Mike Alvarez's Psychedelic Picnic On the Move Again

by Dan Cook

To fly under the radar without every crashing--now there's a trick. Somehow, Texan Mike Alvarez has managed this feat for some 30 years. Alvarez is all about the music and the laid-back frame of mind it takes to inspire his peaceful, wry slices of sound. If you've been willing to get down under that radar with him, you've savored three decades of consistently compelling music.

Of course, Alvarez is truly a music maker, rarely content to limit himself to writing and playing. He's produced and recorded the likes of independent music industry giants Roky Erickson, Daniel Johnston, Alejandro Escovedo (with the True Believers), Texacala Jones of Tex and the Horseheads, and others. His documentary focusing on the music of Roky Erickson earned him acclaim in the film world, but then Mike has been wielding the camera as well as the Telecaster for years, with equally compelling effect. Currently he is producing the film “The Formula”, starring Caitlin Wachs (Commander In Chief, My Dog Skip, etc.). Now comes "2324," his latest mesmerizing triumph.

Alvarez hails from that stellar lineage of Texas psychedelic songwriters that traces its roots back to Doug Sahm and Roky Erickson, and he draws upon these influences, plus the magic of Marc Bolan (T Rex), to create a music that washes over and through you like a sultry ocean wave.

Alvarez pounded out a year's worth of tunes in a weekend, then called upon an eclectic assortment of players from Texas, the East Coast and LA to ferment the sound. And a fine fermentation it is. When the chemistry is just right, the wine is flowing too and the sunglasses are firmly in place, you can count on these cowboys to deliver the goods. Alvarez and the posse slip beneath the radar (Slip Inside This House, as Roky might say) to craft a rich, textured psychedelic stew. Much like the T Rex sound, "2324" emerges as variations on a theme, with the core intact throughout, anchoring the sound without reining it in. Most of the 2-day songwriting and tracking sessions were documented in 3D by 3D filmmaker Tom Koester.

Joining Alvarez are his long-time Texas friends and music collaborators Jonie Hell (Max and the Makeups, Strappados, Junkyard, Haunted Garage, Bushwhackers, etc.), Bruce Hughes (Bruce Hughes, Dark Motive, Poi Dog Pondering, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Scabs, The Ugly Americans, The Resentments, Camper Von Beethoven , Cracker, Bob Schneider, etc.), East Coasters Suki Fujioka, Matt Jansky, Bill Dumas, Southern California's John Lusitana and Detroit's Bill Rehn.

Produced by Mike Alvarez and John Lusitana for Not Records Tapes.

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