The True Believers

Dedication EP (Jungle)

Something about having a 25-year vacation really agreed with the True Believers. Apparently, it takes having celebrated musical careers away from the triple-guitar Austin onslaught to acquire the necessary seasoning to finally bottle their live power on disc. It also helps not recording since the mid-Eighties, the intervening decades hardly remembered for their raw rock & roll. Now, here’s the Troobs – loud, direct, and with little fuss from South Austin’s revived Arlyn Studios. Jon Dee Graham’s title track, sung by de facto band leader Alejandro Escovedo, unfurls a Mott the Hoople-style narrative of the band, tales plucked from touring combustive guitar fury in Eighties punk rock clubs. Javier Escovedo’s raucous “Gypsy Son” is just the Southwestern Johnny Thunders anthem we need from him, while three recent KUTX live takes on hits like “Hard Road” round out what’s hopefully the tip of the proverbial iceberg from this thrilling reunion.

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This article appears in July 26 • 2013.

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Tim Stegall contributed to The Austin Chronicle 1991-1995, and was a staff writer 1995-1997. He returned as a contributor in 2013. He has also freelanced for publications ranging from Flipside to Alternative Press to Guitar World. He plays punk rock guitar and sings in the Hormones.