While it was only rarely broadcast live, and in fact was recorded in Studio B since fall 2002, the name otherwise accurately captures the gist of what it was: a group of amateur sound techs and music fans brought in bands from the South Texas region (San Antonio, Austin, Houston); setup a bevy of microphones in a large, empty room; pressed the record button, and an hour later slapped the resulting audio onto the airwaves at 91.7 fm.
As you might imagine, the bands - and us technicians - had our good, and not-so-good weeks. Things broke, people were late, and the show must go on. In looking back, now 3+ years removed from my last session, I realized a few things:
1) I have probably listened to these 200-ish local bands more than anyone except their rotating drummers or ex-girlfriends (combined).
2) There was some darn fine music that I was lucky enough to sneak my way into experiencing.
After some ego desensatizing (the audio quality is not amazing, and at times embarrassing bad for someone who made a career in radio) and some soul-searching (the songs I love most are not necessarily the best), I am endeavoring to share them with you in recurring subseries of this radioblog we'll call Recommended Texas, or RxTx, devoted exclusively to this hyper-niche.
I don't expect to "change your mind" about TX music, or to "open new worlds" of musical possibility. These are local bands - some more talented than others - but none of them the next Beatles, Sex Pistols or (god forbid) Vampire Weekend.
My point is to commend the scores of struggling, often very talented musicians, across the country who continue to define their own respective scenes against the harsh reality of limited expectations, and few substantial returns.
I do hope you enjoy.
As you might imagine, the bands - and us technicians - had our good, and not-so-good weeks. Things broke, people were late, and the show must go on. In looking back, now 3+ years removed from my last session, I realized a few things:
1) I have probably listened to these 200-ish local bands more than anyone except their rotating drummers or ex-girlfriends (combined).
2) There was some darn fine music that I was lucky enough to sneak my way into experiencing.
After some ego desensatizing (the audio quality is not amazing, and at times embarrassing bad for someone who made a career in radio) and some soul-searching (the songs I love most are not necessarily the best), I am endeavoring to share them with you in recurring subseries of this radioblog we'll call Recommended Texas, or RxTx, devoted exclusively to this hyper-niche.
I don't expect to "change your mind" about TX music, or to "open new worlds" of musical possibility. These are local bands - some more talented than others - but none of them the next Beatles, Sex Pistols or (god forbid) Vampire Weekend.
My point is to commend the scores of struggling, often very talented musicians, across the country who continue to define their own respective scenes against the harsh reality of limited expectations, and few substantial returns.
I do hope you enjoy.
::WSRP:: Surprisingly grassroots for a disembodied inorganic webradioblog.
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