V/a / Local Customs - Lone Star Lowlands

Numero Group

The second in Numero Group’s series of peeks into the world of regional studios hones in on MICKEY ROUSE’s Lowland operation out of Beaumont, Texas. Texas' Golden Triangle was home to a vibrant scene of musicians, songwriters, and entrepreneurs just trying to make it in Houston, let alone the world. From the ashes of a vibrant garage and stage band scene, the Lowland studio and its clientele were formed. Holed up in a run-down strip mall, groups like MOURNING SUN, INSIGHT OUT, SAGE, SASSY, MOTHER LION, HOPE, CIRCUS and BOOT HILL tracked out hundreds of demos, most of which were put on the shelf and left to bake in the South East Texas heat. Until now. Over the last two years, Numero has painstakingly gone through every tape in the studio's archives, selecting the best of the best (22 for the CD, 28 for the 2xLP) for this peerless compilation. The songs themselves run the gamut; southern boogie rock, CSNY clones, British blues thunder, garage-psych hangovers, Morricone-esque supper club instrumentals, yacht rock, and what can only be described as Bobby McPherin fronting the Velvet Underground, are threaded together in the way only a tightly-knit scene can be. Forget bringing these treasures back to life, Numero's giving them the life they never had.

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