The 10 Best Metal & Punk Albums Too Rough for the Texas 30

7. Scratch Acid, Scratch Acid (1984)
One of the gnarliest, noisiest bands in Austin's history, Scratch Acid didn't make so much as a dent in the mainstream consciousness with this 1984 release, but that doesn't mean it was no good. It was simply ahead of its time, anticipating the rise of grunge, post-punk and even pummeling '90s metal back in the heyday of Motley Crue.

A highly influential generation of musical weirdoes managed to share and discover the record over the years, including Kurt Cobain, who listed it as a favorite in his journals. Vocalist David Yow and bassist David William Sims would go on to greater infamy with their next project, the Jesus Lizard.

6. Riverboat Gamblers, Something to Crow About (2003)
Few Texas punks ever gave themselves over to pure guitar power as successfully as Denton's Riverboat Gamblers. Muddling the line between garage-punk and power-pop, their 2003 album Something to Crow About captures the feeling of having consumed just the right number of drinks to cut loose and get live. Furiously upbeat tracks like "Rattle Me Bones" and "Ooh Yeah" are some of the best singalong cuts out of Texas in the new millenium, putting all the energy of a live show into your earbuds or car speakers. Just try going the speed limit with this baby blasting.

5. Big Boys & the Dicks, Recorded Live at Raul's Club (1981)
The twin titans of Texas hardcore, Austin's Big Boys and the Dicks are practically inseparable in the minds of punk fans. They frequently played together alongside other bands in the Texas scene, including Really Red and the Butthole Surfers, at Raul's and a couple other places in the capital city.

This split album, the first LP for both groups, captures the wild, live energy around which the hardcore movement revolved in the early '80s. The two bands were harder, weirder and gayer than Texas music had ever been before, and they left an indelible mark on the national scene.