Rosie Flores, Host
Alternative country meets the rockabilly revival meets
California guitar virtuosity in the music of Rosie Flores. Since
the late '70s, guitarist, singer and songwriter Rosie Flores has
been an important figure on the alternative country scene in
both Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles. She's a hard-working,
independently minded artist who's well-respected for her gritty,
energetic vocals and fiery guitar solos.
A native of San Antonio, Flores moved to San Diego with her
family when she was 12. Her family encouraged her singing and
guitar playing, and as a girl she soaked up the sounds of
southern California — surf guitar, country and country-rock,
blues and rockabilly-flavored garage rock. By the time she was
in her teens, Flores was playing in a band called Penelope's
Children. During the first explosion of punk rock in the late
'70s, she formed Rosie & the Screamers, an otherwise all-male
band that played hard country and rockabilly material, much of
it written by Flores herself. She worked as a solo acoustic
artist for a time, but then formed an all-female punk band, The
Screaming Sirens, who recorded the album "Fiesta" in 1984.
In 1987 Flores recorded her first solo album, "Rosie Flores,"
produced by Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam's producer and
guitarist) and released by Warner Brothers. The album gained
critical acclaim, and among music-industry folk, a Flores
concert remains a strong draw to this day. But it was only
modestly successful commercially, and Flores was dropped by
Warner Brothers.
She signed with the California independent label Hightone and in
1992 she released her second solo album, "After the Farm,"
followed by "Once More With Feeling" a year later. These albums
featured original songs by Flores, her own sharp guitar leads,
and crackerjack session work from a variety of Los Angeles
veterans. Flores then spent the better part of 1994 playing lead
guitar in Butch Hancock's band.
In 1995 Flores recorded "Rockabilly Filly," a spirited tribute
to the music she grew up with. The album featured duets with her
longtime idols Wanda Jackson and Janis Martin, both of whom she
brought out of retirement for the project. The album led to a
cross-country tour with Jackson, who hadn't played in nightclubs
in over 20 years. = |
