In the early 90's, we hung out a few times in Dallas with some of the band called Ideal Cynics because they were friends of our friend, Gerald. Some of the time we would wind up in Deep Ellum. My friend Sheryl would usually go with us. Lance was the band manager, promoter, sound guy too, maybe, I think. The lead singer was named Phil Flowers and the last I heard he was in Vegas as Rev. Black Flowers. Drummer Cameron White wound up with the Sherman band The Foil. What a smile that guy has. These are nice fellows. The band broke up when a couple of them needed to devote more time to school and family. And they had THE 90's hair. All of them. This makes me laugh now, in a good way. All that HAIR! Bass player Joseph Lonon was in Las Vegas last I heard. And, the keyboardist Matt Langley (whose shaved temple and big hair is now just long, medium big, hair). He eventually hooked up with Fair to Midland (picture below) and their music has quite a growing following these days. The lead singer in Fair to Midland is from east Texas too, Sulpher Springs. They travel all over but that is where they say they are based. Two FTM songs charted in 2007, Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes and Dance of the Manatee. It's good to see these east Texas / Sulpher Springs guys do well.
All of Fair to Midland's songs are different, trippy. If you like System Of A Down, Tool, Saliva, A Perfect Circle, Live, P.O.D. to Pink Floyd, even R.E.M or Muse... depending on the song, you might like them and find some songs you like. I have liked almost every one I have heard. Their lineup today in addition to Matt Langley on keys/electronics is Darroh Sudderth, vocals, who started FTM with Cliff Campbell, guitars. Brett Stowers, drums. Jon Dicken, bass. FTM are on Serj Tankian's Serjical Strike label; management, Frank Hill.
If interested, you can go to hear samples at amazon (select mp3 downloads for all samples) or itunes. While there you might want to check out Karnivool.
Here is The Wife, The Kids And The White Picket Fence. It's one of their more conventional songs. It is on the album Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True
(audio / still picture / sorry it's low quality and noise quality audio sample but it gives an idea of his voice and the song. I like when it hits 2:30)
Bright Bulbs and Sharp Tools [DEMO, sorry it's low quality audio sample] is a demo from their newer stuff. The latest record hasn't been released yet.
(audio /still) It takes a few seconds to pick up.
