ith open, haunting music reminiscent of the desolate west Texas sky, Lubbock based Thrift Store Cowboys have captivated audiences from coast to coast with their dark, subtle lyrics and a blending of soaring violin draped against bottom-ended guitar and pedal steel sounds that spaghetti Western composer Ennio Morricone might envy. Following in the unique footsteps of a Lubbock legacy started by Buddy Holly, The Flatlanders, and Terry Allen, Thrift Store Cowboys add their own modern influences and flavor to the already rich musical heritage. Their new album, Lay Low While Crawling or Creeping, was recorded at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, Arizona, and produced by Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Iron and Wine, Neko Case.) The album will be released nationally in November 2006.
Constant touring throughout the South and Southwestern United States has helped Thrift Store Cowboys build their fan base. Over the last five years, they have been invited to some of the country's top indie venues: the Granada Theater in Dallas, the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Threadgill's World Headquarters in Austin, and the Launchpad in Albuquerque. They have shared the stage with national acts like the Old 97's, Ian Moore, the Flatlanders, Billy Joe Shaver, and DeVotchKa.
Rather than depend on one or two leaders to shape its sound, Thrift Store Cowboys draws on the talents of all five members. What results is an intoxicatingly eclectic mix that on any given night can include rock, country, mariachi, and even waltzes.
If Sergio Leone had hired a band to soundtrack an Italian bisexual porn Western, or maybe an adaptation of Lolita set in Deadwood, this is the first band he'd have called."
- Santa Fe Reporter
Resisting the temptation to sound like so many other youthful roots bands in Texas - heavy on the country-rock melange - or strictly indie rock, Thrift Store Cowboys' feel is more, for a lack of a better description, gypsy desert music - the free sound of spacey, heat-induced delirium, if that makes sense. It's a sure, confident sound backed by thoughtful vision and seemingly thoughtful lyrics."
- Buddy Magazine
Where have the Thrift Store Cowboys been all my life? In Lubbock, Texas, and environs, playing their beautiful rootsy, even surfy sound."
- L.A. Weekly
Thrift Store Cowboys follow the more elaborate setup of the two groups, crowding five members on a stage to narrate, Calexico-style, Old West tales with almost forgotten instrumental combinations like accordion, fiddle and lap steel on top of the conventional guitar, bass and drums. At its most upbeat, it’s Paul Westerberg if he was born six hours south of Minneapolis. This is only half of it, though, as the Cowboys venture down the street from the seedy gas stations and into the Tejano ranches, allowing traditional mariachi to seep in until both Tex and Mex are at equal levels
- Augusta Metro- Spirit
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