Tentatively Titled
Austin's Class of 1997
By Andy Langer, Fri., Jan. 24, 1997
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As such, will these "teachers" -- in this case labels, radio, press, and retail -- recognize the Class of '97's potential and push them harder, or simply pass them over to concentrate on the other students? Will Austin's collective chance in the national arena be the same as it ever was, or a new beginning? Nobody, including the artists themselves, claim to know the answers for sure, so, for now, it's perhaps best to tentatively file away the Class of '97's facts, figures, and plans under "cautious, yet optimistic."
Just who are the bands that will define Austin nationally in 1997, and what are the hopes and expectations of their labels? So far, the list of names and labels seems to hint towards a crop that's not only more diverse than last year's alternative-heavy offerings (Fastball, Spoon, Prescott Curlywolf, etc.), but also somewhat more traditionally rock-oriented -- ranging all the way from Sister 7 (Arista Austin) to Sixteen Deluxe (Warner Bros.).
In fact, several label executives admit they're ultimately anticipating a class full of multi-format albums that conveniently aid a wide radio approach; for example, servicing AAA, AOR, or Alternative radio with the same single. Seemingly, this isn't an inconceivable feat for classmates like David Garza (Atlantic), Abra Moore (Arista Austin), Meg Hentges (Robbins), or Vallejo (TVT). And while theoretically, both Robert Earl Keen (Arista Austin) and Monte Warden (River North) could enjoy the coveted AAA/country radio crossover, few would be disappointed if either Choreboy (Triple X) or Soak (Interscope) managed to only wrangle extensive alternative rock airplay.
Interestingly enough, the Class of '97's purest format categorization, the rocking Buick MacKane, is slated as the year's maiden release, with The Pawnshop Years (Rykodisc) hitting stores on February 25. And what could be more fitting than an Austin-style rebirth for Buick frontman Alejandro Escovedo, who ended last year on an ominous note when, as a solo act, he parted ways with his label? Perhaps, then, it's only appropriate that as its oldest freshman, Escovedo may have summed up the Class of '97's group perspective in discussing his expectations for Buick: "After last year, I've hopefully learned my lesson. My goals are much more reasonable and realistic, as to not get caught up in the record business hoopla."
Great Expectations II
Last year, by finding themselves the target of major-label bidding wars, locally, nobody saw more music business hoopla than David Garza and Sixteen Deluxe. While the former settled on Atlantic, and the latter on Warner Bros., both acts say that after the financial offers started to level out, their decisions ultimately centered upon forging personal relationships and the label's proposed support for creative control, tour support, and radio promotion. "Even though it sounds kind of funny," says Sixteen Deluxe's Jeff Copas, "it all comes down to feel, as in who you trust and who you think you can build a relationship with."
After a low-pressure pitch in a sea of major label sharks in suits, Warner Bros.' A&R man Randy Kaye (Soul Coughing, Failure) signed the band late last year, approved the band's 16-song demo, and gave them the green light to start recording in San Francisco with Austinites John Croslin and Dave McNair. And while those sessions have just begun, Copas admits he's already heard the local concerns that alternative rock is dead and Sixteen Deluxe is too late, and that a challenging album could easily get lost in the current radio landscape of indistinguishable soundalikes.
"We're not idiots," says Copas. "We know some people are going to ignore us and others will automatically lump us with whatever's hot this week and there's nothing you can do about it. But Warner Bros. is looking at us from a growth perspective and not expecting us to sell a million records immediately. They seem to be pretty comfortable with giving us room to grow and have already proved themselves by signing off on this record with no interference. It's kind of scary, because maybe if we blow it, the second record will be more hands-on. But they've given us the rope to hang ourselves, and we asked for it. We asked for total creative freedom and here it is...."
Garza, who's already released an astonishing nine albums on his own, maintains he's found similar support and freedom in his Atlantic deal -- which allowed him just last week to remix the debut record he'd previously completed with Philadelphia producer Stiff Johnson (G. Love, Ben Folds Five, Cypress Hill) with local producers Craig Ross and Andy Taub. And while Garza admits he's still tinkering with the as-yet-untitled disc (due in early summer), he's also adamant that it's a rock-oriented affair that Atlantic will take to Alternative and AOR radio, instead of the AAA album that many of the labels courting him were expecting.
"In the courting process, everyone had different things they were excited about," says Garza, who will use his own name on the project rather than the Dah-veed band moniker. "Several of the labels thought I'd be their weird AAA guy that would build slowly and one day sell 50,000 records. That's comforting and low-pressure, but not very challenging. Others saw me as too AAA for alternative and too alternative for AAA. Atlantic saw the potential for great rock & roll songs and thought they could build on my fanbase and touring. Their vision was the most in line with mine."
Best of all, says Garza, part of Atlantic's vision seems to be in understanding that, along with the album, the key to breaking Garza nationally may come from further support of the grassroots touring that made him so attractive to the label in the first place. "They're not out to cramp my style because they respect how it's worked up to now and are prepared to build on it," says Garza, who nonetheless admits he's looking forward to actually touring less in the months preceding the album's release. "And it helps that they've never thought of me as just this Austin guy they simply need to reinforce here. They have a wider vision than to care about whether I'm winning Chronicle polls. They believe in the songs and supporting them."
Home on the Range
Clearly, Arista Austin is going to work the "Austin" angle a little more in selling a national audience upcoming releases by Robert Earl Keen, Sister 7, and Abra Moore -- the first three mainstream releases from the Arista Nashville local imprint that formed in 1993, but has so far only cut its teeth with Arista Latin and Arista Texas. Ultimately, says Arista Austin vice president Cameron Randle, a key part to the label's initial mission with these three signings was simply to "cover as much musical terrain as possible with as few artists as possible."
As such, Randle is anticipating all three albums will receive cross-format attention, claiming that each of the artists have taken similar steps towards broadening their sounds. "For all the right reasons, these three acts have all taken artist-originated steps towards fine-tuning their approaches," says Randle, who also recently announced that Kansas City songwriter Jeff Black would round out the label's 1997 roster by releasing his debut in the fall.
In Sister 7's case, Randle promises that This the Trip, produced by Danny Kortchmar (Don Henley) and due May 20, is a much more structured affair than either their last independent effort or their live debut on EMI in 1993. "They'd taken some abuse for the free-form jam concept," admits Randle. "But the new stuff's all about the discipline in the songwriting. Danny's a song guy, and with that objective view he helped the band focus on finding the essence of the songs. So not only have they advanced their own cause through self-discipline, but it's really come to a point where saying they've come of age is particularly appropriate."
Hopefully, say Randle and Arista Austin Vice President of A&R Steve Schnur, Sister 7 can find new fans at already-friendly rock radio outlets, and build an alternative radio base as early as the first single -- the album's title track, which will be made available to radio and retail as early as mid-February. But with Abra Moore, whose Strangest Places is set for a June release, Randle says he's hoping to build from an AAA base to both an AOR and alternative radio foundation with an album so rock-rooted that even he and Schnur were surprised.
"Of the three records, this one has the most evidence of a departure for the people that only knew Abra from her Bohemia Beat album. The foundation is still dreamy and ethereal, but it rocks harder with a pop undertone -- in an non-angry and sincere way," explains Randle, while adding that Arista Austin has begun a small but focused staffing influx that will bring in exclusive marketing, media, and promotion executives in time for the three releases.
Although Schnur says he hopes to better acquaint AAA radio with Moore when she plays a much-coveted showcase spot at February's Gavin Radio Convention, it's Arista Austin's first official release, Robert Earl Keen's Picnic, that may initially open up the most AAA avenues for the label. So, although Randle describes Keen's forthcoming album as both "slightly darker" and "rocked up a bit," than his previous Sugar Hill efforts, he's also not shy about admitting that the key to Arista Austin's marketing plans lie both in maintaining Keen's strong regional following and introducing him to AAA-oriented fans on the coasts.
"In Austin, we're spoiled by KGSR," says Randle. "They have a much wider scope than most AAA stations and aren't really representative. So it's our key objective to reach out to AAA, and, luckily, Robert rose to the occasion with an album tailor-made for AAA."
On the Radio
While Keen and Arista Austin attempt to open new doors at AAA, they may also be paving the way for Monte Warden to walk right through them. Late last year, Warden signed with River North, a Chicago-based Polygram imprint that by late summer should release his first national solo album, produced by Warden and River North's A&R chief, Joe Thomas. And while he's obviously excited about getting his first production credit, and the potential for video and tour support from his Warner/Chappel publishing deal, Warden says he's most eager to chase AAA radio-play -- a goal he believes is within his reach in that the significantly smaller, locally based Watermelon Records had previously enjoyed moderate success with Warden albums at both AAA and Americana outlets.
"My albums are country in that when I open my mouth and sing, it's gonna be country," says Warden. "But for the Bobby Fuller/Buddy Holly thing I do, AAA is the only niche for it. If it does take off, it's unique to itself. And if it doesn't, I'll still have had an opportunity to get to make my record my way."
Meg Hentges had thought that when she went into the studio last October with John Croslin that she'd also be making her Robbins debut her way. That was before the label rejected tapes of the early results. "I was definitely upset when they called to say they were canceling the Croslin sessions," says Hentges, who's now in the final stages of picking a replacement for Croslin -- a process that involved "talking to a few of my childhood heroes."
Gary Baddeley, Robbins' general manger, says that although he needs to hear a finished album before making any firm decisions, the label has tentatively planned a summer release that would target alternative radio and feature "This Kind Of Love," Hentges' biggest regional hit to date. "It's been frustrating, but I'm glad they're sticking with me, because now I'm really starting to enjoy the process," says Hentges of her rebound from the initial false start. "I've now got all these opportunities I never had."
In fact, Hentges and her alternative aspirations are opportunities that the upstart label itself didn't have until now, given that the bulk of Robbins' current activity is centered around dance and hip-hop tracks on Billboard's "Hot 100" charts. Although radio trailblazing and transition have been traditionally dangerous affairs, particularly for the artists caught in the crossfire, Baddeley claims that because Hentges is the label's first rock release, Robbins wants to "absolutely break her the first time out and use all of our resources to do it."
For her part, Hentges, who has already been given a reality check with the canceled Croslin sessions, says she fully believes Robbins is capable of making the crossover. "It's a little unnerving, but their success with dance and rap shows they know how to sell a record," she says. "They've got a lot riding on me in terms of pride and personal commitments. And since a lack of attention is what usually kills records, I can at least say for sure I'm not about to get lost in a major label shuffle."
By last Christmas, Vallejo found themselves on the right end of a major label shuffle, landing at TVT just in time for the January re-release of a debut they issued last year on the tiny Chicago indie, IMI. TVT Vice President of A&R Tom Sarig says that chart action from AOR radio play in Austin and the band's former hometown, Birmingham, was enough for TVT to take a chance on a full-scale launch at alternative radio with another single, "Just Another Day."
"We saw a story developing at radio and wanted to be a part," says Sarig, who stresses that they've indeed entered into a long-term deal with the band. "And because radio is in such an identity crisis right now, we believe a band as eclectic as this has a shot at both the rock and alternative markets." Meanwhile, says Sarig, the band will continue its regular routine of regional touring, while adding a West Coast run of radio-sponsored showcases that Sarig believes could culminate in a larger run of spring and summer multi-band radio festivals.
On the Road Again
While Vallejo may have landed their deal after a little radio play and a lot of touring, Soak, perhaps the Class of '97's least known enrollee, found their deal the old-fashioned way: the demo. After releasing said demo last year in Austin -- a six-song CD titled omniphobic gloalnova -- the band hooked up with Dallas manager Paul Nugent, who also manages the Nixons and Deep Blue Something. And as luck (or legend) would have it, while Nugent was casually pitching the Soak CD for Deep Blue A&R rep Chuck Reed at Interscope, label presidents Ted Field and Jimmy Iovine heard the disc through the walls and called Nugent in for a repeat listen.
Now, Me Compassionate, produced in Austin and Detroit by Ben Gross (Filter, Republica), is due for an April release. And while Nugent is clearly confident about Interscope's recently hot track record, he downplays the notion that Soak's lack of even a hometown audience is a potential long-term problem. "Every band has to ask if they're a radio or a touring band, and we've always known that this is a live band that will make their fans from the stage," says Nugent, who says they'll take a shot at alternative radio by mid-summer, but expect to tour well into next winter regardless of radio's reaction. "Soak is not very consistent with Austin and therefore doesn't draw. But they're creative and dynamic, and were signed not because they have a huge fanbase, but because they're capable of building one through their songs."
Similarly, Buick MacKane's gameplan is also based almost solely on roadwork. So although Rykodisc has plans to send the group's first single, "Black Shiny Beast," to AOR radio early next month, Escovedo says the original, and only, plan for the band is a solid six months of touring. "It'll be pretty grassroots," says Escovedo, "just miles and miles of touring. Hopefully, this will get us in front of some different crowds in different rooms than when I go out alone. They should be more like the places I played with Rank & File or the [True] Believers."
Unfortunately, Escovedo's recent bout with hepatitis C has left him a strict vegetarian, as well as sober in a band that's supposedly rooted in overblown rock excess. Could that put an end to, or shorten, the touring plans? "I hope not," says Escovedo, "but I am on a special diet -- an almost vegan diet. On that last Son Volt tour I had some difficulty finding vegetarian restaurants, so I was living on nuts, fruit, and water. Plus, there's no more drinking, which is another thing to contend with, especially in this band. It was kind of the fuel for this project."
But what if the fuel for a project is to record and then not tour? That was indeed the idea behind Choreboy, the Austin supergroup/side project that features former Skatenig Phil Owen, ex-Big Boy Chris Gates, and a slew of local punk luminaries, including Gibby Haynes. While their debut was originally slated for release last November, Good Clean Fun... My Ass has only recently been given a tentative release date -- sometime in March.
According to representatives at the Los Angeles-based Triple X, the holdup actually stems from the label's problems in obtaining clearance from Capitol on Haynes' guest appearance -- something for which Owen says he's willing to wait. In the meantime, Owen says the band will play its only shows in L.A., New York, and Austin in the spring. "If sales were strong enough we could tour during the summer, but we'd still probably rather go in and cut another record and tour behind that," says Owen, adding that although there could be a maxi-single later in the year, they've ruled out a video by spending that budget on recording equipment.
"It's just three angry bald guys singing about skinheads -- strictly a side project and not a band meant for touring anyway. We did it out of the love for the music, not because we wanted to sell a million records."
Wait 'Til Next Year...
While on paper, Choreboy looks to have the album with perhaps the least chance of success, how unsuccessful can it be since it was recorded just for the fun of it? Will it further the Austin mystique of music for music's sake or simply add another notch onto the belt of the Austin Curse? In fact, most of the artists interviewed say they're actually somewhat inspired by Choreboy's exploits in that they've resisted many of the big-budget, high-risk temptations and situations that already look to make so many of these '97 debuts potential make-or-break affairs. Maybe, they say, Escovedo and Choreboy earned their tags as "veterans" for good reason.
But while it's clearly too early to tell on which side of the fence these Class of '97 entrants will fall, it's also worth noting that these are far from the only albums that will be released this year; besides the aforementioned Jeff Black on Arista Austin, singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves releases his already lauded debut on Rounder in February, while Sony puts out David Rice's album sometime later in the year. There might also be a replenishment of sorts if '96 holdovers like Spoon, Fastball, Storyville, Eric Johnson, and the Ugly Americans break. As well, it's also not unreasonable to expect veterans like Ian Moore, Chris Duarte, Kelly Willis, Bruce Robison, Jimmie Vaughan, Willie Nelson, and others to release albums later in the year, while locals like Wayne Hancock, Kacy Crowley, El Flaco, Pushmonkey, and Breedlove actively shop for deals of their own.
Perhaps the official last word on '97 -- for the classmates and veterans alike -- should come from Teresa La Barbara-White, the Sony A&R representative who signed Austin transplant David Rice, sent him overseas to Peter Gabriel's Real World studio to record, and is hesitant to jump the gun and discuss the record before her marketing plans are fully realized.
"The set-up is absolutely essential, equally important to making a great record," says La Barbara-White after looking over the Class of '97 registry. "You can spend a lot of money promoting and marketing and still not reach the right people. The label and the artists not only have to understand each other, they also have to know how to present it to everybody else -- from inside the company down to radio, retail, and press.
"There's just so many record releases that you have to make sure far enough in advance that your record's getting the proper placement. And what's hurt a lot of these Austin bands is that they've overlooked the groundwork. To have a chance, there has to be a concerted set-up and push."
