Houston has been blessed (and cursed) by its location—a nondescript hub of influences. I can't even begin to grab at anything where Houston can be defined to a particular sound, other than Houston rap, and funnily even that is a bit of a deranged psychedlia (see DJ Screw).
When I think of Houston sounds, I think of everything just being a bit...tweaked. I was a skater kid in the 80s and 90s going to hardcore and metal shows (where a lot of cities were still less inclined to that overlap), but also seeing mariachi music, or Tejano, or going to Zydeco clubs—and kids I knew were playing in high school bands with amazing legacies like playing Montreux Jazz Festival.
To quote Juke Boy Bonner, Houston is an action town...and one with a hugely rich and under-known importance.
Your comment is spot on. I'll have to share my article with you when it's done. As a transplant, I might be able to offer an objective perspective, or (and this is my fear) end up writing something that's just fully informed or accurate.
Great read. Maybe you already know this- but in "Gathering of Promises" by Ben Graham he mentions a store in Corpus Christi called The Mod Shop, that provided Zakary Thanks (and other area bands) with the latest styles. Zakary Thaks never looked as fancy as Bubble Puppy though, in the photos I've seen.
I did not know that! I need to get a copy of Graham's book. The Black Angels were one of the first Texas bands I checked out after we relocated from NYC to Houston back in 2010.
I was kind of hoping sharing this article would inspire readers to share some additional details about Houston's connection to psychedelia!
The weirdest Texas psych band The Red Crayola is a match for any 60s weird band from anywhere when it comes to being out there- and they were from Houston. But they dressed pretty square, as did the Elevators, really. I had an arch prof (from Corpus) who went to UH beginning around 1965 and he has a few stories, but you know- those were hazy days. The Ben Graham book is great especially the chapters on the 60s and early 70s- highly recommended.
There's a long article about Mayo Thompson in the Fall 2024 issue of Maggot Brain that I keep meaning to sit down and read . . . The article I mentioned I'm working on will have to mention some of Houston's more "out there" bands in it.
Love this piece! Nice creative nourishment after work:)
I'm fully biased, but Houston always wins.
David Fore, of Bubble Puppy, has an interesting newsletter:
https://davidfore.substack.com/
Houston has been blessed (and cursed) by its location—a nondescript hub of influences. I can't even begin to grab at anything where Houston can be defined to a particular sound, other than Houston rap, and funnily even that is a bit of a deranged psychedlia (see DJ Screw).
When I think of Houston sounds, I think of everything just being a bit...tweaked. I was a skater kid in the 80s and 90s going to hardcore and metal shows (where a lot of cities were still less inclined to that overlap), but also seeing mariachi music, or Tejano, or going to Zydeco clubs—and kids I knew were playing in high school bands with amazing legacies like playing Montreux Jazz Festival.
To quote Juke Boy Bonner, Houston is an action town...and one with a hugely rich and under-known importance.
Your comment is spot on. I'll have to share my article with you when it's done. As a transplant, I might be able to offer an objective perspective, or (and this is my fear) end up writing something that's just fully informed or accurate.
I look forward to it
Great read. Maybe you already know this- but in "Gathering of Promises" by Ben Graham he mentions a store in Corpus Christi called The Mod Shop, that provided Zakary Thanks (and other area bands) with the latest styles. Zakary Thaks never looked as fancy as Bubble Puppy though, in the photos I've seen.
I did not know that! I need to get a copy of Graham's book. The Black Angels were one of the first Texas bands I checked out after we relocated from NYC to Houston back in 2010.
I was kind of hoping sharing this article would inspire readers to share some additional details about Houston's connection to psychedelia!
The weirdest Texas psych band The Red Crayola is a match for any 60s weird band from anywhere when it comes to being out there- and they were from Houston. But they dressed pretty square, as did the Elevators, really. I had an arch prof (from Corpus) who went to UH beginning around 1965 and he has a few stories, but you know- those were hazy days. The Ben Graham book is great especially the chapters on the 60s and early 70s- highly recommended.
There's a long article about Mayo Thompson in the Fall 2024 issue of Maggot Brain that I keep meaning to sit down and read . . . The article I mentioned I'm working on will have to mention some of Houston's more "out there" bands in it.
Smackdown! 😍
Hot smoke and sasafrass!