Shoulders

The fusion of blues, folk, and carnival elements defined Shoulders from its outset, which began when vocalist Michael Slattery met guitarist Todd Kassens at the University of Texas. The pair first headed to Los Angeles in 1981, continued onward to New York City, and returned to Austin by 1983. In 1987 they assembled the initial incarnation of Shoulders, which put out three self-made cassettes across the following years. Drummer Alan Gene Williams and bassist Chris Black completed the lineup by mid-1990. Strong receptions for their appearances at the New Music Seminar in New York and South by Southwest in Austin prompted the European label Musidisc to sign them, after which Trashman Shoes (1992) climbed to number two on the French rock charts. Repeated tours of France ensued, yet the band never cultivated a devoted following Stateside even after securing an American arrangement with DejaDisc in 1994.