The three brothers, who describe themselves as “Texicans,” grew up in San Angelo, Texas, playing in a family conjunto band with their father, Ringo Sr., a veteran musician who had been a member of Los Falcones. This history is apparent, as the brothers, only in their twenties, play a compelling and rootsy mix of blues and rock with son and conjunto rhythms. An irresistible Tex-Mex backbeat conjures up the legacy of Doug Sahm and Freddy Fender, and Henry’s searing fretwork honors the instrumental prowess of Stevie Ray Vaughn. At the center of the sound is solid songcraft, with lyrics encompassing English, Spanish, and the hybrid “Spanglish.”

The trio swept all of the major honors at this year’s Austin Music Awards, and they’ve been enthusiastically championed by fellow Texan, Willie Nelson, as his favorite new band. He helped land the band a slot on Farm Aid, playing to 25,000 people alongside John Mellencamp and Neil Young, and their debut was tracked at his Pedernales Studio in Austin.

Honed in the honky-tonks of Texas, the band is united by a common work ethic and the undeniable bonds of brotherhood. “We just want to play music and give it to the world,” says Henry Garza. “You give, you shall receive.”]]> 2004-12-15T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233168 Artists, Douglas, Jerry, Krauss, Alison, Lauderdale, Jim, Sahm, Doug, Shaver, Billy Joe, Stanley, Ralph Jim Lauderdale claimed two top honors at the inaugural Americana Awards show, held September 13 in Nashville during the Americana Music Association's third annual conference. Lauderdale was named Artist of the Year and also won Song of the Year kudos for "She's Looking At Me," which he recorded with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys on the album, Lost In the Lonesome Pines. The DualTone recording artist also has another album currently on the Americana chart, a solo effort entitled The Hummingbirds. Lauderdale will soon reprise his role as George Jones in the musical Stand By Your Man: The Tammy Wynette Story, for which he won a 2001 Tennessean Theatre Award. The show returns to the Ryman Auditorium September 19 through October 26.

Ralph Stanley and Jim Lauderdale

T Bone Burnett

Dobro master Jerry Douglas, who performs solo and as a featured member of Alison Krauss + Union Station, received the Instrumentalist of the Year title.

Jerry Douglas

Doug Sahm

Billy Joe Shaver

The AMA also presented lifetime achievement awards in several categories. Singer/songwriter T Bone Burnett, who produced the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, won in the executive's category and the late Doug Sahm became the first recipient of the organization's President's Award. Billy Joe Shaver picked up a Lifetime Achievement award in the songwriter category; his next album, on Compadre Records, will be released this November.