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Houston Marchman got his first guitar at age 5 and penned his first
song at 13. After a semester at college, he ran off to join a western show in Japan, working the rodeo and playing guitar in the Wild West Show Band. After returning to the states, he made his way
to Nashville where he spent 8 long years trying to prove himself. Feeling that Nashville was turning into a giant infomercial, he packed up & headed back to the Lone Star State, back to Texas
where the people care about their culture and value a well-told story over a well-polished puppet. After returning home in 1995, he released his first full-length cd called Viet Nashville. Nearly 15
years and 10 cds later, Houston continues to give you his down-to-earth, honest view of the world. His latest cd, Long Gone, was released in July of this year. This album is a slight
departure from the norm. Houston maintains his singer-songwriter roots, but pushes it to the edge. Songs like “I Can’t Go Back," a blues-rock number, features a duet with Carolyn Wonderland.
Other artists who helped shape this album include Cindy Cashdollar on steel, Gabe Rhodes on guitar, Brendon Anthony on fiddle, Tom Gillam on vocals and many more. No matter the pressure to cave in to the
status quo, Houston never gave up; he never gave in. After all this time, Houston continues to follow his heart and fight the good fight. Houston is truly an independent artist. No strings attached.
The Pear Ratz
Once upon a time, in the 1980s in George West, Texas, there was a thrash-metal band that achieved a bit of success. Having started families, the members decided to take the 90s off to raise their kids. Well, it wasn't long before these guys felt the itch again, that need to write and perform, but when they looked in the mirror, they realized they were just too old for the metal scene.
"But then," as bandleader Bob Strause puts it, "we heard distorted guitars on Ragweeds's Live and Loud at the Wormy Dog. And with Reckless Kelly putting fiddle on their rock songs, we knew we could find a home on the Texas music scene."
And so out of the brush and prickly pear (hence the name) of Live Oak County, The Pear Ratz were born.
In 2004, with the core trio of Bob Strause on rhythm and vocals, Rodd Daws on bass, and Chris Nelson shredding the lead guitar, along with Johnny Aguillon on drums, the Ratz set out to storm Texas with their own special high-energy musical blend.
The Pear Ratz first album, 2006's Rat Now, set the tone for what would come to be called "Ratz Rock", a raw amalgam of country, rock, and honky-tonk. Songs like "Sing Jolie Again" -- an homage to Reckless Kelly -- the autobiographical "Just South of the Nueces", and a murder ballad called "Talkin Myself Outta Killin You" resonated with music fans everywhere.
Drummer Johnny Aguillon was replaced with Grapevine native John Starek in early 2007 and the end of that year saw the release of the Ratz' second album, Holier Than Thou. Buoyed by the album's title track, the Jarrod Birmingham-penned "Senses", and the followup murder ballad "Killin U2", Holier Than Thou climbed to #2 on XM Radio's XCountry Countdown.
The airplay gave the band national and international exposure, but with the added success came a major upheaval: popular lead guitar player Chris Nelson announced that he would be leaving the band.
The search for a new guitar player went on for several months before San Antonio's "Gentleman" Joe Talbert was christened as the newest Rat. As it turns out, Talbert is more than just a guitar player. He contributed an original tune to The Pear Ratz' 2010 release, Rat Outta Hell.
Rat Outta Hell sports a stylishly illustrated cover and a sound that is slicker than the first two albums, but still raw enough to stay true to the Ratz Rock sound. That means it includes plenty of country, plenty of rock, and a song affectionately known as "Killin U3" -- a collaboration with Rich O'Toole called "Cheaters" -- that continues the murder ballad tradition.
Just after the release of Rat Outta Hell the Pear Ratz took time away from their tour to take a 20-hour plane ride -- Strause's first ever -- to Qatar to play a Memorial Day show for the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in the Middle East.
The Pear Ratz continue to keep a busy schedule, touring regionally, writing songs, and building their fanbase. Yup, these former metalheads have definitely found a home on the Texas music scene. |
