While he was in college, his world took a different spin when a friend introduced him to Willie Nelson’s classic recording “Red Headed Stranger,” and he heard the haunting vocals of Hank Williams for the first time. After school, Wallace moved to Austin in 1994 and fell under the spell of rising old-style country-music acts such as Don Walser and the Derailers. Wallace hooked into country music with a vengeance and cracked the difficult Austin music scene with his original honky-tonk songs. His recently released CD “The Lowdown” is an old-school country gem. It’s full of country songs that actually sound like country songs, and Wallace’s sturdy baritone drawls with soul to spare. Gather up all the post-New Year’s Day strength you can muster and catch Wallace at Poe’s Pub, Thursday night (Jan. 2) at 9. $5. — ames arnold