Austin, Texas is a great city, but it acts as a kind of cultural black hole for the state of Texas. Because it offers a creative environment that is, frankly, not found in any other major Texas city, artists tend to flock there--to meet other artists, book gigs, sign record contracts and, when all of that fails, work at coffeehouses. So it is rare (outside of some notable exceptions) to find exciting new groups who eschew the normal strategy and build a fan-base in other cities throughout the state. All of this is to say that when I find great music that is based in my hometown of Fort Worth, I am filled with a mixture of surprise and some kind of weird, underdeveloped homer pride. How is this going on in my city and what else did I miss when I lived there?
Telegraph Canyon's debut album, "All the Good News", is informed by the kind of country-twinged folk rock that has survived and grown in the Texas music scene long after being left for dead by many tastemakers. But with up to seven members filling out the roster, Telegraph Canyon are also able to expand on the conventions of the alt-country movement. So quieter songs, driven mainly by acoustic guitar and singer Chris Johnson's brainy wordplay, may be followed by stompers that aim for U2 levels of bombast. And with a new album on the way for 08, more expansion (if not more instruments) will be on the way soon.
Telegraph Canyon::You & Jane
Now I know there are other bands in the DFW area that need to be heard from. Clue an old friend in: what's exciting the folks in Funkytown these days? It's nice to have something to recommend besides the Museum District.
