HWY 261

Today The Rev did a highlight reel from bands who will be touring through the I-35 corridor in the next few months. Tracks played on Ep. 103 were: Big Gun-AC/DC; Mother-Danzig; Mr. Brownstone-Guns n Roses; The Trooper-Iron Maiden; Skin O' My Teeth-Megadeth; Poison My Eyes-Anthrax; Tom Sawyer-Rush; Purple Yellow Red and Blue-Portugal. The Man; Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen-Santana; Blue Orchid, Lit...

On today's episode of HWY 261 The Rev and Layla take a deep dive into the catalog (studio and live) of the late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan. As of 2026, SRV has been gone longer than he was with us on this mortal coil, so we featured deep cuts, live cuts, and a couple of radio hits listeners likely have heard. RIP SRV!!! Track list: Pipeline-SRV & Dick Dale; Taxman (Beatles cover)-SRV & Doub...

This week on HWY 261 The Rev has his daughter Layla in the booth as guest co-host and the show focused on new releases from local artists. Playlist for the 6-19-26 episode: Fallen Angel-Sister 7; Omaha-Waylon Jennings; Cold Beer, Hot Women, and Cool Country Music-The Derailers; These Roads (I Ain't Been Down)-Sam Downing & the Bandits; Underdog-Dallas Burrow; Backslide-Ashton Naylor; Ace of Sp...

On the 100th episode of HWY 261 The Rev and Sterling welcome their long time friend and songwriter extraordinaire Pake Rossi, who just released his lates record Blue Collar Blues (A Working Title) on May 1. The guys reminisce about SMTX back in the day when they were all hanging around Cheatham St. Warehouse, and Pake played 3 songs live in the studio. Tracklist for Ep. 100: Supermarket Birds-Comp...

On today's episode The Rev welcomes George Ensle into the KZSM broadcasting booth to talk about his latest CD release, Touchstones, and the first single from the album Hill Country Rhapsody (feat. Kimmie Rhodes). Prerecorded tracks played were Summer Again-Texas Renegade; Dream Chaser-Willie Nelson; Lubbock It or Leave It-The Dixie Chicks; Peasant-Stephen Doster; Summer Wine-Shelley King; Hill Cou...

Today The Rev is joined on the show by his son, Jude and Jude's friend, William, both of whom just finished up middle school and are on to high school in the fall! Tracks played on Ep. 98: School's Out-Alice Cooper; Blame Texas-Cody Johnson; Too Good, Too Bad-Jason Scott & High Heat; Can't Go There Anymore-Storyville; Record Exec-Cross Canadian Ragweed; You Don't Know the Half of It-Kathleen O...

On today's episode The Rev spins ten tracks from this week's Texas Country Music Chart Top 50. Artists played from this week's chart were: Charley Crockett, Kayla Jane, Silverada, Paul Cauthen, Sandee June, Kin Faux, Flatland Cavalry, Shane Smith & the Saints, Cameron Allbright, and Hudson Westbrook. Also played: SRV & Double Trouble Scuttle Buttin' (from their sophomore album Couldn't Sta...

On today's episode, The Rev focuses on spinning tracks from the recorded output of Dustin Welch. The Rev spins a few songs from each of Dustin's 3 records--Whisky Priest, Tijuana Bible, and Amateur Theater--and as an added treat, Dustin himself showed up to KZSM studios during the broadcast along with HWY 261 co-host Sterling Finlay (who has been out on medical rehab assignment since January) and...

The Rev has Missoula Slim in as guest co-host on today's episode, and they spent some time talking about how the new KZSM show Live from Cheatham Street Warehouse: Kent Finlay's Songwriters Circle came to be and how it's recorded and produced before being broadcast every Monday and Friday afternoon on KZSM-LP. Prerecorded tracks on this episode were Evil Mind-Missoula Slim; Bang Bang-Sour Bridges;...

Episode 94: This week on HWY 261 The Rev welcomes Bill Palmer into the KZSM broadcast booth. Bill is currently part of the band Mule Ears based in Terlingua, TX, and he has been a major part of two of The Rev's all time favorite local bands, The Sharecroppers (aka Good Medicine Band) and Hundred Year Flood. On this episode Bill is joined by Ava Renn, whose latest record was produced by Bill. They...

Today on HWY 261 The Rev spends half the show playing newly released tracks (mid-2025 through today). Track list for 03-27-26 episode: Rules of Baseball~Nichole Wagner; Full of Stars~Josh Dodds; Kyoto (Phoebe Bridges cover)~The Trips; Chasm~Jana Pochop; Hill Country Rhapsody~George Ensle; The Color of Night~James McMurtry; Wild Card~HalleyAnna Finlay; Black Rock Desert Blues~Dallas Burrow; Drifter...

Today on HWY 261 The Rev does something a little bit different. We've played covers of songs by Texas artists or artists w/ Texas connections, but this week we're featuring one artist (Lyle Lovett) doing a series of cover songs by Texas or Texas connected artists released on the double CD Step Inside This House (1998). Tracks played on this episode were: Bears (Steven Fromholz); Texas Trilogy: Day...

As a tip of the hat to both the successful benefit show held for Sterling on 2-28-26 at Cheatham St. Warehouse, and to the success of the latest KZSM show Live from Cheatham Street: Kent Finlay's Songwriters Circle, The Rev spins tracks from Texas artists, or tracks with some connection to Texas, that all come from live releases from the respective artists. Artists included in this episode include...

This week marks the 90th live broadcast of HWY 261, so The Rev celebrates with a playlist of Texas-connected tunes that were all released between 1990-1999. Tracklist: Hello, I'm Gone* (1990)-Kevin Welch; Concrete and Steel (1990)-ZZ Top; Spanish Moon (1992)-Arc Angels; Highway Patrol (1993)-Junior Brown; Levelland (1995)-James McMurtry; Airways Motel (1997)-Jack Ingram (w/ Todd Snider); Blue on B...

The Rev takes a deep dive into the early career of Texas songwriting legend Townes Van Zandt by way of the Texas Troubadour Box Set, which collects every studio and live album TVZ released on the Poppy and Tomato record labels between 1968-1978.

On today's episode The Rev welcomes Austin-based singer-songwriter Rita Bliss into the KZSM broadcast booth. She played four great songs live on the air (You Can Go; Two Dollar Bill; We Will Sing; Mountain Time). We also talked about where Rita's music is online, where fans can find her website, and where she'll be playing live in the upcoming weeks/months. The Rev also spun prerecorded tracks fro...

Dallas Burrow makes his 3rd appearance in the KZSM broadcast booth with The Rev. We talk about his career, Willis Alan Ramsey, and the time he met Bob Dylan before Dallas played his fantastic song The Very Best live in the studio Pre-recorded tracks included songs from Reckless Kelly, Dallas Burrow, Adam Carroll, Texacala Jones & Her T.J. Hookers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Texas Sapphires...

Today on HWY 261 The Rev takes a deep dive into tracks included on the Puff Bunny Records 15th Anniversary Sampler CD released in 2024. Puff Bunny Records was founded in 2007 in Fredricksburg, Texas and it's mission is to record quality folk and Americana artists in live and studio settings. Tracks included on this week's show include songs from Ruby Lovett, George Ensle, Shake Russell & Micha...

Sterling is in the hospital recovering from a rather nasty fall, so The Rev is flying solo in the booth. Today's playlist is made up of artists who are finalists for San Marcos Music Awards (SMMAs)in various categories: Missoula Slim, The Trips, HalleyAnna Finlay, Sam Downing, Tracy Weinberg, Justin James Bridges, The Rev Jason Woolery, Bartly, Loose Screws & Rusty Hearts, Amber Elison w/ Char...

The Reverend welcomes Sammy Wells back into the KZSM studio for the first broadcast of the 2026 calendar year. Sammy is part of San Marcos' hottest band, The Trips, but he's also a solo artist. On today's episode Sammy previews the title track of his forthcoming sophomore solo album, Take Two. In addition to that live performance, he played Karmalita off the forthcoming record. Prerecorded tracks...

Sterling is on a beach vacay with the fam, so The Rev has his youngest daughter, Layla, in the booth as co-host for the final HWY 261 broadcast of 2025. Tracklist for the 12-26-25 episode: The Boxer-Simon & Garfunkel Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues-Slaid Cleaves Song for Sonny Liston-Mark Knopfler Walk of Life-Shooter Jennings River-Good Medicine Band Slew Foot-James McMurtry ft. Joe Ely Love Hurts-Ro...

The Rev takes us on a trip in the Way-Back Machine to May 1977, The Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin. Doug Sahm & Augie Meyers played (and recorded) a show at the 'Dillo with members of Doug's bands Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornadoes. The Rev played most of the concert, and augmented the episode with Funny cigarette by Asylum Street Spankers, The Valley of the San Joaquin by Augie Mey...

Today The Rev is flying solo in the booth, and he's being visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past...musically speaking, that is! We kicked off with Christmastime in Luckenbach by Kent Finlay followed by White Christmas by Sterling Finlay and Merry Texas Christmas Y'all by Asleep at the Wheel. Then The Rev took us on a trip in the Way-Back Machine to the era of Hastings Entertainment Superstores, wh...

Today, The Reverend kicks off with the quintessential Thanksgiving song, Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie (whose two daughters Cathy and Sarah Lee are both based out of Austin, TX), followed by a deep dive of the catalog of Stephen Stills, who was born in Dallas in 1945. Tracks played were Alice's Restaurant, Love the One You're With, Old Times Good Times, Song of Love, Soldier, Wooden Ships (Li...

The Reverend welcomes rising Texas artist Ashton Naylor, fresh off the release of his debut album Foot in the Door. Ashton and The Rev spend some time talking about the record and his upcoming shows, and geeking out on their favorite music. Then Ashton played two tracks off the album (Foot in the Door, Barkeep) live in KZSM Studio. The show was rounded out with prerecorded tracks from Bob Dylan, C...