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We’ve teamed up with our music-genius friends at Waterloo Records to curate a small collection of music just for Alvies shoppers. If you dig boots, flops, Austin and all the other stuff we like at Alvies, you’ll dig these tunes.

Tres Hombres is the album that turned a “little ol’ band from Texas” into a globetrotting, arena-rocking sensation that’s still played and revered nearly half a century after its release. ZZ Top’s first two albums are a great listen, but it’s the third one that set the stage for their success. Tres Hombres is the record that cemented their sound — a mix of blues, boogie and Southern rock. It also centered their signature style, equal parts Texas roadhouse, avant-garde art project, and Southern-fried ashram. It gave the world tracks like “La Grange,” Jesus Just Left Chicago,” "Waitin' for the Bus,” and “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers” — while giving ZZ Top their first of four gold records in the US.

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ZZ Top - Tres Hombres

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Townes Van Zandt is one of the greatest singer-songwriters to have ever lived, and it’s not even worth discussing. But his music took on another dimension when he played live. This is a 180g 2 LP gatefold set of his best live recording. Here's what our friends at Waterloo have to say about it:“When listening to this record, it's easy to acknowledge that you're tapped into the troubled poet at his zenith. In the pantheon of popular music, you'd have a difficult time finding a more perfect union of artist and venue captured in a live setting. Recorded in 1973 yet released in 1977, the performance fell squarely in Van Zandt’s most fertile period of writing. The in-between-song banter, the charismatic jokes, and the background noise of the small barroom give this record the feel of sitting close to the stage, hanging on every word.”— Cory Reinisch, Waterloo Records

Townes Van Zandt - Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas

If Tres Hombres built the launchpad for ZZ Top’s success, 1983’s Eliminator shot them into orbit. The band doubled down on everything that made their first seven albums great — the Southern blues boogie rock sound, the irreverent lyrics, the style — and blended it with a more 80s sensibility and sound. The addition of popular 80s instrumentation like synthesizers and sequencers added depth to an already one-of-a-kind band, creating a unique new “synthesizer meets soul” sound. The result is a tight, polished album that’s considered one of the great rock ‘n’ roll records, and ZZ Top’s only Diamond album (10 million or more units sold). While it has a B side, it has no B sides: all the tracks thump. The album produced multiple 80s standards like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs,” “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” and “Got Me Under Pressure” that were radio regulars at the time, and continue to be played on classic rock stations today. In addition to the music itself, the music videos produced for Eliminator were in constant rotation on MTV, putting ZZ Top on the map for a new generation.

ZZ Top - Eliminator

Black Pumas blew up FAST. One minute you’re hearing about this cool new up-and-coming soul band from a friend, the next they’re featured on late night shows and sell out a multi-night stand at Stubb’s so fast that you can’t even score a ticket. Their debut album proves that their success is well deserved. Here's what our friends at Waterloo have to say about it: "Does everything Adrian Quesada touch turn to gold? Was Eric Burton born a genius? Can anyone touch this lineup? Are the Black Pumas even from this era? This planet? To find out the answers to these questions and more, grab this Grammy nominated, self-titled debut (!) album... immediately. Assembled at the intersection of Los Angeles and Austin, and built from the bones of rock solid tunes, bulletproof riffs and thumping, feel-it-in-your-veins soul for days, everything about Black Pumas reverberates through your body like that sweet and joyous hallelujah ache you get when you visit with a friend you haven’t seen for ages. You might not have even known that you’d missed them as much as you did, but now that they’re in front of you — damn, are they a sight for sore eyes.”— Russell G. Ochoa

Black Pumas - Black Pumas

SRV is Austin’s own guitar virtuoso. This album of previously unreleased songs, published a year after his death, showcases his guitar wizardry, his influences, and his ability to take blues and rock standards and make them all his own. Here’s what our buddies at Waterloo have to say about it:“Grammy Award winning album The Sky is Crying contains all the great Texas Electric Blues tracks Stevie played with Double Trouble from his early days at Antone’s at 29th & Guadalupe until his untimely death after playing his last show at Alpine Valley, WI. An epochal Austin classic album, these are the songs that lifted the statue into the skyline.”— Paul Benson, Waterloo Records

Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky Is Crying

Hardware is the third solo album from legendary ZZ Top guitarist and frontman Billy F Gibbons. Gibbons was 70 when the album was recorded, but he hasn’t lost a step. Both his guitar work and voice still sound like that brash young rocker on albums like Tres Hombres and Eliminator. As Gibbons tells it, the album was inspired by a need for action while cooped up due to the pandemic, and by the remote desert studio where it was recorded. “It was [drummer] Matt Sorum that rang up out of the clear blue, way back in June, and he said, ‘I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to do something’ And making loud noise is right up our alley, so how would you feel about going out and checking out a new recording studio?” And I said, ‘Gee whiz! That’s music to my ears! Whaddaya got in mind?’ And he said ‘Oh, there’s a place out near Joshua Tree.’ When we arrived, I thought ‘Oh, 30 minutes, we’ll have a look around.’ Well, those 30 minutes turned into three months. We walked through the front door, and we didn’t leave until we had wrapped up this album project.” While his first two solo albums drew from blues and Latin sounds, Hardware is more of a straightforward, down-and-dirty rocker. But it also takes cues from the high desert environment where it was recorded — enigmatic, still, sometimes sinister. “It’s a raging rocker but always mindful of the desert’s implicit mystery,” said Gibbons. “The desert settings, replete with shifting sands, cacti and rattlesnakes makes for the kind of backdrop that lends an element of intrigue reflected in the sounds created out there."

Billy F Gibbons - Hardware

Spoon is a true Austin original, a band you used to be able to catch playing around town at small bars, and now you hear in soundtracks. When we hear a Spoon track in a movie or on a show, it feels like seeing your old high school buddy on the screen — the person you knew so well has now been discovered by the rest of the world. Picking a single Spoon album to launch our collaboration with Waterloo was tough sledding. We were spoiled for choice. But they helped us narrow it down to Transference, and we feel good about that. Here’s what they had to say about it:“As pure and as lo-fi as a street organ and as modern and as brutalist as a sledgehammer striking steel, ‘Transference’, is the 7th studio album from Austin’s own Spoon. Front man Britt Daniel’s elliptically forthright lines and fuzzed out, melodic howl and growl melds with a pounding, barebones, Jim Eno sonic landscape to create a masterclass in minimalism with all of the groove and soul of a vintage Stax record, and all of the Back to the Futurist hum of a ray gun blasted through a transistor radio.”— Russell G. Ochoa, Waterloo Records

Spoon - Transference

One of the things we love about Austin is that it’s a haven for eclectic artists. People who don’t just specialize in music, or painting, or no-holds-barred competitive crocheting — talents that run both broad and deep. Jordan Moser is a classic example: he’s a professional dancer with Austin Ballet, a choreographer and a filmmaker. And as he proves in his first label release, he’s a talented singer-songwriter whose witty, literary lyrics and folk-country sound are reminiscent of greats like John Prine and Guy Clark. Here’s what the folks at Waterloo Records have to say about it: “This album is for those long nights in the Hill Country sitting by the fire, or the first cup of coffee in the morning. The label debut album from Texas native Jordan Moser brings with it all the possibility of beauty that a Texas breeze breathes in.”— Cameron Choate, Waterloo Records

Jordan Moser - Long Night

Nikki Lane isn’t from Austin, or even from Texas (hold for shocked gasps). But her unique sound — which mixes Outlaw Country, Americana, blues and rock — feels right at home here. And there’s a definite Texas influence on her third album, which was recorded in Denton and features a longhorn on the album art.The mix of rollicking road songs and heartfelt ballads is Lane’s best work yet. Her voice has been compared to Loretta Lynn and Emmylou Harris; her songs to Lana Del Rey, Jenny Lewis and Neil Young; and her swagger to Johnny Cash. But she needs to be appreciated in her own right.We love this record because of its unbridled passion, infectious choruses and “hell yeah” lyrics. It’s an album about the road that’s the perfect companion for your next road trip.

Nikki Lane - Highway Queen

One of our goals at Alvies is to be a cowboy boot company for non-cowboys — to challenge the stereotype that you have to sport a huge belt buckle and a drawl to enjoy wearing boots. So we were selective when considering country music artists for our Waterloo collaboration. But everyone at Alvies HQ (aka The Boot Cave) agreed that we had to include Charley Crockett’s new record. Similar to what we’re trying to do with boots, Crockett set out to make an album that would challenge the ideas of what country music is and can be. And did just that. While we think everything he has released since moving to Austin in 2017 has been great, Welcome to Hard Times is possibly his best work yet. His intent was to make a more eclectic record, like the country albums of the 50s and 60s that paired rhumba beats with honky tonk, blues with cha-cha. The result is something that can’t easily be pigeon-holed, but that producer Mark Neill calls “dark gothic country.” The sound draws on honky tonk piano, blues and soul blended together with country into something all its own — something that must be heard.

Charley Crockett - Welcome to Hard Times

This is our second Spoon album in our collaboration with Waterloo. It's an Austin-recorded album that makes you proud to be in the Music Capitol of the World. But you don't have to take our word for it; here is what Serenity Autumn, one of the listening experts from Waterloo Records, has to say about it: "Recorded mainly in Austin, TX, as frontman Britt Daniel stated he wanted to “experience the vibe of the city,” Lucifer On The Sofa marks the 2022 return to the form of local indie rock heroes Spoon - and they’re serving chunky guitars and good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll. Austin's hole-in-the-wall blues-rock club and Americana-tinged influences are certainly at home on the record, immediate and punchy on psych-washed opener “Held” and “The Devil & Mister Jones”. Space-y, drippy arrangements on side B’s still-rockin’ “Astral Jacket” and “Satellite” compliment that nighttime drive on your come-down from a toe-tapping, boot-stomping Saturday night. Known for their consistent songwriting chops and live energy, Spoon delivers exactly that throughout this loud and proud yet dynamic vinyl LP. ”— Serenity Autumn

Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa

Willie Nelson isn’t just from Austin — he is Austin. He’s our patron saint, our poet laureate, our spiritual guru, and our pharmaceutical advisor. So you know when he releases a new vinyl, we have to include it. The album includes some of the finest songwriting and performances we have seen from Willie in years. Here is what our friends at Waterloo Records think about it: "This album is a delightful reminder of why Willie remains timeless - he is consistently just himself while celebrating the classic country sounds he had a hand in perfecting (although, as humble as is, he would never admit that), and the music of both contemporary and classic artists (Chris Stapleton, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles.) The unmistakable tone and cadence of his voice breathe new life into every song, even 72 albums in. And yes, in subject alone, “With A Little Help From My Friends” might as well be a Willie original. But doggone it, on this record, it really is. On the playful yet bittersweet “I Don’t Go To Funerals,” he assures us, “No, I don’t go to funerals, and I sure won’t be at mine.Oh, Willie. Your beautiful spirit will live on forever." - Serenity Autumn

Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time

Everyone at Alvies HQ (aka The Boot Cave) is a fan of Crockett’s. Everything he puts out gets us excited to listen. He's on a hell of a roll with his career, and we absolutely love this album. But you don't have to take our word for it, here's what our friends at Waterloo Records have to say about the album: "With the arrival of 2021’s Music City USA, 37-year-old Charley Crockett’s workboots have certainly been worn in. The Rio Grande Valley-made singer-songwriter was raised in a trailer park by a single mom; has earned money by picking crops in Pacific Northwest marijuana fields; and has briefly lived, worked, and busked in New Orleans, Dallas, France, Spain, and Morocco. His fascinating story lends to his eclectic yet familiar sound, as he harvests from various icons such as Waylon Jennings (the cover art even evokes a Waylon album), James Hand, and Freddy Fender. His self-described “Gulf and Western” and “‘60s country”-inspired sound is evident in the bluesy soul of lead single “I Need Your Love”; the galloping banjo-scaped rollick of “Round This World”; and the refreshingly biting “Music City USA.” Perhaps the greatest thing about the 16-track double LP is that there is no “act”, but it’s at once cinematic, authentic, and thoughtful - a Texas original." - Serenity Autumn

Charley Crockett - Music City USA

Gary Clark Jr is a musical universe unto himself, expanding at a nearly immeasurable rate, ever more hard to define - as a mind-blowing guitarist, a dazzling songwriter, and an engagingly soulful singer. We always look to include GCJ's albums with our vinyl collection with Waterloo Records, and this one tops the list. Here is what the experts at Waterloo have to say about it: "Gary Clark Jr. is synonymous with Austin, TX. A lot of people don’t realize how difficult it can often be to capture the energy of a live show onto a recording - however, one could not hail from the Live Music Capital of the World, become this successful, and have that problem. This 2014 live record was recorded at shows across the world over the previous year, wherein Clark and his wicked band consistently blow the roof off the place. This double vinyl LP is a consistent best-seller at Waterloo, and the reasons why are evident: Clark boasts his soulful vocals, classic gnarly blues rock riffs, screeching wah pedal-ed guitar solos, and the tightest backup band around. The record’s hushed blues and R&B moments are served and adorned deliciously, punctuating Clark’s ability to put on an unmatched, dynamic live performance." - Serenity Autumn

Gary Clark Jr - Live Vinyl LP

Shinyribs defies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led by Kevin Russell, the charismatic frontman with colorful suits and extravagant shoes who continuously swaps out an electric guitar for a ukulele and never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage antics that often include him donning a light-up cloak or leading a conga line through the crowd. Late Night TV Gold is filled with Caribbean organs, verbed-out distant delay vocals, chunky fatback guitars, dance hall horns, trip-trap, soul-tap, boldface bass, mellotron traced, late-night rhythms, -isms and -gasms, prisms, schisms, and chasms, this'ems and that'ems of molecular musical atoms splitting hairs and lost heirlooms. "This record reminds me of the tortoise from the old story with the hare. It has this sort of stout, relentless march to it. It's hopeful and resolute but pushing through resistance. I guess the world went from all hare to all tortoise so it's less-than-surprising that you can feel the reflection of that in the songs. There is a lot of blur and shade and random splattered sinewy mop bucket melody. I like that it's shaking hands with a lot of roots music that one doesn't instantly associate with my voice," Russell shares.

Waterloo Records Recommends

Waterloo Records Recommends