Burn Something Beautiful

I was turned on to the musical brilliance of Alejandro Escovedo a few years ago by an old college roommate who has lived in West Texas for 20+ years and is immersed in the incredible music scene of the Lone Star State.

 

the Dallas-based Escovedo has been a professional musician since the late '70s, when he started off as young renegade in the punk band The Nuns. He moved on to the more roots-oriented Rank & File and then the True Believers. In 1992, he ventured on a solo career.

 

Escovedo brings a wealth of musical and personal experience--he almost died from hepatitis C in the early 2000s--to his music. Though the punk energy is never too far away, it's combined with a love of country, folk, blues, and pop. Escovedo's lyrics are full of humor and wisdom gained from a life full of hard knocks along the way.

 

On Burn Something Beautiful (2016), Escovedo is joined by former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck for one of his most intense and hard-rocking albums. It's a worthy addition to a remarkable musical career.