Although they were mainstays of a '90s garage punk scene that included the likes of the
Makers, Impala, and
Rocket from the Crypt, Austin's
Lord High Fixers -- led by Texas punk legends Tim Kerr (guitar) and Mike Carrol (vocals) -- had little to do with those bands' penchant for cocktail sleaze and pomade-drenched drag strip machismo. Witness 1997's
Group Improvisation! That's Music! Though clearly rooted in the very same fuzzed-out ‘60s punk that captured the imaginations of the band's peers, this 10" on Sympathy for the Record Industry draws upon a much wider more esoteric set of influences. The title alone is a clear nod to the revolutionary precepts of ‘60s free jazz, while the lead-off track, "Lower Egypt (Song for Byron)," features Baltimore-based psych-punk poet/shaman
Daniel Higgs offering up some words of communion with the great beyond. The CD version of this set adds various out of print singles including "Sal Paradise Delegation" and covers of
the Supremes and
the Who (by way of
Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues"). While not as definitive as the epic Is Your Club a Secret Weapon?,
Group Improvisation is a nice introduction to the band's unique musical manifesto. ~ Nate Knaebel