By Jason Cohen
Texas Music News - Early June
Kings X
The Houston trio is still going strong after 16 years. "Ear Candy," their sixth album, finds the band to be as varied as ever, combining incongruously thoughtful (if not always profound) lyrics with a grab-bag of power-rock tricks that mix old-fashioned art-metal with lean riffs and quirky dabs of punk, psychedelia, jazz and world music.Trance Trio
Trance Syndicate, the independent label helmed by Butthole Surfers drummer King Coffey, has just unveiled a trio of new releases: "Shine(r)," an expanded reissue of the 1990 limited-edition album "Shine" by Ohio's My Dad is Dead; "Calm Hades Float," the first record by the Florida-to-Texas post-rock band Windsor For The Derby (who are continuing their travels by leaving Austin for New York); and "Chicks Hate Wes," another debut from another Austin band, Sweet Pea."Popsucker" Praised Again
TheWannabes, who won three 1996 Austin Music Awards (best pop band, best pop album and best producer for John Croslin) with their "Popsucker" album, have gone on to grab some national acclaim. TheDejadisc release has won the the "Best Alternative Album" award from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD)."Free For All: The Austin Music Sampler"
A souvenir of Paul Minor's weekly "Rock 'n Roll Free For All," which convenes each Sunday at Austin's Hole in the Wall, this new CD offers studio tracks from 12 rough 'n tumble outfits, includingEl Flaco, Big Drag, the Lovelies, Gomez, Earthpig and Fire,Flying Saucers and Orange Mothers. Of course, Minor's own band,Superego, is also on the record, and they have a CD of their own out as well: it's called "Mellow Robust Satisfying" and is available on Nickel $ Dime Records.Baboon meets Chuck
The Denton underground rock band Baboon, whose "Face Down in Turpentine" record was released on the Grass label in 1995, recently closed out the '96 television season with an unlikely appearance on "Walker, Texas Ranger." The band provided "raucous and discordant entertainment" (according to the shooting script) at the Deep Ellum club Trees in an episode that saw Rangers Chuck Norris and Noble Willingham chasing a serial killer. In the episode, the killer turns out to be working as the band's photographer. Baboon have just released a new Grass EP called "Numb," and are on the road now.Storyville
Another big Austin major label release is on the way: Storyville, the band led by vocalist Malford Milligan, have signed with the Atlantic subsidiaryTAG. The band's first album for the label, due later this summer, is "A Piece of Your Soul," which was produced by former Prince bandmate David Z. The other members of Storyville are Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, best known as the Double Trouble and Arc Angels rhythm section, while guitarists David Holt and David Grissom round out the band on record.And in other Arc Angels news
Doyle Bramhall II, who remained signed toGeffen after theCharlie Sexton-led supergroup imploded, is scheduled to release a solo album on the label at the end of August.Tripping Daisy
The Denton psychedelipopsters have landed the summer's most unlikely touring gig. While other alternative bands may find themselves at Lollapalooza, or hitting the usual club circuit, Tripping Daisy will play to five-figure crowds every night as the opening band for Def Leppard, the somewhat washed-up but still pretty popular candy-metal band.Don McCalister Jr.
The Austin folk/jazz/swing/country troubadour has just released his second CD, "Love Gone Right," on his own label, Biscuit Boy Music. He'll celebrate June 19 with an in-store at Austin's Tower Records and a show that night at the Cactus Cafe.Miscellany
The 3X5 package tour has been cancelled due to lack of interest--it turned out to be less than the sum of its parts--so Austin'sSincola are busy making other plans for the summer. In the meantime, the band has been picking up some favorable press in England, where they played in May. CD-ROM designers Graphix Zone, best known for their Prince and Bob Dylan discs, are working on a multimedia Willie Nelson project. San Antonio funk-rockers the Gingbreadmen have a new record out this month.
