"Riding a uniquely punkified take on blues and soul, the Crack Pipes ruled Austin’s garage rock scene at the turn of the millennium. Beauty School remains the locals’ most ambitious and varied LP." -- Austin Chronicle
"A jangly, soulful and catchy song with a heavy dose of grit and tender emotion, reminiscent of the likes of The Oblivians or The Dirtbombs." -- Treble
Austin, TX '90s-aughts era punk-blues band The Crack Pipes announce the first-ever release of their 2005 landmark album Beauty School on vinyl with a trio of song premieres from the vinyl remaster. Austin Chronicle shares the lyrically pertinent protest song "Q & A" along with an insightful Q & A with bandleader Ray Colgan HERE (direct Soundcloud). Punktastic premieres "Needy Greedy" HERE (Soundcloud). And, TrebleZine showcases the album's poppier side with "Rewind My Mind" HERE. (Soundcloud)
Beauty School was the third full length release of Austin garage soul band The Crack Pipes and their second release on local Austin label Emperor Jones (ran by Craig Stewart). The band looked at this project as a moment to grow beyond their early 2000s garage roots and explore both more pop arrangements and experimental pieces. It is a loose concept record opening with the title track "Beauty School" which puts forward the concept that one has to teach themselves to find the beauty in a world filled with ugliness. The album ends with an instrumental reprise and birdsong. 12 years later, many of the issues touched upon still seem as relevant as ever from war and poverty in "Q & A" to racial strife in "Greensboro", but the messages of hope and love are also still relevant if not timeless.
Now, for the first time ever, Beauty School is being made available as a 2xLP record. It features new cover art and has been meticulously remastered by the original audio master engineer, Jerry Tubb of Terra Nova Mastering. The original recording took place in 2004 at the first Sweatbox Studio in downtown Austin, engineered by Mike Vasquez. The sessions were produced by The Crack Pipes and Chad Nichols.
Beauty School features the core members of The Crack Pipes - Ray Colgan (credited as Ray Pride - vocals, harmonica), Mike Corwin (drums, synthesizers), Billy Steve Korpi (guitars), Nick Moulos (bass), and Coby Cardosa (keyboards and percussion).
Featured guest artists include J. R. Keyton (of The Transgressors - bottleneck guitar), Chad Nichols (of Enduro, The Damn Times, The Transgressors - percussion, backing vocals), Mike Vasquez (of Sweatbox Studios - horns), Ralph E. White (of The Bad Livers and solo - fiddle, kalimba), Laura B. Krause (of Knife in the Water - backing vocals), Chris Black (of Shoulders, Golden Arm Trio - contrabass, string arrangements and performance), Jeff Johnston (of Lil' Cap'n Travis, Ramsay Midwood - autoharp), and Esme Barrera and Laureta Michelle Huit (beloved scenesters - backing vocals).
The Crack Pipes will soon be recording for a 2018 release to be issued on local label Super Secret Records in a limited edition. File under "Garage Rock", "Soul", "Funk", "Psychedelic". For more information, see Sonic Surgery Records section at Super Secret Records website.
THE CRACK PIPES LIVE:
09/30 Austin, TX @ The Grackle - album release party
Artist: The Crack Pipes
Album: Beauty School
Record Label: Sonic Surgery Records / Super Secret Records
Release Date: September 29th, 2017
01. Beauty School
02. Sexy Pepsy
03. Reflections In a Bad Light
04. Needy Greedy
05. Rewind My Mind
06. Let My Heart (Rest in Piece)
07. Q & A
08. Make-Out Party
09. Guerilla Haircuts
10. East Side Injections
11. I Was So Worried About You
12. Greensboro
13. Beauty School (Reprise)
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