Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands

the peerless numero group label present a second peek into the world of regional studios, honing in on mickey rouse's lowland operation out of beaumont, texas. long after the bopper's plane crashed and the winter brothers (johnny and edgar) and janis joplin split, 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. 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.