Alejandro Escovedo

(Texas Music Group) Alejandro Escovedo has traveled many musical paths over his career. He started in San Francisco in 1976, with the punk band The Nuns. After 2 years with The Nuns, he spent the next several years in New York with art rocker Judy Nylon. He then returned to California, where with Chip and Tony Kinman, formed one of the earliest and most influential cowpunk bands, Rank And File, who moved to Austin and had a successful run in the early '80's. From there, with brother Javier, he formed the roots rock band True Believers, who became an Austin favorite, though they only lasted a year. After that, Alejandro started to develop a solo career, forming the Alejandro Escovedo Orchestra. They put out several highly acclaimed albums, that combined gritty rock with string driven ballads.

In 1996, Alejandro released the album With These Hands, which expanded on his roots rock sound, and moved into Latin and country territory. Guest appearances on this album include members of his extended musical family (which boasts two percussionists for Santana, and niece/pop star Sheila E., among others) and Willie Nelson. He continued this path with subsequent albums, and along with various side projects, became one of the most high profile performers on the alt-country scene, and was named by No Depression magazine, artist of the decade.

With Alejandro's latest release, By The Hand Of The Father, he does it again. Not a studio album in the traditional sense, By The Hand Of The Father is the result of a theatrical work that he's been involved in for the past 3 years. The highly acclaimed theater piece, revolves around the story of 20th century Mexican migration north and over the border, and recounting their experiences. It combines the work of playwrights Theresa Chavez, Eric Gutierrez and Rose Portillo, along with the music of Alejandro. The album contains the songs from the play, supplemented with spoken parts of the stories, that help explain the meaning behind the songs.

Fans of Alejandro will recognize several of the songs used in this production from previous albums, such as "Wave", "Ballad Of The Sun And The Moon", and "With These Hands". These older works lend themselves flawlessly in aiding to relay the tale, that spans the hesitancy to leave Mexico, to the hardships endured while trying to make a better life, to the ultimate success- that they had become Mexican-Americans, a source of great pride to be handed down through future generations. Some of the new material includes more traditional Mexican fare, as with "Mexico Americano" and "Cancion Mixteca."

Gravity (Includes Bonus Disc)

Remastered Re-Issue

Texas Music Group

Gravity is Alejandro Escovedo's first solo release, originally put out in 1992 on the now defunct Watermelon label. It is now being re-released by Texas Music Group's Watermelon Re-Issue Series, in a 10th Anniversary Edition that features 24 bit re-mastering and 10 bonus tracks. The remastered Gravity disc includes an outtake from the session, "Tired Skin."

Gravity shows the powerful songwriter Alejandro had become as the songs blur the lines. They're a little bit country, storytelling folk, rock and rambling blues, as he weaves the tale of a marriage falling apart, and each one hits it's target. Ten years after it's original release, Gravity stands the test of time as one of the most influential recordings of the decade.

The bonus disc is a Gravity-era concert at McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. Along with Alejandro, this concert includes performances by guitarist (and Gravity producer) Stephen Burton and Willie Nelson harmonica player, Mickey Raphael.

Bonus disc tracks: Five Hearts Breaking/Broken Bottle/Bury Me/Hard Road/I Wish I Was Your Mother/By Eleven/She Doesn't Live Here Anymore/Pyramid Of Tears/Last To Know

Thirteen Years (Includes Bonus Disc)

Remastered Re-Issue

Texas Music Group

Alejandro originally released Thirteen Years in 1994, and here it is remastered and includes an 8 track bonus disc.

Thirteen Years is a bittersweet reflection on the breakup of his marriage, and the subsequent suicide of his wife Bobbi. By this time, Alejandro's songwriting had matured into very strong storytelling, and on this album shows insightful and thoughtful lyrics, and ambitious musical arrangements. Thirteen Years features a string section that provides a delicate, somber and haunting look back at those years, and provides an inspirational look at an artist fully coming into his own.

The bonus tracks include 4 instrumental versions of songs on Thirteen Years, plus Alejandro's 1994 EP, The End/Losing Your Touch.

Bonus Tracks: Tell Me Why/Just The Way It Goes/Thirteen Years/She Towers Above/The End/Losing Your Touch/Two Angels/I Wish I Was Your Mother/Pale Blues Eyes/Gravity