This is it — the last week of the Chronicle music poll and the
Musicians Register form. Fill out the poll to see your favorite local acts
recognized, and the register form to get your band noticed (and to land that
free chicken-fried steak at Threadgills).
The Austin Music Awards and SXSW are on their way, too, and more info is
starting to trickle in on both fronts. SXSW has revealed a couple of national
acts that have verbally confirmed showcases for the conference; Cake and Peter
Wolf were among the first to say “sure, why not?” Local bands from the Horsies
to Jesus Christ Superfly to the apparently still existent Pork have been heard
muttering about preparing for their showcases, while the SXSW higher-ups remind
everyone that there are still more invitations waiting to go out, so don’t
panic if you haven’t gotten one. 81/2 Souvenirs, The Sexton Sextet,
and the Texas Tornados, have confirmed appearances at the Music Awards, with
the former likely to be performing with Kris McKay up front, and the latter
bringing in Roy Head to replace the unavailable Freddy Fender. No, last time it was a joke. This time we’re serious.
You Thought There Was A Difference?
At least it’s not a format change: Starting Saturday, what the radio biz callsthe Legal ID is now “101X is 101.5 KROX-FM Giddings/Austin and 107.7 KNNC
Georgetown.” Yes, K-NACK is now 101X, and vice-versa, making the “original
alternative rocker” and the “new alternative rocker” the same thing. In a
limited partnership agreement forged this week, and expected to run a minimum
of six months, 101X will begin additionally broadcasting on K-NACK’s signal,
giving 101X exposure into Georgetown and keeping something on the air at
K-NACK. More info next week on displaced deejays and the effects of
double-exposed Bush…
5am Discount
Both the Flamingo Cantina and Emo’s suffered losses over the last week whenuninvited, after-hours visitors entered the open-roofed areas of the clubs and
removed various items of equipment. The Cantina had their soundboard, some
effects, and a VCR ripped off, among other things. In the case of Emo’s, after
losing a power amp and all their mike cables on Thursday night/Friday morning,
club personnel secured other valuable items before leaving that night. They
were astonished to find that the thieves returned before the morning and made
off with a ladder, water jugs, cleaning equipment, and other items of what one
employee described as “ridiculous shit.” Hmmmm. I know this is just a
coincidence, but all this stuff sounds like exactly the things the owners of
the Mercury club right up the street have been needing. Just kidding. They’re
still not open.
Our Ears Are Burning
Texas is riding another wave of national press, it seems. Billboardcontinues to cite Austin independent labels and their woes as harbingers of
further trouble for the industry. The magazine’s “Declaration of Independents”
column this week focused on the Dejadisc label, quoting owner Steve Wilkison in
Nashville as saying that the label is still “on hold.” The piece goes on to say
that “Wilkison’s predicament — that of a guy who got everything right, and
still ended up getting buried — might be one that grows more familiar this
year, as the returns crisis that wracked distributors in ’96 finally comes home
to roost with the labels, many of which may be getting all too accustomed to
getting paid in returned product.” On other print fronts, Don Walser made a
showing last week in USA Today with a photo in a big feature on
insurgent country that also extolled the joys of Robert Earl Keen, Junior Brown
and others. Rolling Stone has another Austin-packed issue with a review
of the soundtrack to Rick Linklater’s upcoming subUrbia and Andy
Langer’s less-than-impressed review of a performance by li’l LeAnn Rimes, and
if you look closely at the illustration of the Offspring in the record reviews
section you’ll see that one of the lads is wearing an Emo’s T-shirt (to which
Eric “Emo” Hartman’s wife was said to have inquired, “Can we get any money for
that?”). Finally, Saturday’s New York Times even got into the act, with
the Loose Diamonds placing in their “Ten Albums You Missed” list for the year.
What’s next — will Hustler start up a record review section just so
they can cover Candye Kane?
Bye Bye Blues
The closing of Catfish Station takes with it the sound of old-fashioned blueson Sixth Street. Apparently, the owner was already losing money, and when faced
with a rent increase, threw in the towel. The same situation occurred with the
liquor store across from the Catfish, and the two are scheduled to become a
dance club and shot bar in short order. Once again, a ass pocket of whiskey and
blues loses out to retro nights and Sex on the Beach. Meanwhile, if you want
any blues in this town at all, head over to Antone’s this Sunday, where the
club is having a fundraiser to pay some bills and make up for income lost
during the club’s brief closing last month. Susan Antone is promising “classic
Antone’s acts,” like Lou Ann Barton, Storyville, Bill Carter, and the Sextons.
Don’t Forget Your Roots
Southwestern University in Georgetown (’bout half an hour north on I-35, thentake a right) has chosen “Drawing and Crossing Boundaries: The Roots of Texas
Music” as the focus of their annual Brown Symposium this Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday, with 512/863-1902 the number to call for information. Performances
include Carol Fran & Clarence Holliman, Marcia Ball, and a fiddle
f�te featuring Johnny Gimble and others, while a number of forums and
lectures on the subject will be held throughout the weekend. The Brown
Symposiums are a highly respected, long-running annual series, and are
generally considered the best reason to not bulldoze the University. Yours
truly was not asked to speak, but I assume that has something to do with that,
“If we ever see you on this campus again, we’ll have you arrested!” thing.
Mixed Notes
Gomez, those noted refugees from Tattooine, will be anticipating there-release of the Star Wars trilogy tonight (Thursday) at Emo’s, playing
in costume — including Chepo Pe�a, of course, as the Lord of the Sith.
The Golden Arm Trio, performing “Han & Leia’s Theme,” “The Imperial March,”
and of course that infectious cantina band song, and Play-Doh Squad will also
be on the bill. What? No Wookie? The revelers will no doubt show up to the
films’ opening matinee the following day sporting light sabers and hangovers…
Sunshine have expanded to a foursome, with Johnny Goudie joining up on guitar.
The band has a number of dates coming up including tonight at the Hole in the
Wall and Saturday at the Pop Fest at Liberty Lunch with Dexter Freebish, Cling,
Javelin Boot, and the Wannabes…
here’s a S.I.M.S. foundation fundraiser this
Friday at Liberty Lunch. Joe Ely, Don Walser, Charlie Robinson, ARC Welders,
and the Walt Lewis Band will lend their talents to the show…
KGSR has been
airing the new single from 81/2 Souvenirs’ upcoming Off-White album from Continental Records. That’s due in April, y’know…
Austex Records
is putting out a new honky-tonk album by Janet Lynn, who’ll have a release
party at the Saxon Pub this Saturday at 6:30pm (with homemade tamales!)…
Pop Culture Press has another in-store coming up for their latest issue
and CD compilation. That’s this Friday at Waterloo Records, 5pm, with Million
Sellers and 7% Solution. Million Sellers, by the way, have recorded nine songs
at Music Lane recently, with eight of them slated for an upcoming double 7-inch
release. The ninth will appear on the Music to Be Alone By compilation
from Fluffer Records. That comp of love-gone-bad songs also features the
1-4-5’s, Drake Tungsten, Poopiehead, Shindigs, Stretford, and the Teen
Titans…
I’m told that the Estrus Records warehouse fire I mentioned last week
was not as bad as I thought regarding the loss of their stock; most of their
current releases will continue to be available. The release from Death Valley
on the label, however, was just about a total loss, and once the band and local
stores run out, they (the records, not the band) are gone for good…
The
Paranoids have a new 4-song EP coming from Rise Records in time for SXSW.
Meanwhile, they’re playing their first show since August this Friday at the
Hole in the Wall…
Papa Mali & the Instigators (apparently now sans Bill
Cassis) have a cool gig coming up this Saturday. They’ll be opening for the
Neville Brothers at the Mardi Gras celebrations in Galveston…
The Draught
Horse has free music in their new beer garden. In fact, a certain Texas Meat
Purveyor on the Horse staff reports that she was upset that she had to miss the
Friends of Dean Martinez show because of work, but was rewarded later that
night when the band showed up at the Horse with all their gear and played an
impromptu set…
Townes Van Zandt’s Rear View Mirror album is the latest
to be re-released by Sugar Hill Records. Meanwhile, seemingly just to prove
that you can pronounce your name “Van Zant” and still live a long, healthy
life, Lynyrd Skynyrd (featuring Johnny Van Zant) have just announced that they
have a new album on the way from CMC International Records this spring. Coming
up from Sugar Hill on February 18 is the Bad Livers’ Hogs on the
Highway, and in mid-March, they’ll be releasing Guy Clark’s live album
Keepers and Van Zandt’s Highway Kind. They’ve also just announced
the signing of James McMurtry…
Some things never change: George Michael has
announced that he’s re-forming Wham! just in time to make the upcoming Bill
Hicks CD reissues topical again. (Hicks, of course, used Michael as the classic
example of a “sucker of Satan’s cock.”) Now, if only Will Sexton has an
international hit within the next month, the world will be able to get that
joke about him on Hicks’ Rant in E Minor album…
Oh, and Rolling
Stone scribe Anthony DeCurtis called to confirm that he hasn’t called
Austin City Limits anytime lately…
— Contributors: Christopher Gray, Raoul Hernandez, Andy Langer, Margaret
Moser
This article appears in January 31 • 1997 and January 31 • 1997 (Cover).