Alejandro Escovedo is no longer a Rykodisc recording artist. Well, he’s not a
Ryko solo act, anyway. His option came up a few weeks ago and Ryko wanted to
renegotiate, but Escovedo chose to go elsewhere. Al says he won’t be actively
pursuing a label for awhile as the next six months will belong to his other
band, Buick Mackane, whose debut album will be coming out on Ryko,
February 25 — as we reported last week. There may be a hitch to that, however,
as Escovedo says his doctor has told him he can’t drink anymore thanks to a
liver ailment. (What’s a Buick show without shots of Jaegermeister?) “There
goes my personality,” cracks Escovedo, adding that Glenn Benavidez may have to
be bumped up to the Buick front man position.
Fans of the pre-personality-loss Escovedo may want to check out the upcoming
V/Search Books collection of Search and Destroy ‘zines from the
early punk era, which prominently features his band the Nuns and a list of a
few of young Al’s favorite things. Notified of the volume’s impending release,
Escovedo’s immediate comment was, “Is there something I can do to stop it?”
Bruised Willis?
The firing of Teresa Ensenat, the A&R person who signed Kelly Willis toA&M Records, marks the third such departure affecting an Austin act in
recent months — though the Willis camp doesn’t seem worried. While the
departure of Brian Long from Caroline to Geffen hurt Sincola and the removal of
Ruth Richards from Mercury certainly hasn’t helped Prescott Curlywolf, Willis
is still looking at a February release on her next album, which T-Bone Burnett
is tentatively set to produce. Currently, the label is reshuffling Ensenat’s
workload and there’s no word on who Willis’ new A&R buddy will be, but
since Ensenat was known to be very hands-on with the new album, I’ll just wish
Kelly the best of luck in the label’s selection of a replacement.
Bursting at the S.I.M.S.
With the Butthole Surfers tour on hiatus, current Butt and former Pariahmember Kyle Ellison says he’ll be working for the next month on putting
together the first of a projected series of benefit albums for the S.I.M.S.
foundation in honor of his late brother. He’s still keeping rather mum on the
band line-up for the compilation, though it’s known to be ambitious, with bands
he’s close to (the Butts, Meat Puppets, Toadies, and now Cibo Matto) likely to
appear. Currently, though, he says his main concern is, “Getting somebody to
put it out,” and at press time, a big meeting had just been set by those
involved to work on just that. Ellison hopes to get the go-ahead from a major
label by December.
Another tribute to Sims Ellison, in the form of an album of unreleased Pariah
tracks, is still under way, with bandmate Dave Derrick saying that the project
is nearing completion. Derrick reports that some delays were caused by trying
to remix the tracks, and questions about what material would be released. In
the end, the decision was made not to hold anything back and put all the
available cuts in their original form on the CD. “After all,” he says, “It’s
not like it’s the Beatles.”
Butt Wait!
And you thought they were just ready to come home. Internet news services have
been reporting that the Butthole Surfers cancelled a string of December dates
due to Gibby Haynes busting an eardrum earlier in the tour. Apparently, by
leaving it untreated, it got worse and doctors told him to stay out of the loud
concert environment for a few months. Considering that the second single from
the Electriclarryland album has yet to impact and the ironic similarity
of Haynes’ condition to the Larryland album cover of a bleeding ear,
some have suggested that the whole thing may be a scam on the band’s part to
get some break time. Well, I haven’t yelled at Gibby to see if he screams in
pain, but I do know that he has been seeing a doctor.
Son of Sahm?
Is Jay Farrar always like this? During Son Volt’s sold-out show at LibertyLunch last week (see “Live Shots”), the adoring throngs should have made the
sullen Minnesotan beam like Old Sol himself. Instead, the happiest person there
seemed to be Doug Sahm, bouncing around the side of the stage like, well, like
he was about to play. Asked what brought him to the Lunch, Sahm responded with
typical modesty: “These guys from Minneapolis are good kids, good band… I’m
Jay’s hero, man!” Indeed, Sahm’s spirits were soaring as he gave us a rundown
on the Texas Tornados (“That thing y’all wrote about Bill Bentley sayin’ that
we were gonna teach Roy Head Spanish and gonna replace Freddy [Fender] with
him? We use that to keep ol’ Freddy in line, now!”) and his current activities
(“How about the Quintet for the Awards Show?”). After joining Son Volt for
their second encore — Sahm’s chestnut “Give Back the Key to My Heart” — the
Dougster was spotted backstage after the show talking with… er, talking
at Farrar, who perked up a little when Alejandro Escovedo and Glenn
Benavidez entered. No fans, no friends — just the musicians talking shop.
Quite a picture. When told of his father’s antics a few days later, Shandon
Sahm grinned that Sahm grin and replied, “There’s no one like Doug.”
No Brown-Nosing
I’ve so far elected to turn a blind eye to a number of stories I’ve heardabout certain attitudinal problems on the part of Junior Brown, but I must run
this one. The Chronicle‘s Tim Stegall was shocked last week when,
moments into an interview with Brown for New Country magazine, the
interviewee announced abruptly that the Q&A session was over! Now,
Stegall may overdress the punk look thing a bit, but I’ve watched him chat up
Merle Haggard (he’s also interviewed Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings,
and even Pat Boone), and if anything, his obsessive knowledge of country music
exceeds his worship of Johnny Thunders (okay, not quite). Stegall says the
interview started on a bad foot when Brown wanted to meet at his favorite
Luby’s, but the scribe couldn’t afford the long cab ride, so they met at the
Iron Works instead. Midway into his third question, wherein Stegall noted that
Junior’s upcoming tour with the Mavericks was appropriate since the two shared
some similarities, Brown had his outburst and discontinued the interview —
declaring, “You don’t understand my music!” and berating Stegall, saying he
couldn’t play with the big boys if he didn’t even have “gas money.” Stegall
says that had he been allowed to finish, he was going to compare Brown and the
Mavs’ updating of their respective influences, Ernest Tubb and Roy Orbison.
Pointing to the uniform graciousness he’s observed in the classic country
artists, Stegall says it’s Brown who has a lesson to learn about working with
people. Though he considers Brown a “genius,” Stegall had to collect his
thoughts before deciding, “Fuck him — I’m about to go hang out with Cheap
Trick.” Ironically, when he did so in New York the next day, Bun E. Carlos told
him that he had just heard from a former Brown drummer that Junior was “a
jerk.”
Well, small world, ain’t it?
Mixed Notes
The latest Texas major label signing is Houston’s Chlorine to Columbia
Records. The band is not to be confused with the old Austin act of the same
name…
Dumptruck, now featuring new drummer George Duron, are set to work on a
new release for 1997 with Lloyd Maines producing. They’ll also be among the
bands playing a benefit on December 14 at the Electric Lounge for Good’s Rob
Gaines, who recently suffered new complications from a previous head injury…
Word has it that bassist Vic Gerard has left the Derailers…
Danny & the
Hurricanes are one of several bands who will be playing a farewell show for
guitar repair guru Steve Crisp this Saturday at Babe’s. Crisp will be moving to
California soon…
The Bad-finger tribute from Houston’s Copper Records is in
stores now, with Cotton Mather and 20/20’s locally-recorded tracks rubbing
elbows with popsters Dwight Twilley, Adrian Belew, and the Knack. The Prince
tribute album featuring all-Austin acts (the Jubilettes have been added, by the
way) should be out the first week of December. Now, here’s one tribute album
you can’t buy: Casey Monahan’s 15th and final annual Jimi Hendrix
Birthday Special is this Sunday at 10pm on KUT. He’ll be spinning unreleased
Hendrixisms by Lucinda Williams, Chris Duarte, 81/2 Souvenirs’
Glover Gill, Poi Dog Pondering, and Eric Johnson…
December 5-8 has been
officially slated as the White Rabbit’s swan song weekend. I’ll have the
details on that as it approaches…
Austinite KeKe McCullough probably has some
interesting stories to tell ya. He got to play alongside Paul Simon and John
Fogerty on the new Carl Perkins album, Go Cat Go! (at Perkins’ request).
Also on the album are Willie Nelson and all four (?!) Beatles…
KGSR is going
double duty on their anniversary. After their Broadcasts Vol. 4 CD comes
out (40 tracks including performances from Joan Armatrading, Don Walser, and
Taj Mahal), they’ll have not one but two shows on December 6. First is the big
show at KLRU studios, with Lyle Lovett, Suzanne Vega, and 81/2
Souvenirs (listen to the station to find out how to get tickets), then there’s
the Home for the Holidays benefit at La Zona Rosa with Kris McKay, Sara
Hickman, Kelly Willis, and a rare local appearance by Shawn Colvin…
Threadgill’s World Headquarters has its Monday Music Marathon up and running,
if you haven’t noticed, with Floyd Domino hosting the Pianorama 2-6pm (this
week featuring Riley Osbourn and Johnny Nicholas), and Jimmy LaFave (filling in
for Champ Hood) and the Threadgill’s Troubadors running the Supper Sessions
6-10pm. You can ask Threadgill’s owner Eddie Wilson for more information
while you have him sign his new cookbook this Saturday at Waterloo Records at
3:30pm. And if you were still wondering if the Hard Rock Cafe is moving into
the old Nighthawk building, the answer is a definite “no.” Wilson says that
Art-Carved Rings is taking that spot and were generous enough to arrange for
him to take the sign for display at his place…
The December Esquire
refers to Roky Erickson as an “insane guitarist.” No word on whether any
future Roky recordings will feature references to a “pandering magazine for
aging rakes”…
The Hamicks have a new single out on Big Jerk Records, with a
release party at Emo’s next Tuesday…
Following the departure of
singer/guitarist Lydia Emily, Sweetpea have become not a two-bass threesome,
but a standard power trio called SwitchHitter, and are currently, as they put
it, “recording and working up a batch of fresh goo”…
9 Worlds will be
celebrating the release of their new CD, It Can’t Rain Forever Saturday
at Charlie’s Attic…
Stockade Records’ new effort is a four-artist record,
including Roy Heinrich and Ted Roddy, wherein each musician gets four tracks.
Apparently, the one who gets the most favorable response gets to do a whole
album. Wouldn’t throwing their names in a hat be easier?…
With Twisted Hippy
Children on hiatus, that band’s drummer has formed Space Lady, and is currently
recording a five-song EP…
Javelin Boot have an in-store Friday, 5pm, at
Waterloo Records for their Fundamentally Sound CD. A release party
follows at the Hole in the Wall on Saturday…
The Adults are back from
touring, but they can’t decide on what story they want to tell from their
collection of adventures on the road. Among the choices: “The waifish art
school girl thief who stole our money box in Kansas City, the two 18-year-old
girls on acid at Wesleyan University whose trampoline we fell asleep on, [or]
almost coming to blows with a hippie in Lawrence who didn’t like the rendition
of `Whiskey River’ played to the tune of `Autumn Leaves'”…
If you missed Orb
deejay Alex Patterson when he was here with Meat Beat Manifesto, you might want
to check out the ambient party he’s performing at in Manor this Sunday. Tickets
and directions are available at Waterloo and Alien Records…
This Week’s
Cryptic Comment: How do you get the Archers of Loaf out of your house? Just
smear some cat food on a sleeping Texas Meat Purveyor…
— Contributors: Christopher Gray, Raoul Hernandez, Andy Langer,
Margaret Moser
This article appears in November 22 • 1996 and November 22 • 1996 (Cover).