CD Review

My first fake ID club experience was at Fitzgerald’s in The Heights, one of few tolerable Houston, Texas neighborhoods. The semi-sophisticated set I ran with were obsessed with a quirky band that played dissonant chords and sang song’s lauding John Hinckley. My beloved de Schmog opened for David Garza, but sadly they’ve long since dissolved. Thankfully, Garza left a lasting impression, and I’ve been following him around ever since.

Noticeably absent from the Austin-based singer-songwriter’s expansive (and affordable) box-set (which includes 71 songs and a 40 minute DVD) are the songs from his major label (Atlantic/Lava) and Best Buy commercial era- a short-lived jerking off by men paid to hear the hits, but deserving of a life enduring swimmers ear.

Noticeably present are numerous previously unreleased gems that showcase Garza’s gift for blanketing listeners in a snowstorm- sometimes delicate and then abrasive. The last 15 years are chronicled in songs that are cold and flu season catchy, and others that inspire a wrinkled brow. Much of the box-set draws heavily from the artists limited run cassette-only seasonal Summer Songs series. He is folk and he is dance. He is the sound of the city coming through your old school ghetto blaster.

Check out “Valerian Aquarium”, “KBRN”, and “Cannibal Century” the minute you rip into the box.