Austin Sound

Texans take their country seriously, but in times when any pop song sung with an accent is labeled as country, there seems little left for enthusiasts of the genre. There still remains, however, a specific, unmistakable brand of the genre that belongs exclusively to the southwest. Laden with lap-steel guitar cries and lonesome harmonicas, the sound has become synonymous with Texas. When Frank Smith (“a band, not an artist,” as the boys proudly proclaim on their website and Myspace) relocated to Texas from Boston, they came with open eyes, and, most importantly, ears. Their fifth release, Big Strike in Silver City, is the culmination of the band’s two years spent in Austin and seals their initiation into Texas culture.