Best of Tucson 1996: Best Local Band--Alternative/Pop

Best Local Band--Alternative/Pop

Greyhound Soul

READERS' PICK: Their first album, Freaks, is a killer--rock and roll with a country edge--great guitar work and tight rhythms. Joey Peña's vocals wrap around dark themes of lost love, moving from quiet desperation to wailing frustration without affectation or guile. Greyhound Soul are a knockout live, blowing the roof off on "Freaks," the title cut from their debut CD. If you've only heard them on the radio you owe it to yourself to see them at a local venue: They're a hardworking group and play out frequently. The word is out nationally on these guys, so catch 'em while you can.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: After 12 years and 21 records, the players in Giant Sand--Howe Gelb, Joey Burns and John Convertino--are tired of being hailed as the leading exponents of Tucson rock. And why not? They play mighty tunes independent of mere earthling ideas of geography, and it's a matter of circumstance that the sometimes melodic, sometimes feedback-drenched din originates from our cactus and dust--for which, in any event, Tucson music-lovers should be eternally grateful. Watch for releases of at least three new Giant Sand and associated projects in the coming months.

STAFF PICK: When asked who invented punk rock, Joey Ramone reportedly replied "Lou Reed's parents." Well, Ma and Pa Reed's legacy is alive and crackling in the music of The Weird Lovemakers, a do-it-yourself quartet who rip through their three-chords-in-two-minute songs like they're desperate to move on to their next two-minute opus. Snatches of melody, catchy choruses and an infectious sense of teen-angst spice up thoughtful songs of misery and morality like "Sandwich of Thrust" and "Only Bad Witches Are Ugly." Despite the rebelliousness of the music, the members of The Weird Lovemakers seem like the kind of affable guys who'd help a stranger carry a piano up three flights of stairs, then lend him $10. Singer Petix likes to play in his boxer shorts with his pants around his ankles, looking like the sad, vulnerable victim of a schoolyard prank. Yet their music has the aggressive power of speed metal and a similar ability to clear a room of all but true believers, as a stray comment made by a middle-aged bar patron illustrates: "What is this? What is he saying? What does this mean? This doesn't mean anything!" Lou Reed's parents would heartily agree.

A PERFECT 10: Utter the words "Giant Sand" and you'll see flags being hoisted from Tucson to Berlin, and "Friends Of Dean Martinez" ain't too far behind in the name recognition sweepstakes these days, either. We submit that Calexico--which current Giant Sandsters/ex-Friends Joey Burns (vocals, guitars, accordion) and John Convertino (percussion, vibes) assembled not too long ago--likewise will be rolling off tongues. Try saying it now: "Calexico." Beautiful, huh? When we first heard the band, it was called Spoke; an LP under that name came out in Europe. But when Burns and Convertino found out there were 89 other Spokes listed in the 1996 Musical Debutante Registry, a change was in order--and a lineup addition in the way of Tasha Bundy. The sound is an engaging blend of lo-fi garage rock, Latin-flavored pop, and warmly melodic folk (plus a hint of Gram Parsons in Burns' vocals), all stirred in true Southwestern fashion until no lone genre can be said to be descriptive. Gigs are disarmingly low-key, because there's a slow-burn intensity at play--just like the finest salsa--that'll melt the band into memory and heart. A Calexico 45, "Spark" b/w "The Ride," is already in the bins; and a Sub Pop album should be out by winter. Meantime, catch the band locally while you can still claim, "I saw 'em when...."