Junior Brown

Junior Brown made a name for himself by blasting out lightning-paced country tunes that recalled the topical roots of the genre — getting drunk, dodging cops (often unsuccessfully) and surviving heartache. Armed with his famous “guit-steel” (a hybrid between a traditional six-string and a steel guitar that was invented by Brown one night in his sleep) and a voice as deep as a Texas oil well, the Austin-based music maker knows how to deliver the goods in concert. Though his lickity-split technical prowess is a wonder to behold, it’s Brown’s wry yet heartfelt songwriting that has cemented his legend with the 10-gallon-hat set. An unyielding tour schedule probably hasn’t hurt, either. In June, Brown released his seventh effort, Down Home Chrome, which doesn’t expand his sonic palate as much as it solidifies his feisty approach.