Austin loves a guitar hero, but Junior Brown strikes one as an odd guitar player period, much less an heroic one. Then you hear him play. He takes flight on his unique "guit-steel" (a self-fashioned marriage of lap-steel and six-string guitar) and jaws drop. Yet he makes his pyrotechnics yield to the song, never letting his wizardry obscure the melody. Ably supported on rhythm guitar by the lovely Tanya Rae, Junior has taken traditional country and turned it on its head without subverting its dignity.

His debut, 12 Shades Of Brown, bears witness to all his influences (Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins, Speedy West, Jimi Hendrix), but the follow-up, Guit With It, has the edge, containing favorites like "Highway Patrol," "My Wife thinks You're Dead," and "Still Life With Rose." The ep Junior High is marginal, but Semi Crazy and Long Walk Back are back up to speed. Junior's been more successful than most Austin-based roots acts, and some would say that's a result of his willingness to play ball with the suits (remember the Lipton Iced Tea commercial?). I like to think it's because he's a sincerely nice and talented guy. I'm funny that way.

Learn more about Junior Brown at MusicAustin.com