Jason Masters, Greg Wallace, and Brandon Durham first assembled as the indie rock outfit Palaxy Tracks while based in Austin, initially operating under the Seven Hundred Club moniker toward the close of 1995. The trio captured material primarily in residential spaces and bedrooms via eight-track machines before issuing a self-distributed demo. Todd Roberts on bass and Nathan Roberts on drums soon joined the lineup, relieving the original members of their prior multi-instrumental duties. In the ensuing months the expanded group hosted a series of events at Wallace’s residence called “The Austin School of Rock,” drawing other local acts for performances and connections. These efforts led to club bookings throughout the city and refinement of the band’s stage presentation. Todd Roberts exited in 1996, after which Keith Grap handled bass, while Jason Masters also departed and Jay Benson assumed guitar duties. The following year the ensemble adopted the Palaxy Tracks name and completed its debut album, Caught by a New Invention, which circulated mainly through live shows and later fell out of print. Jay Benson then left, with Ted Cho, previously of Poi Dog Pondering, filling the guitar position. Late 1997 saw the band tracking new material at Cho’s studio; those recordings surfaced first on the Family Tree 7" during winter 1998 and subsequently on the full-length The Long Wind Down in January 2000. Founding member Greg Wallace had exited by the time of that release. Palaxy Tracks earned favorable notices at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Conference in 2000 and began arranging a move to Chicago the next year.
