Zakary Thaks-Form the Habit

Ugh...more Texas music. I hate the state but I love their bands. What a conflict. Well, these garage goons are probably most known for their nuggets cut "Bad Girl." What a romper that one is. Some real punk music about 11 years before people were bandying about that term. Really, give it a spin and tell me otherwise. It makes me bounce off the walls like my insane cat (double jumps and all). I think if I was living in Texas and had a bowl cut, I'd probably use this as the soundtrack to beat up hicks with big belt buckles. Oh, wait those people drive around with gun racks in their cars, right? Maybe I'd just scowl at them and mutter something under my breathe instead. They shoot humans, don't they? Texas, Texas, Texas I will never understand you.

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Happy Anniversary to Me: The Dicks-Kill from the Heart

My word, has it been a year already? I can't believe that this crap heap continues to ooze down shit mountain. But I suppose there's no reason to stop now. I've hit my goal of having over 50 followers in a year (I have pretty modest goals) and have received some pleasant e-mails from readers. So I guess I'll continue to air my grievances and sound like the old prick that I am. So here's a special treat for you (of course you can always send the site a birthday present) since it's all the readers that make me want to keep this going. It's really not overselling it if I call this a classic. Influential to so many groups, this odd lot of Texans continue to get played around here. Blast this the next time you're at your local glory hole.

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Josefus-Dead Man

Yesterday I saw something that was utterly grotesque. Whilst walking home after teaching, a couple nearly ran me over on the side walk. They were on a jogging date. Who does such things? Who decides to get suited up in horrible nylon clothes and then run for no reason? And how is this activity enhanced with a partner? If you're with someone and you're sweating that much, you should probably be doing something more enjoyable than running. Ugh...the horror. And speaking of, Josefus has a scary cover, but they are going to terrify you or anything. And kids like skulls these days. Just check the popularity of all that Ed Hardy paraphernalia. I even see moms walking around with skulls on their shirts. So maybe this isn't as Halloween related as I'd like it to be. Well, you can always blast Dead Man and scare off a few kiddies.

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Terry Allen-Juarez

I know this album has a cult following of sorts, but that cult should flourish. I think this has been relegated to minor status for those outside the know because it is pretty complex and difficult. On the surface, it's some really great, piano-driven, country rock. But this album is far more complicated than that. It's much more in league with the classic song cycle type of albums. Outsider figures, alcoholics, and murders appear and then vanish into the desert. Maybe Allen is kinda like Texas Tom Waits or something, but that's probably a pretty lazy comparison. There's so many damned good songs that every time I listen to this I have a new favorite. Which one will be yours?

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The Moving Sidewalks-Flash

Of course, there's plenty of love around here for those beautiful Texass bastards known as ZZ Top. Prior to the awesome beardage, Billy Gibbons went all psychedelic Texas style on this disc. It lacks the great choogle of the Top, but the guitar, as you'd expect, is still dynamite. More than just an interesting curio, this album is actually worth it. And just look at that young beard just beginning to grow. Do you think that at the time it would have realized that it would later become one of the most famous beards in the world?

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