the tracks found on
Telephono
. Compared to more recent releases, the 14-track album leans on the heavier side. “Dismember” feels like a lost Pixies song, and “Cvantez” unveils Spoon’s moody, grunge-inspired side. The beginnings of greatness can be found on
Telephono
with “Plastic Mylar,” pointing to Spoon’s signature sound, containing upbeat guitar-focused instrumentation highlighting Daniel’s iconic voice.
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
– The Reverend Horton Heat
Dallas trio The Reverend Horton Heat delivers a psychobilly classic with their 1991 album,
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
. The opening instrumental track “Bullet” brings high-energy slap bass and rockabilly-inspired guitar riffs that are found throughout all 12 tracks. Known for “Psychobilly Freakout,” featured on hit video game Guitar Hero II, the album also contains underrated tracks “Love Whip” and “Baby, You Know Who.” Lead singer Jim Heath adopts the persona of “The Reverend” through spaghetti Western aesthetics to wow audiences with mock-sermons and flashy suits, marking an interesting corner of Texas music history.
Listen to Lefty
– Lefty Frizzell
Texas native Lefty Frizzell delivers country classics on his second album,
Listen to Lefty
. Opening with his famous original, “If You’ve Got the Money (I’ve Got the Time),” Frizzell serenades audiences with a mere eight tracks, each helping to solidify him as a country music legend. The crooning album, complete with ample steel guitar and twinkling piano, contains numerous hits such as “Always Late (With Your Kisses)” and “I Love You a Thousand Ways.” Despite these contributions to country music history, Frizzell barely amasses over 100,000 listeners on Spotify, proving how underrated
Listen to Lefty
truly is.
