WHOLE LOTTA' SHAKIN' GOIN' ON! |
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Excuse the very brief introduction and somewhat reiterative content here -- there's a lot going on. I hope to see y'all out there. We'll be safe and we hope you will too.
Some other quick "news" teasers not covered here:
- The Austin Corn Lovers Fiesta will return for its 12th edition LIVE in Austin, TX - October 1st, 2nd and maybe the 3rd. Save the dates.
- The new Saustex and friends compact disc and digital promo only sampler 'Only The Strange Survive' will be released mid-August (at manufacturer.)
- The Beaumonts have a new album "in the can" - we'll have the release info on that very soon.
The over-arching point I wanted to make but did not necessarily telegraph real well in the interview is this: Even though it is very "Jeff Smith-centric" what I do with Saustex is not about me, not about the Hickoids and not about money. It is about the perpetuation of the art form of rock'n'roll. YOUR patronage makes that mission possible. Thank you again (and again) for your support.
Shake, baby shake. Feels good.
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SOME QUICK NOTES TO OUR VALUED MAIL-ORDER AND BANDCAMP CUSTOMERS:
- FRIDAY AUGUST 6th (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time) is the next BANDCAMP FEE-FREE FRIDAY.
- SPECIFIC QUESTIONS NOT ADDRESSED HERE? EMAIL JEFF.SMITH(AT)SAUSTEX.COM
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HAMELL AND SON TOUR 2021! MUSICALE VERITE RESUMES - STRANGENESS CONTINUES WITH A RETURN TO NORMALCY. |
I'm doing my best to bang all this out as I also need to leave town for a few weeks so forgive me for being brief. For any of you who have witnessed this rite of summer, this is certainly a welcome return to "normalcy" - Ed and his son Detroit have a great dynamic. Get out and see them -- for details on or booking house concerts and private shows please find Ed on Facebook and send him a private message. Support these dudes. They ARE art that keeps giving and teach us all something about what family should be.
Wednesday July 28th Chicago, IL - House Concert
Thursday July 29th Racine, WI - McAuliffe's
Friday July 30th Minneapolis, MN - Eagles Club
Saturday July 31st Waterloo, IA - Waterloo Bicycle Works
Wednesday August 4th Houston, TX - Under the Volcano
Thursday August 5th Ft. Worth, TX - Grackle Art Gallery
Friday August 6th Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf
Saturday August 7th Austin, TX - House Concert
Sunday August 8th Dallas, TX - Twilite
Wednesday August 11th Nashville, TN - Cobra
Thursday August 12th Chattanooga, TN - Exile Off Main Street
Saturday August 14th Washington, DC - House Concert
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PIÑATA PROTEST CON MOLOTOV! |
For regular newsletter subscribers Piñata Protest should require no introduction. They'll be joining Mexican bad boys Molotov for a series of shows Texas shows this week:
Thursday July 29th Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
Friday July 30th San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
Saturday July 31st Houston, TX - Scout Bar
on the horizon:
Friday September 3rd Uvalde, TX - Palomino Fest
Friday September 24th Las Vegas, NV - Punk Rock Bowling
Get out and see them - you will not be disappointed.
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HICKOIDS START "C'MON BACK!" 2021 TOUR OF DEEP AND MID-SOUTH TODAY WITH NEW SINGLE 'ALMOST NEARLY NANCY' ONLINE AND HAND SANITIZER ON THE MERCH TABLE. |
Long-running, genre defying Austin Music Hall of Fame act the Hickoids are firing back up this summer after largely taking the past fifteen months off for the pandemic. Having only played a few livestreams for charity during that time and two shows since May the band begins the “C’mon Back!” Tour of the Deep and Mid-South today with some recording in Tupelo, MS (birthplace of Elvis Presley) scheduled along the way. The upcoming dates will mark their first appearance in some markets including Atlanta, Birmingham and St. Louis in three decades. Audiences can expect a wide selection of material from the band's catalog peppered with some new and unrecorded originals delivered with style, zero f*cks given panache and showmanship. Its an ear full and an eye full.
In advance of the tour, Saustex Records is pleased to announce the worldwide release of the new Hickoids digital single ‘Almost Nearly Nancy’ on Friday July 9th via all major music services and Bandcamp. Saustex collectible imprint Wacky Souvenir will also make an extremely limited edition 8” lathe-cut of the song available.
***AND MY APOLOGIES TO THOSE OF YOU WHO PRE-ORDERED THE LATHE-CUT...I HAD SOME UNEXPECTED FAMILY BUSINESS THAT AROSE AND ATE UP A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TOUR PREP TIME. THEY WILL SHIP THE WEEK OF AUGUST 16TH. THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND AS ALWAYS IF YOU'D LIKE A REFUND - JUST ASK...
‘Almost Nearly Nancy’, a yarn of unrequited love on the edge of an apocalypse, is a bouncy two and one-half minute slice of protopunk that has western edge and a classic feel. The tune was recorded back in 2019 with producer Mike Mariconda at Sol de Sant Studio in Barcelona and finishing touches were recently applied in Texas. The provocative cover art (originally a 2 x 3 foot multi-media piece) was done by on-again, off-again Hickoids guitarist Tom Rowsey who passed away in March 2020 at the age of 56. It is a statement of defiance in a world gone awry and beyond the subject’s control.
Wednesday July 28th Houston, TX - Under The Volcano
Thursday July 29th Lafayette, LA - Free Town Boom Boom Room
Friday July 30th New Orleans, LA - The Portside Lounge
Saturday July 31st Birmingham, AL - The Nick
Sunday August 1st Atlanta, GA - Bogg’s Social & Supply
Monday August 2nd Athens, GA - Flicker
Tuesday August 3rd Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
Wednesday August 4th Asheville, NC - Fleetwoods
Thursday August 5th Chapel Hill, NC - The Kraken
Friday August 6th Knoxville, TN - Corner Lounge
Saturday August 7th Chattanooga, TN - JJ’s Bohemia
Sunday August 8th Nashville, TN - Springwater Supper Club
Wednesday August 11th Tupelo, MS - Blue Canoe
Thursday August 12th Memphis, TN - Growlers
Friday August 13th St. Louis, MO - San Loo
Saturday August 14th Springfield, MO - Nathan P. Murphy’s
Sunday August 15th Little Rock, LA - Vino’s
*Hickoids headline all dates, local support TBA
Saturday August 21st Austin, TX - Sagebrush
*First public show in Austin since October 2019
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WARNING: Local punk rock band Pocket FishRmen (est. 1987) continues to seek legitimacy/justify existence by the creation of new tunes... |
...eleven of these, grouped under the title 'We Are Masters of These Levels', now come forth.
But also you ask yourself, what are these songs about??
1. 'Four and One-half Rolls': Examines the necessity of securing and protecting supplies of hygienic paper products during public health crises.
2. 'Negativity No': A personal rant against depressing conversational gambits.
3. 'The Ape Who Loved': Considering lost love and mourning cowardice.
4. 'Civil War': As much as we lust for violence, is it possible for the inherently peaceful person to choose it?
5. 'The Humans Are Going To Get What They Deserve': Dwarves, gnomes and elves live in harmony with the earth but humans do not, hence they are slated for destruction.
6. 'I Believe the Woman': Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh are liars. Fuck them and fuck the patriarchy.
7. 'Marijuana Logic': It is right to ingest marijuana but doing so creates a disjunctive experience which can be challenging to process.
8. 'Positive Vibes': Wherein we express love for those who uplift us.
9. 'Smash the Fascists': Again we consider the call to violence.
10. 'Castrati': With much experience to look back on, the Pocket Fishrmen celebrate their low levels of testosterone.
11. 'Masters of Levels': We, the Pocket Fishrmen, assert our membership among the select--we ride upon air and inhabit the spirit world.
That's not really enough of an introduction for these songs all written and recorded during the pandemic but with plenty of resonance for continued relevance. The full digital album is a Bandcamp exclusive, with the single 'Postive Vibes' being made available on all streaming platforms. Full length CD or 4 song limited edition of 44 10" lathe-cut available here:
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JOECEPHUS AND THE GEORGE JONESTOWN MASSACRE 'HEIRS OF THE DOG' TOUR DATES! |
Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre hits the road in late August/early September along with myself on vocals and Harvey McLaughlin on piano in support of their latest charity-oriented tribute record 'Heirs of The Dog.' They're great guys and I'm looking forward to doing some traveling and playing with them . With the exception of the Ft. Worth and Austin shows which will be regular sets, J&GJM will be doing a set and then we'll jump and join them to perform the 'Heirs of The Dog' record in it's entirety.
TUESDAY AUGUST 31ST
FORT WORTH, TX - LOLA’S*
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 2ND
SAN ANTONIO, TX - THE MIX
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD
AUSTIN, TX - THE LOST WELL*
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH
LAFAYETTE, LA - FREETOWN BOOM BOOM ROOM
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH
NEW ORLEANS, LA - THE PORTSIDE LOUNGE
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH
BIRMINGHAM, AL - THE NICK
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH
ATLANTA, GA - SMITH’S OLDE BAR
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH
NASHVILLE, TN - THE END
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH
MEMPHIS, TN - GROWLERS
'Heirs of the Dog: A Tribute to Nazareth' is the third in a series of charity oriented tribute albums by Memphis-based band Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre. This album is their take on Nazareth's iconic and career-making, best-selling double platinum LP 'Hair of the Dog.'
Anchored and master-minded by co-producers Dik LeDoux and Joey Killingsworth, the band itself features a small cast of rotating characters and the albums feature special guests. In this case the guests include Blaine Cartwright (Nashville Pussy), Ruyter Suys (Nashville Pussy), Greg Martin (Kentucky Headhunters), Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, Ignitor), Manny Charlton (Nazareth, and producer of the original album), JD Pinkus (Butthole Surfers, Honky, Melvins), Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Neil Fallon (Clutch) and Harvey McLaughlin.
All of JGJM's profits from sales and a portion of Saustex Records' sales benefit The FSHD Society for FSHD Muscular Dystrophy research in memory of the band’s friend and Memphis scene fixture Jonelle Spicer.
The limited edition purple vinyl of 200 has been selling briskly - we've got about 25 copies left. Both the CD and vinyl are available for immediate shipment.
Check out the super cool animated video by Nathan Parten for 'Please Don't Judas Me' (featuring Neil Fallon) right here:
And - expect a mini-tour of Texas and the SouthEast by Joecephus and the band along with guests Harvey McLaughlin and Jeff Smith (Hickoids, etc.) as well as guest contributors in their local markets.
(Please note that the album is titled as 'Heirs of the Dog: A Tribute to Hair of the Dog' on Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and other major digital services, and, at the wholesale distribution level in order to comply with recent "styling" mandates that largely stem from Apple Music. The short story is that the name of a tributed artist may no longer appear ANYWHERE in the metadata or on the cover art of a tribute release.)
AND - don't forget about the previous tribute releases from J&GJM and Saustex:
'Five Minutes to Live: A Tribute to Johnny Cash', Impeccably conceived and recorded in Memphis, TN. Featured guest artists on this EP include: W.S. "Fluke" Holland (Holland is featured on all tracks and was the drummer for Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and the first man to play a full drum kit on the stage of The Grand Ol' Opry), Mick Harvey (multi-instrumentalist for The Birthday Party, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds), Warren Ellis (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Dirty Three), Buzz "King Buzzo" Osborne (The Melvins) and J.D. Pinkus (The Butthole Surfers, Honky).
'Mutants Of The Monster: A Tribute to Black Oak Arkansas' the 17 track, first ever tribute to 1970's Arena Rock legends Black Oak Arkansas. Joecephus & The George Jonestown Massacre provide rock hard backing to the guest vocalists and instrumentalists that appear on the record breathing new life and energy into BOA's classic catalog. Featured artists include: Blaine Cartwright and Ruyter Suys (Nashville Pussy), Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Robby Turner (Sturgill Simpson) Shooter Jennings, JD Pinkus (Honky, Butthole Surfers), Nik Turner (Hawkwind), Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers), Brian Venable (Lucero), Jeff Clayton (Anitseen), Greg Ginn (Black Flag), Rickie Lee Reynolds (BOA), Bill Davis (Dash Rip Rock), Jim "Dandy" Mangrum (BOA), Whiskeydick, Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers), CT (Rwake), Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate, King Diamond), Jimmy Henderson (BOA), Jello Biafra, Nine Pound Hammer, Kyle Turley, Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson Band) and The Kentucky Bridgeburners.
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THE KRAYOLAS ON A ROLL WITH TUNES IN NEW BEN FONG-TORRES DOCUMENTARY - ANNOUNCE FIRST LIVE DATES IN OVER TWO YEARS WITH LEGENDARY GUITARIST BILLY BREMNER'S ROCKFILES! |
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Although it saw its initial release back in November of last year 'Savage Young Krayolas' is proving to have a "legs"! It continues to receive spins on Sirius XM's Underground Garage Channel and stray reviews keep rolling in.
Now, the band has had several tunes in the soundtrack of 'Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben Fong-Torres' - the new documentary about the rock critic, author, DJ and former Rolling Stone editor who is portrayed in the film 'Almost Famous'. The film received great notices for its debut in June at NYC's Tribeca Film Festival and will hopefully be available in a wider release soon.
And now the band is announcing a string of Texas dates -- their first in over two years where they'll share the stage with Billy Bremner's Rockfiles -- starring legendary Scottish guitarist Billy Bremner. Best known for his work in the band Rockpile and on many of Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds' albums, he has also played with The Pretenders, Shakin' Stevens, Carlene Carter, Rosie Flores and The Coal Porters, as well as issuing four solo albums.
Billy will be joined by his all-star Swedish band of Micke Finell on bass and vocals (Dave Edmunds Band, The Refreshments), Bonne Löfman on guitar and vocals (from Sweden’s Rock´n´Roll mega star Jerry Williams and the pioneer of Swedish Rock´n´Roll Owe Thörnqvist) and Peder Sundahl on drums and vocals (Jerry Williams & Roadwork). The band will also be joined by special guests Augie Meyers and/or Rosie Floreson select dates and will concentrate on material from Rockpile’s seminal album ‘Seconds of Pleasure’.
Saustex is pleased to present several of these shows which will be an international celebration of Garage and Roots Rock'n'Roll - don't miss it:
with special guest Rosie Flores
Wednesday September 15th 7:30PM
Houston, TX
Under The Volcano
with special guests Augie Meyers and Rosie Flores
Thursday September 16th
Austin, TX
Antone's Nightclub
(visit club website for advance tickets)
with special guest Rosie Flores
Friday September 17th 8:30pm
Denton, TX (only North Texas appearance)
Dan's Silverleaf
Saturday September 18th
San Antonio, TX 4pm (matinee)
The Lonesome Rose
with special guest Augie Meyers
Sunday September 19th
Hunter (New Braunfels), TX 4pm (matinee)
Riley's Tavern
Savage Young Krayolas’ is the surprise historic preservation effort of 2020. The recently unearthed space suit album pays tribute to the late Jett Bass, Sal Dana and Freddie Herman who perished in an unsanctioned time travel experiment. Egos and alter-egos combust as soon as the needle touches down -- a rock’n’roll requiem that bends time.
Box Records teams up with Saustex Records on this new 180 gram Vinyl, CD and digital collection that unearths the Krayolas 1980 debut album “that could have been.” This singular Texas act thunders with the fun bliss of then-contemporary acts such as Cheap Trick and Go-Go’s while echoing heroes The Dave Clark Five, Doug Sahm and early Kinks. Play it loud and revel in the carefree, antihero beginnings of these Chicano rockers on a collision course with fruterias, border beheadings and political piñatas.
Restored! Remixed! Remastered! For the first time the original 1970s and 1980 two-inch analog, multi-track source tapes are revealed complete with liner notes, including ‘I Just Wanna’ which pairs the Krayolas with Augie Meyers of the Sir Douglas Quintet on his Vox Continental combo organ.
And, I should add on a more personal note that my brother late Barry Smith played bass, keys and also sang some of the leads for the Krayolas from the late 70s through the mid 80s. He's featured on the cover and sings the lead vocal on three of the originals featured on the full album. I consider it a great tribute to him.
The album has been racking up some great reviews and the limited-run vinyl and CD are in stock and ready to ship. We have also added a lot of The Krayolas back catalog and t-shirts at Bandcamp...check it out.
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'BOOT LEGS' - THE DAVY JONES BOX SET MAKES SEVERAL STRIDES TOWARDS YOUR MAILBOX! |
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DAVY JONES 'BOOT LEGS' TRACK LISTING FOR LPs AND MORE DETAILS REVEALED! |
This is a bit of a good news/bad news situation...The good news is that 'Boot Legs' has been digitally mastered and is finally in the hands of the pressing plant. The bad news is that currently the most optimistic timeframe I'm getting for the records to be finished is March 2022. There are several factors behind this..the first is of my making, I didn't get the final sequence finished until the end of May. But, I did end up finding or acquiring some tracks that I feel are pretty important to the end product so I'm not feeling too guilty about that even though it added about five weeks to my last estimate.
The other issues are ones that are an industry-wide plague and wholly out of my control: greatly expanded turn times, a tight supply chain for raw materials and parts for the presses, lack of vinyl pressing capacity and increased demand for the capacity that is there. Still, it does seem there is some hope that the delivery date might improve as the year goes along. But the important bottom line here is that I don't think it will be delayed any further. In the immortal words of my hero Iggy Pop "Thank you for your kind indulgence."
Again, the box set will have at least three LPs including Davy's work with the Ideals, Hickoids, Dicks and almost a dozen other artists/acts - a 32+ page stitched comic-sized booklet and likely two compact discs and one cassette - -the entire thing should include around 100 tracks. I'm sure it will represent a net loss from my end but I am honor bound to make it happen and have the money set aside to do it. The "deluxe edition" in a limited run of 200 on colored vinyl will be available exclusively from Saustex and the Saustex Bandcamp site. There will be a black vinyl retail edition that will be priced somewhere around $75-80 MSRP.
Because of the rapidly changing postage and customs duties collections situations globally I'm only able to offer the pre-order for the USA currently. I hope to come up with a cost-conscious solution to satisfy overseas demand before the release but at the very least it should be available in Europe and beyond via other mail-order outlets (I hate to say the "A" word!") at a price better than I can reasonably fulfill it at.
The lathe-cut special referenced in the previous newsletter is sold out. I have however come across a stash of the Ideals 1986 7" EP 'The Poor Man's ZZ Top' (pictured at the end of this section) - and am now offering immediate shipment of that record with pre-order of the box set."The Davy Jones Poor Man's Special" will include the advance shipment of the EP and the box set when ready.
AND!!! Everyone who orders or has already ordered the box set will automatically be entered into a random drawing (a sort of digital raffle ticket if you will) to win one of three sets of Davy Jones ephemera...I'll leave it at that.
Finally - I will work towards making some tracks available digitally to those who have already pre-ordered in recognition of your ongoing patience. More on that soon.
(PLEASE NOTE - THIS OFFER IS ONLY AVAILABLE to UNITED STATES ADDRESSES!!)
Saustex Records
Catalog #: SEX2102
Artist: Davy Jones (Anthology)
Title: Boot Legs
LP VOLUME ONE: WHAT DO I GOTTA’ DO TO BE A REAL PUNK?
SIDE A:
01. ‘Summertime Blues’ /Blind Man’s Cigar (rehearsal at Hendrix College Spring 1976)*
02. ‘F.T.A.’ /The Ideals /(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
03. ‘I’m Manic’ /The Ideals/(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
04. ‘Sweet Charity’ /The Ideals/(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
05. ‘Real Punk’ /The Ideals/(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
06. ‘Complex’ /The Ideals/(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
07. ‘Shut Yr Face’ /The Ideals/(Killeen,TX demo tape Fall 1979)*
08. ‘The Ideal Song’ /The Ideals/(Live at Raul’s 09/18/1980)*
09. ‘Anti-Bacterial Stomp‘ /The Ideals/(Live at Raul’s 09/18/1980)*
10. ‘Jealous Mind’ /The Ideals/(Live at Raul’s 09/18/1980)*
11. ‘Simple’ /The Ideals/(Live at Raul’s 09/18/1980)
12. 'Cheap Rewards’ /The Next/(Live at Armadillo World HQ 05/16/1980)*
SIDE B:
01. ‘TVS’ /The Next/ (from ‘The Next Kick Ass’)+
02. ‘Monotony’ /The Next/(recorded live at at Raul’s)*
03. ‘Automatic Fun’ /The Next/(recorded live at at Raul’s)*
04. ‘Mellow Yellow’ /The Ideals/(recorded live on KTXZ Radio Austin 1985)*
05. ‘Slow Death’ /The Ideals/(2021 remix from the ‘Woodshock 85’ album)+
06. ‘Corntaminated’ /Hickoids/(2021remix of ‘Bands on the Block’ version)+
07. ‘Job Song’ /The Ideals/(Europa Studio “lost” session 1987)*
*Previously unreleased and first time on vinyl
+Original vinyl edition out-of-print
LP VOLUME TWO: CBGP (Country, Blues, Garage, Punk)
SIDE C:
01. ‘Driftwood 40-23’ /Hickoids /(2021remix of ‘Hard Corn’ EP version)+
02. ‘Ragged But Right’ /Plastic Patrick and the Hickoids /(2021remix of single version)+
03. ‘Lee Harvey (Was a Friend of Mine)’ / T. Tex Edwards with the Sickoids/(original release on Sympathy for The Record Industry)+
04. ‘Split Personality’ /Hank Street Ramblers/(demo)*
05. ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ /Davy Jones /(The ‘Bummer Road’ Session)*
06. ‘Bright Lights Big City’ /Davy Jones /(The ‘Bummer Road’ Session)*
07. ‘The Creeper’ /Big Foot Chester/(From ‘Tabernaclin’ ’ SFTRI release)#
SIDE D:
01. ‘Drugs Will Kill Me‘ /The Ideals/(Europa Studio “lost” session 1987)*
02. ‘Prime Time’ /The Ideals/(Europa Studio “lost” session 1987)*
03. ‘That Man is Bad News’ /Big Foot Chester/(From “The Devil In Me’ SFTRI release)#
04. ‘I Can’t Help Thinking About Me’ /Davy Jones’ Mannish Ideals/(From the ‘Only Bowie’ tribute album) @
05. ‘My Boyfriend is a Rock’ /The Dirtbags/(demo)*
06. ‘It Never Happened’ /The Dirtbags/(2021 remix, previously credited as “Davy Jones” on the NRT ‘Texas Underground’ Compilation)@
07. ‘Spit On My Grave’ /Machine Dog/(demo)*
08. Great Sex and Fairytales’ /Machine Dog/(demo)*
# CD out of print, first wide vinyl release.
@ CD out of print, first vinyl release
*Previously unreleased and first time on vinyl
LP VOLUME THREE: NONE OF THE ABOVE, NONE OF THE BELOW
SIDE E:
01. ‘Babysit’ /The Dicks/(from ‘Hungry Butt’ live in Houston 2005)@
02. ‘Bourgeois Fascist Pig’ /The Dicks/(from ‘Hungry Butt’ live in Houston 2005)@
03. ‘Fake Bands’ /The Dicks/(from ‘Hungry Butt’ live in Houston 2005)@
04. ‘Obviously Five Believers’ /Big Foot Chester/(from ‘Pummelin’ De Blues’ 2005)#
05. ‘What if God Had Testicles?’ /Diamond Smugglers/(‘Hot August Shite’ demo)*
06. ‘Solitary Hand’ /Diamond Smugglers/(‘Hot August Shite’ demo)*
07. ‘The Talking Hot Pants Blues’ /Hickoids/(‘Hairy Chafin’ EP’ version)@
08. ‘Side by Side Doublewides’ /Hickoids/(‘Hairy Chafin’ EP’ version)@
SIDE F:
01. ‘Another Girl Another Planet’ /T. Tex Edwards and the Toe Tags/(demo)*
02. ‘Such a Shame’ /T. Tex Edwards and the Toe Tags/(demo)*
03. ‘Cleo’s Gone’ /Gay Sportscasters/(from ‘Singles Going Solo’)@
04. ‘The Shake’ /Violet Crown/(demo)*
05. ‘In My Room’ /Violet Crown/(demo)*
06. ‘Texas Ranger Man’ /Hickoids/(from ‘The Out of Towners’ session, Davy’s final recordings)@
07. ‘A.M. Lover by the Windowsill’ /Hickoids/(from ‘The Out of Towners’ session, Davy’s final recordings)@
# CD out of print, first wide vinyl release.
@ CD out of print, first vinyl release
*Previously unreleased and first time on viny
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SAUSTEX LAUNCHES NEW LATHE-CUT IMPRINT WACKY SOUVENIR! |
Saustex has launched a new imprint for lathe-cut (well, actually embossed) sound artifacts called Wacky Souvenir, we have new releases on the way from Cliff and Ivy (gothic/horror punk from Alaska reminiscent of X), The Pocket FishRmen (legacy Austin sci-fi punk superheroes), Mean Motor Scooter (thumpin' and pumpin' Ft. Worth garage punk) and those other masters of cape wearing rock'n'roll Haltom City's Me-Thinks! More on all of those next time around.
AND, since the last newsletter I have acquired a second lathe! This one came from Sun Studios in Memphis via Dale Watson (think of all the mojo packed in there!!!) - it's a beauty - a Presto Model 6N manufactured around 1940 (pictured at right). It's quite a bit more sophisticated than the model mentioned below but should yield a more consistent product and allow me to work faster with less waste. I'm still learning to use it but look forward to improved results.
The maiden release from the sub-imprint is ‘Song for David J’ by Davy's brother Glenn Jones. I sent it to those who pre-ordered the Davy Jones box-set as something of a “thank you for your patience” gift/premium. The rest of the edition of 76 sold through as part of the DJ box set special I was previously running...the takeaway here is "you snooze you lose."
(Be sure to check out some of the rest of Glenn's catalog while you are there!)
Now, the first thing you’ll notice about this is that the “record” itself is approximately 8.35 inches in the shape of a square, an unusual size and shape, obviously. That’s because it was lathe-cut (well, embossed actually) on a recently acquired 1940s era Presto N-75 Sound Recorder. Each platter is cut in real-time and has its own quirks and peculiarities. (Keep in mind that although refurbished, the machine is nearly 80 years old and parts are not commonly available, if at all.)
Without geeking out too hard on the audio and mechanical aspects of it here's a brief video that shows the lathe in action:
As the name Wacky Souvenir hints at, these sound artifacts are something less than a standard, stamped stereo “record” but also something more. They are not as loud as your treasured copy of ‘Some Girls’ (should be about 80% of normal records in your collection) and will have more surface noise than normal records. Each platter is checked to make sure that it will track on a very low-end phono player such as a Crosley and on a standard turntable. If you have trouble getting it to track, place a coin on top of your stylus head to add weight or adjust the weight on your tone arm if you have that option. The playback speed is 33 and 1/3 rpm and it is monophonic.
Given that this was my first “production” run, limited to 75 copies (well, 76 actually - I discovered I had made that many covers when I got down to numbering them) , there is a lot of variance - I guess that’s part of the game and the charm. It took quite a bit of time, wasted materials and experimentation to bring it to this stage but I feel pretty confident that I will continue to get better results on all fronts.
It is a collector’s item for sure -- all hand cut, folded, glued, labelled and numbered at my office here in San Antonio.
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PIÑATA PROTEST 'EL VALIENTE' 12" BACK IN PRINT ON 180g PALETA YELLOW VINYL! |
I have hinted and bitched mildly in this forum as to the pressing plant delays that I, along with many other labels and artists, have experienced over the past year.
The remastered edition of Piñata Protest's breakout 'El Valiente' is one such job - finally finished just two weeks short of seven months after it was initially ordered and paid for in full.
But, the 180 gram "Paleta Yellow" in an edition of 100 is now ready to ship. Get yours today!
AND IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO OR CENTRAL TEXAS C'MON DOWN TO HISTORIC ST. PAUL SQUARE TONIGHT FOR A FREE OUTDOORS SHOW BY THE PP BOYS SIDE-BAND LOS CALLEJEROS DE SAN ANTO.
MASK UP AND MAKE THE SCENE!
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HARVEY MCLAUGHLIN SHOWS THE KIDS HOW IT'S DONE WITH AN EXPERT'S GUIDE TO 'RASCALITY' |
rascality
ras·cal·i·ty
/rasˈkalədē/
noun
mischievous or dishonest behavior or activity.
From the unhinged mind of singer/songwriter Harvey McLaughlin comes ‘Racality’ - twelve tracks of throwback rock and roll that’s reminiscent of the great piano rock albums by artists such as Warren Zevon, Elton John, Tom Waits and Randy Newman with its own brand of cheekiness and an updated sensibility. On the heels of 2018's full length ‘Tabloid News’ and the 2019 EP ‘Automaton’, ‘Rascality" features McLaughlin's weird and wild brand of storytelling - reveling in subjects ranging from Chinese restaurants to carnival excursions to the red pyramids of Mars and everything between.
"I made an effort to cover all the basics," says McLaughlin. "Wendigos, voodoo hexes, fortune telling moles and public executions, it's all there.”
SAUSTEX IS OFFERING THE LP ON CLEAR TRANSLUCENT 180 GRAM VINYL IN AN EDITION OF 100 AND THE CD IN JEWEL CASE W/8-PAGE LYRIC BOOKLET.
CD AND LP AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT!
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CHURCHWOOD BRING IT AGAIN IN TROUBLED TIMES WITH 'PLENTY WRONG TO GO AWRY' |
'Plenty Wrong to Go Awry' is the fifth full-length album by Austin-based avant-garde blues band Churchwood. Even though the album was recorded in the summer of 2019 and mixed in the spring of 2020 it thematically addresses the current dystopian times we live in through a poetic and sometimes historical lens on ‘Ain’t Your Choir’ and ‘Steal It Back’ but still manages to have some fun on more traditional roots roadhouse tunes ‘Tantamount’ and ‘Fixin’ to Crawl’. It possesses the dense, challenging music and dizzying guitar interplay that fans have come to expect from the band and will appeal to fans of Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Captain Beefheart and Tom Waits who like their poetry with some twisted roots and garage infused oomph.
SAUSTEX IS OFFERING THE LP ON OPAQUE WHITE 180 GRAM VINYL IN AN EDITION OF 100 AND THE CD IN JEWEL CASE W/8-PAGE LYRIC BOOKLET.
CD AND LP ARE BOTH IN STOCK AND READY TO SHIP.
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'TEACHING YOU THE FEAR...AGAIN' A TRIBUTE TO REALLY RED |
It’s fairly hard for young people now to imagine but there was a time in Texas when simply walking down the street in punk regalia was a proposition that might cost one their life or subject them to being hassled by the police. Recent events show that while fashion may not put you on the hit list there is still an abundance of oppression, racism and police brutality not only in Texas but around the country. Outside of other early Texas Punk and Hardcore bands The Dicks, The Big Boys, Offenders and M.D.C. there were few voices in this state’s rock’n’roll scene who stood up to the injustice besides the bands mentioned above and Houston’s Really Red.
While probably the least well known of the five bands with most being turned onto Really Red's music via the ‘Let Them Eat Jellybeans’ compilation on Alternative Tentacles Records - I will argue that their lyrical rails are the most succinct and concise, almost to the point of being clinical. And, their music was farther ranging than the other bands pulling in elements of the avant-garde and what would become known as post-punk. With no disrespect to the other bands who I consider heroes and friends I maintain that Really Red’s debut album ‘Teaching You The Fear’ is the best Texas hardcore album of all-time.
So - I was honored when Bob Weber, Really Red’s drummer and the driving force behind C.I.A. Records, asked if Saustex would assist in the distribution of the new tribute to the band’s work ‘Teaching You The Fear...Again’...the CD features 34 tracks (and 36 page booklet!) and the double LP (one on black vinyl, one on white vinyl) has 39 tracks and includes new interpretations of Really Red’s songs by artists including The Dicks, Mudhoney, M.D.C., Jello Biafra, The Bellrays, Doomstress, Verbal Abuse, Sugar Shack, Hickoids, Hamell on Trial and many, many more.
In the last edition of the newsletter I mentioned that we were awaiting the shipment of physical stock from the EU - good news - it's all in house and ready to go. Because I have my machinery set up a little better than the folks at C.I.A. and it's more in the wheelhouse of my daily routine they'd rather have me fulfill the North American orders so Saustex is offering the CD and LP at a 10% discount to their asking price (well actually about 12% on the CD.)
All orders placed through Saustex will immediately receive a code for unlimited streaming the entire 39 track project AND download in your preferred digital audio format.
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Keep rocking and I will too.
Smitty
Jeff Smith / Saustex Records
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