Review
Kunal Mishra
Staff Writer
Local fave David Garza returns to Houston to promote his major label debut with Atlantic Records, This Euphoria.
Primarily considered a regional act, Garza has spent the past few months preparing to blast into the national circuit. He released The 4-Track Manifesto EP on his own Wide Open Records last fall, and at the beginning of this year Garza was featured on Great Expectations: The Album, a soundtrack to the flop film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke.
The Austin-based singer/songwriter began his career in 1989. As a freshman at the University of Texas, he played in a band known as Twang Twang Shock-A-Boom.
After playing initial gigs on campus, the band was able to gather larger crowds for their appearances on the famous Sixth Street.
In 1990, Garza called the group thing quits to pursue a solo career. Since then he has released numerous independent albums and has toured relentlessly across the country.
Garza and the town of Austin make an unusual connection in that they are an attraction of opposites. Austin is known as a town that appreciates humbleness, while Garza is a musician who can be viewed as sometimes being overly confident.
Garza has had his share of critics over the years, but he has created a solid following in Austin.
This Euphoria seems to stray from the Garza term "primal futurism," a sound which was found on The 4-Track Manifesto EP.
The album contains two tracks from the EP ("Discoball World" and an alternate version of "Float Away"), and an alternate version of "Slave" from Great Ex-pectations. Progres-sive experimentalism can be found on the album, but the focus is on Garza's unique brand of pop and rock craftsmanship.
Catch a glimpse of This Euphoria when Garza opens up for Ben Harper Sunday at Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and tickets are $17.50. Call (713) 862-7580 for more information.