by rudyards | June 22nd, 2012
Poor Dumb Bastards (Houston, TX)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poor-Dumb-Bastards/126350582202
PDB was formed in March 1991 by long time hetero life partners and musical collaborators, Mike Porterfield and Byron Dean. The initial interest was to find a means to get into Emo’s for free, later they discovered Emo’s was always free. Drawing on their collective influences and experiences from some of their earlier work, bands like Cretinoid, Plutonium Flatheads and the Byron Weird Group, Mike and Byron set out create a genre all their own, hence “Texas Drunk Rock” was born. Add the non bass playing talents of Steve Scholtes and the competent, metronomic drumming of Chi Chi Macoola, and PDB were able to carve their initials on the bathroom door of the Texas music scene. Through the many years and many lineup changes, but these Ill-minded sewer rockers have stayed true to their founding principals. POWER, PERFORMANCE, PERVERSION
Project Grimm (Houston, TX)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Grimm/121509194528707
A decidedly less experimental group than its most direct predecessor, the Mike Gunn, Project Grimm was formed in 1995 by Gunn frontman and guitarist John Cramer to satisfy his urges to be a bit more straightforward in his approach to guitar rock. Interested in looking to build a band around this new direction, Cramer called local drummer Rick Costello (…of Houston band Bleachbath) who volunteered his services straight away. Drew Calhoun joined on bass, and former Schlong Weasel (University of Houston “branch”) member Jim Otterson rounded out the lineup as second guitarist. Their first show, on July 3, 1995 was followed by recording sessions that would result in their first album, Lying Down out on Linus Pauling Quartet’s Ramon Medina (also a former Schlong Weasel-er) Worship Guitars label in 1996. The pace of recording and releasing would slow down considerably for the band, which wouldn’t quite get around to releasing the follow-up until 2003. In the meantime, Bo Morris would take over on drums for the kicked out Rick Costello, and Cramer would work with former Mike Gunn colleague Scott Grimm on his Dunlavy project. July 2003 would see the release of Project Grimm’s second album, Huge Beings (released on Camera Obscura’s Australian sister label Camera Lucida), but it would also see the band split — on the very day of the album’s release. Leader John Cramer would later appear as a solo artist working under the name the Powers of Light & Darkness, and played sporadic shows around Houston. – Chris M. True via allmusic.com
Luxurata (Houston, TX)
http://www.luxurata.com/
Get lost in the sonic rock and delicate melodies of this dual guitar band. The unique alt-pop/indie rock sound will leave you wanting more. Luxurata was formed in the spring of 2002 and consisted of long time musical collaborators Mike Porterfield (vocals & bass) and Brian Schack (guitar), Dave Darby (drums, formerly of Ruskabank). Texas guitar legend Harry O’ (from the famed Zealots) joined in 2011. The diverse musical background of its members comes together in the unique alt-pop/indie rock sound of the band. Compositions range from sonic guitar rock to delicate melodies.
