d The armadillo has been associated with the Austin music scene since the late 1960s but came to full prominence as the namesake and mascot of Armadillo World Headquarters, the iconic Austin music hall that opened in summer 1970. The distinctive illustrations of the armor-shelled mammal that adorned Armadillo World Headquarters are the creation of legendary Austin artist Jim Franklin.
The beginning of the Austin music scene
(Re)discover the roots of Austin music
The roots of Austin's music scene
Austin's vibrant music scene today – featuring hundreds of live music performances any night of the week in any genre from Afro-jazz to zydeco – traces its roots to the music legends and legacies populating the Central Texas music scene in the 1960s and '70s. Psychedelic rock, outlaw country, and more... all started here. Through its hundreds of recordings, Sonobeat is proud to have documented this formative epoch in Austin music.
The David Flack Quorum
San Antonio, Texas, native David Flack's cutting-edge jazz-rock-classical fusion trio, formed while David is a student at The University of Texas, records an album with Sonobeat in sessions spanning 1970 to 1973, but the album, Mindbender, isn't released until 1976. Here's the story of the long and winding road to the eventual release of The David Flack Quorum's wildly imaginative album.
Zip through Sonobeat's history
Sonobeat Records documents the Austin music scene spanning the mid-'60s to mid-'70s, releasing dozens of phonograph records by Austin, Central Texas, and world artists. Sonobeat Milestones is a fun and easy-to-navigate timeline through Sonobeat's history – date-by-date and event-by-event – with quick links to stories of artists Sonobeat recorded. It's a zip line through Austin music history!
