"Houstan's most
promising entry in the fast-rising alternative-country sweepstakes.They
might be the best band to come out of the nation's fourth-largest city
this decade."
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The Hollisters have been together for just more than two years now, but their brand of alternative country (or hillbilly rock, or revved-up trad country) started to evolve a decade ago when Mike Barfield and Eric Danheim founded the Rounders, a twang-rock outfit that came to define the raucous late '80/early '90s Houston club scene.
The Rounders fizzled when
Danheim moved to Austin to join the Wagoneers and, after that group disbanded,
Chaparral. Meanwhile,
bassist Denny Dale was backing
up Webb Wilder, and Kevin "Snit" Fitzpatrick was drumming for local Atlanta
bands and sitting in
with the likes of Chuck
Berry and Bo Diddley on their passes through town. By 1994, Dale and Snit
had migrated to Houston and hooked up with a reunited Barfield and Danheim.
Relentless gigging and an appearance on the compilation CD True Sounds of the New West alongside the likes of Wayne Hancock, High Noon and the Derailers immediately established them as contenders. More sessions followed with twang-master Casper Rawls (Leroi Bros., Toni Price, Chaparral) at the helm. Loaded with talent, experience and a wealth of original material, the Hollisters have arrived with The Land of Rhythm and Pleasure.