A Couple Of Stand Up Guys (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/ACoupleOfStandUpGuys
Rich Hopkins & The Luminaros (Tucson, AZ)
https://www.richhopkins.org/
Rich Hopkins recently recorded his 14th album BURIED TREASURES with his band THE LUMINARIOS in both his home town Tucson, Az and in Austin, Texas. The album will be releases on Jan. 15 2012 on San Jacinto Records and Blue Rose Records. Rich formed the Luminarios initially as a side project from his then main job/band, The Sand Rubies who were making records for Chrysalis/Atlas Records. The Sand Rubies who recently disbanded in 2010 were originally formed in 1985 under the name of THE SIDEWINDERS. The Sidewinders from Tucson, Az. quickly became a long standing partner ship between DAVID SLUTES lyricist/vocalsit/guitarist and RICH HOPKINS(music writer, guitarist) that would last nearly 26 years. They went on to record 7 albums their first, !CUACHA! that was rleased on Rich’s SAN JACINTO RECORDS in jan. 1988.
The Sidewinders,an Arizona favorite quickly landed record deals on DEMON/UK, MAMMOTH AND RCA . Their career break came late in the fall of 1988 after signing with Jay Faires’ Mammoth Records and then quickly getting signed yet again to RCA thanks to the band’s touring ethic,,strong writing and unique guitar sound that captured the soc alled DESERT ROCK SOUND that The Gin Blossoms would later capitalize on New Miserable Experiences in 1995. The band quickly recorded their second album WITCHDOCTOR in Tucson and LA not knowing that during all this they would be signed to RCA Records before the recording was even finished. The cost to record and mix Witchdoctor was $3000.00 which seemed like a lot of money back in those days. WITCHDOCTOR quickly became a college radio hit and the band followed it up with a video to the song Witchdoctor that ended up on MTV. The band toured continuously with abnds like CHARLIE SEXTON, HOODOO GURUS, DRIVIN’ N’ CRYIN and THE REPLACEMENTS to name a few as well as doing their own cross country tours.
Ragged Hearts (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ragged-Hearts/107562209301309
Ragged Hearts is a Houston-based band, featuring former members of Sylvain Sylvain’s Band (New York Dolls), The Applicators, and Trashcan Punch. Formed in 2002, they have always focused on the traditional elements of roots, rock and roll, folk, and (to a lesser extent) glam.
Founding members Corey Power, Davey Jonez, and Don Paul West envisioned a band with a do-it-yourself attitude that focuses on honest songwriting, heartfelt live performance, mutual creative contribution, and a band that would draw on the entire 50+ year tradition of Rock and Roll for inspiration.
Their debut cd, “Her Bright White Light” was released on the Basement Boy Records imprint in October of 2006, and features 3 songs produced and recorded by The Glammer Twins (Bam and Share Ross of Dogs D’Amour, Bubble, Vixen, Wildhearts) and 8 self- produced and recorded songs.
Steve Straker and the Troublemakers(Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steve-Straker-the-Troublemakers/105400852853632
Steve Straker and the boys churn our a gritty, unique blend of country fried rock, with a heapin’ helpin’ of rhythm & blues. If you diig ZZ Top, the Allman Brothers, Bill Withers and Johnny Cash… you’ll go back for seconds!
Richard Cagle & the Voodoo Choir– (Houston, TX)
https://www.richardcagle.net/
A Couple Of Stand Up Guys (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/ACoupleOfStandUpGuys
J. W. Americana (Houston, TX)
https://wearejw.com/
In the tradition of great Houston underground rock bands like Culturcide and de Schmog, J.W. Americana is helping reinvigorate a local scene that’s been in a coma since the aforementioned bands laid the conduit for the indie rock explosion of the ‘90s. But J.W. Americana doesn’t adhere to codes of cred, nor does it wink at musical styles and influences. J.W. Americana is a flagrant original. The landscape of American music is covered: searing blues, epic country, pounding punk, even hip-hop.
Former Lowbrow member, Rodney Chinelliott, who has collaborated with Daniel Johnston and Ralph Carney, brings manic energy, slide guitar and bizarre humor. Also of Lowbrow, bassist Doug Kosmo adds sex-pot charisma and presence. Another Lowbrower, Arthur Moreno’s sax lends the ensemble a surprisingly sugar drink jolt. Drummer Shane Lauder is a madman. When he strikes a pose before a torrential pounding, it’s not posturing. He has to do it! J.W. Americana has a good handle on the emotions of rock ‘n’ roll
Through surreal, absurd songs like “Water,” to the disturbing, politically laced “N.R.A.,” and into the rousing ecstasy of “I Fucking Love It,” J.W. Americana paints a spectacular musical portrait. After the screams of “Gasoline” die down, you’ll swear you smelled fumes. “Hot Dogs” jumps from a comical, faux-tender send off into a furious hurricane. At first, you’ll want to write off “Hot Dogs” as a well-executed joke, but the band goes serious with it, and we watch open-mouthed, realizing: wow, there really weren’t any hot dogs in JW’s hometown. That must’ve sucked for him, but thank fucking god for us.
J.W. leaves you drained, tingling and full of fucking joy.
– Troy Schulze, Houston Press
Shotgun Betties (Texas)
https://shotgunbetties.com/
Shotgun Betties are an all female Rockabilly band from Texas comprised of four supremely talented multi-instrumentalists.
DeadEnd Cowboys (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DeadEnd-Cowboys/40665119966
Spaghetti Western Porn Soundtrack for Bull Riding While Under the Influence Of Jim Beam.
Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts
https://www.gulfcoastmag.org/
Gulf Coast is proud to present its 2012-2013 Reading Series, featuring twenty-one readers from the University of Houston’s nationally-acclaimed graduate program in creative writing. All readings are free and open to the public. They begin at 7 p.m. on Fridays in the upstairs room at Rudyard’s British Pub, 2010 Waugh Dr., Houston, Texas, 77006.
John Sherer is an MFA candidate at the University of Houston. His poems have appeared in Hot Metal Bridge.
Before moving to Houston, Nancy K. Pearson worked as a waitress, a landscaper and a taxi driver. Her first book of poems, Two Minutes of Light, won the 2009 PEN New England Award. A two-year poetry fellow at The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA, she recently moved to Houston from Cape Cod with her partner, Elizabeth, and their carload of beasts. She is currently an MFA candidate in Nonfiction at the University of Houston
Selena Anderson‘s work appears or is forthcoming in Glimmer Train,Kenyon Review Online, NANO Fiction, and elsewhere. She has won scholarships from the MacDowell Colony, the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, and the Carson McCullers Center. She is hard at work on a collection of stories and a novel.
Finding Reason (Houston, TX)
https://www.findingreason.net/
Original hard/modern/alternative rock music out of Houston, TX.
They’ve been rockin some of Houston’s best venues since 2009 with a mix of mellow, heavy, bluesy, jazzy, progressive rock: Roc Bar, Scout Bar, Warehouse Live, Fitzgeralds, the 19th Hole, Jet Lounge, have all been soiled by their presence.
Finding Reason formed in 2003 when Ben (formerly of Less Than Serious) Greg, and Todd decided to get together to play some tunes. Ideas for original material quickly developed but were slow to be completed as the trio had no drummer and all had busy day-jobs.
Initially, Ben had to pull triple-duty as lead guitarist, vocalist, and laying down drum tracks in the studio. Though Ron of the Death Carpet Trio (DC3) offered to do some drum work and performed on the the track “Ghost Of A Man.” In 2007, FR was asked to play at a friend’s birthday party, where they filled a slot between DC3 and Less Than Serious. They went on to play a few other private events (charity fundraisers & house parties) in 2008 & early 2009, all with Ron filling in on drums.
Then in March of 2009, FR hooked up with Priest, a wicked drummer from Pasadena who is actively involved in the music scene. The band started playing shows at local Houston venues by the end of ’09, including ROC Bar and Scout Bar. However, due to political differences, Priest left the band in January of 2010.
In February of 2010, FR discovered Ryan Rushing through a series of celebrity contacts. Ryan had been out of the music scene for a while after living the highly debaucherous lifestyle for so long and was ready to get back into the groove with some FR tunes.
In June of 2010, FR parted ways with Todd and carried on the best they could as a power-trio. While taking on shows here and there, the band put together a demo CD called “Antidisestablishmentarianism” and officially released it on Oct. 29.
Shortly thereafter, the band met ax-wielding madman, Kenny. He officially joined the band in December and rocked out with FR on stage at Warehouse Live in Houston on December 19 and a bunch more shows. Creative differences caused a breakup with Kenny, though the guys remain friends.
The latest change in the band has been the addition of a dedicated vocalist. Bradley is a talented musician with an awesome voice, and skills with guitar and brass instruments. After an impressive audition, including blowing the horn some during Blue Devils and Chupacabra, Bradley officially joined the band in June of 2011 and started rockin out with the band, bringing a new perspective on the established music, as well as fresh ideas for new tunes.
Morgue City (Houston, TX)
https://morguecity.net
Morgue City is a band that has gone through many many changes in sound and personnel. Like any successful project in the entertainment world it must be made up of resilient and determined people. This is the case with Morgue City. The band that has a rock attack intensity as well as a more sinister edge as it delves into the darker realms of noiz and it’s concurrent drones. Some of the Morgue City sound is very pop rock oriented but there is always a deviant grind of sound laced in the song work. The band consists of two musicians with a very long history in the music business. Founder, SPIKE the Percussionist, is known from a long list of projects that include Astrogenic Hallucinauting, Childman, Doggebi, Delicate Terror and as the music director for the world renowned flesh suspension group Constructs of Ritual Evolution – CoRE. The lead guitar and vocals are handled by Raul who is a multi instrumentalist and has a long history of studio work and touring. Raul hails from such bands as M-87 and was the former bass player for Bozo Porno Circus. The result is a musical conglomeration both hauntingly familiar and refreshingly new as well as powerful and beautifully dark. Combine the likes of everything from classical to jazz and gloom to power noiz with catchy lyrics, sophisticated beats, and musically diverse melodies and the result is Morgue City.
Freakouts (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/TheFreakouts
“Think The Runaways meets The Ramones with a liitle bit of The Sex Pistols thrown in for good grace”
“Like Ziggy Stardust, the are the naz with god-given ass”-redpub magazine
Love Knife (Houston, TX)
https://www.reverbnation.com/loveknifeband
Phillip - Guitar/Vocals
Mary Beth - Drums
Dan - Bass/Vocals