Tex & the Horseheads
Encyclopedia
Tex & the Horseheads is an American punk rock
band, which emerged in the Los Angeles
punk subculture
of the early-1980s. Their original run was from 1980 to 1986, and during this time they enjoyed a sizeable cult following
. The band has since reunited, as of 2007, and tours the Los Angeles area sporadically.
." The sound of Tex & the Horseheads, and correspondingly the sound of cowpunk, is characterized by a fusion of classic-styled country-and-Western music and street-tough LA punk bands.
Tex & the Horseheads set themselves apart by appropriating aesthetical and fashion elements from deathrock
bands like Burning Image
, 45 Grave
, and Christian Death
. Tex & the Horseheads' band members are: Texacala Jones, Mike Martt, Gregory "Smog" Boaz and David "Rock" Thum. They released two records, a self-title in 1984 and Life's So Cool, produced by X and Flesh Eaters
member John Doe
, in 1985.
Their songs dealt with themes of heartbreak, love, drug and alcohol dependency, grief, loss, and financial difficulty—all a testament to their destitute roll-and-tumble lifestyle, as well as Texacala's real-life struggles with alcohol and heroin in the latter half of the 1980s.
(1987), a gritty, Super-8 trailer-park dramedy starring Flesh Eaters frontman Chris D, where she played a ditzy babysitter; Du-Beat-eo (1984), a comic-slop pseudo-documentary about the LA punk scene, starring Joan Jett
; and Stephen (Café Flesh) Sayadian’s weirdo 1989 remake of Dr. Caligari, where she played a mental patient in a frightwig and a straight jacket. Around this time, she also did a stint as a story teller and back-up singer in the Ringling Sisters, a performance troupe of LA scene-makers, including Iris Berry, Pleasant Gehman, and Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde
).
and has remained active in music there.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, which emerged in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
punk subculture
Punk subculture
The punk subculture includes a diverse array of ideologies, and forms of expression, including fashion, visual art, dance, literature, and film, which grew out of punk rock.-History:...
of the early-1980s. Their original run was from 1980 to 1986, and during this time they enjoyed a sizeable cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. The band has since reunited, as of 2007, and tours the Los Angeles area sporadically.
Biography
Tex & the Horseheads are often cited as among the first bands to play "cowpunkCowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
." The sound of Tex & the Horseheads, and correspondingly the sound of cowpunk, is characterized by a fusion of classic-styled country-and-Western music and street-tough LA punk bands.
Tex & the Horseheads set themselves apart by appropriating aesthetical and fashion elements from deathrock
Deathrock
Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...
bands like Burning Image
Burning Image
Burning Image are an American deathrock band formed in Bakersfield, California in 1982. Burning Image first released a 7" single with the songs "The Final Conflict" and "Burning Image, Burning" in the summer of 1984...
, 45 Grave
45 Grave
45 Grave are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California formed in 1979. The original group broke up in 1985 but vocalist Dinah Cancer subsequently revived the band. 45 Grave are noted as one of the first bands to mix punk rock with horror-themed lyrics, thereby positioning them as...
, and Christian Death
Christian Death
Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....
. Tex & the Horseheads' band members are: Texacala Jones, Mike Martt, Gregory "Smog" Boaz and David "Rock" Thum. They released two records, a self-title in 1984 and Life's So Cool, produced by X and Flesh Eaters
The Flesh Eaters (band)
The Flesh Eaters are an American punk rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. They are the most prominent of the bands which have showcased the compositions and singing of their founder, punk poet Chris Desjardins, known as...
member John Doe
John Doe (musician)
John Doe is an American singer, songwriter, actor, poet and bass player. Doe founded the much-praised L.A. punk band X, of which he is still an active member. His musical performances and compositions span the rock, country and folk music genres...
, in 1985.
Their songs dealt with themes of heartbreak, love, drug and alcohol dependency, grief, loss, and financial difficulty—all a testament to their destitute roll-and-tumble lifestyle, as well as Texacala's real-life struggles with alcohol and heroin in the latter half of the 1980s.
Member appearances in film
During the Horseheads’ heyday, Tex appeared in a few small movie roles, including Border RadioBorder Radio
Border Radio is a 1987 independent film directed by Allison Anders, Dean Lent and Kurt Voss, in which two musicians and a roadie who haven't been paid rob money from a club and one flees to Mexico leaving his wife and daughter behind...
(1987), a gritty, Super-8 trailer-park dramedy starring Flesh Eaters frontman Chris D, where she played a ditzy babysitter; Du-Beat-eo (1984), a comic-slop pseudo-documentary about the LA punk scene, starring Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
; and Stephen (Café Flesh) Sayadian’s weirdo 1989 remake of Dr. Caligari, where she played a mental patient in a frightwig and a straight jacket. Around this time, she also did a stint as a story teller and back-up singer in the Ringling Sisters, a performance troupe of LA scene-makers, including Iris Berry, Pleasant Gehman, and Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde
Concrete Blonde
Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...
).
Collaborations
Texacala was also known to hop on stage with all-girl cowpunkers the Screaming Sirens on occasion. They disappeared from the LA music radar in the 1990s. Texacala recorded a solo record in the 1998, and toured extensively with a backing band the TJ Hookers, as well as fronting Texorcist and working with Los Platos.Reunion
In 2007, Tex And The Horseheads reunited and played shows around the LA area. Texacala has since moved to Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and has remained active in music there.