True West

True West emerged from Davis, California, and operated primarily out of San Francisco, setting them apart from the Paisley Underground groups centered in Los Angeles by embracing a darker, less ethereal sound. Their first release arrived in 1983 as the self-titled EP on Bring Out Your Dead Records, produced jointly by guitarist Russ Tolman and the Dream Syndicate’s Steve Wynn. That same year, the French label New Rose—then highly regarded in independent circles—issued Hollywood Holiday, which combined the original EP with additional new material. In 1984 the band secured a contract with the American independent imprint PVC and recorded the album Drifters. Shortly after those sessions, drummer Josef Becker departed to join the comparably roots-oriented yet darker California band Thin White Rope, and Tolman exited soon afterward. The 1986 album Hand of Fate appeared on CD Presents and featured substitute guitar contributions from the Rain Parade’s Matt Piucci and Green on Red’s Chuck Prophet. The group disbanded not long after that release. Three archival collections followed on Skyclad: the odds-and-ends set West Side Story in 1989, the demo compilation Best Western in 1990, and TV Western, also from 1990, which supplemented the same demo recordings with several live tracks. Vocalist Gavin Blair and guitarist Richard McGrath subsequently performed together as Fool Killers, while Tolman pursued a prolific solo career as a singer and songwriter; Becker later played with Game Theory, and Kevin Staydohar had served throughout as the band’s bassist.