Texas Bohemia VOL. II – Slow Music / The Texas Bohemian-Moravian-German Bands

This second volume in the truly surreal world of Trikont’s Texas Bohemia series focuses on the Bohemian, German, and Moravian bands playing their version of American jukebox music. Yes: „Slow Music is Texas Czech for country & western (There is a Moravian version of „Okie From Muskogee,“ with full accordion workout instead of a pedal steel) countrypolitan and pop.“ The set opens with a polka version of Ace Cannon’s „Tuff“ by Jimmy Brosch and His Happy Country Boys, followed by the Ellinger Combo’s reading of the Merle tune and it’s gets even weirder — and more fun — after this; Brosch and his band doing Ivory Joe Hunter’s „Since I Met You Baby,“ Adolph Hofner covering „Walk Through This World With Me“ that was a hit for George Jones, and the Ellinger Combo doing Billy Joe Shaver’s „Ride Me Down Easy“ with a clarinet solo. As if that weren’t spaced out enough, we get Joe Patek huffing it up on „Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain“ and Bobby Inman’s „Here I Am Drunk Again.“ Let’s not forget Adolph Hofner’s Pearl Wrangler version of „Elvira,“ with a woman singing the lead! When she gets to the „giddyap, oompah, oompah, mau, mau, hi ho Silver, away!“ you’ll either laugh yourself to tears or drop your mouth in disbelief. The circle is complete with Joe Patek covering Hank Williams‚ „May You Never Be Alone Like Me“ with saxophones blowing R&B, an accordion solo, and a pedal steel break — Williams didn’t even have a pedal steel! What does it all mean? How should I know? This is pure psychobilly, the music you always knew existed but had no idea where to look for. It’s pure country and pure Bohemian; it’s all drinking music, anyway, so what the hell, eh? Recorded between 1970 and 1987, this is the music your mother should have warned you about, but you should be glad she didn’t. A must-have for all fans of true Americana and hard country and psychobilly — and fans of Bohemian music, of course. This is not merely a novelty record — though if it were it would be the best one ever — but a bona fide collection of field recordings of some of the weirdest music ever produced in America.