Sonobeat: Pioneering the Austin Sound

Where else but Austin can you find Austin City LimitsAustin City Limits is the longest-running music series in American television history and is produced – initially on a sound stage in The University of Texas' Communications Building B and since 2011 in a downtown Austin studio built specifically to house the show – by Austin's Public Broadcasting System affiliate KLRU (formerly KLRN). The series premieres on PBS stations around the country in January 1976 and continues to this day., SXSWSouth By Southwest, also known as "SXSW" or "South By" and whose name is inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock thriller North By Northwest, begins in 1987 as an Austin-based music festival and since has expanded to include feature films and interactive media, too. SXSW pretty much takes over Austin during The University of Texas spring break every March., and an Afro-jazz-to-Zydeco musical night life. Back in the late '60s, Austin music is already red hot with it's unique brand of psychedelic rock, cosmic cowboy, and jazz, all fueled by over 35,000 University of Texas students, a thriving high school garage rock culture, and the center of Texas government. The Austin sound starts here.

50 years ago in Austin music

Sonobeat Recording Company is born in Austin, Texas, in mid-1967, but today, in 2019, we're looking back 50 years to 1969, when Sonobeat isn't even two years old and already has a major national release – Johnny Winter's The Progressive Blues Experiment – under it's belt. Take a quick trip back back in time to check out the Austin and Central Texas artists Sonobeat recorded in '69.

Chasing down The Conqueroo? Quick as 1-to-3.

Looking for Ed Guinn? Right this way.

Ernie Gammage? Pickin' and grinnin'.

Pick Fast Cotton. Fast.

James Polk? And The Brothers, too.

Johnny Winter? Chill, he's here.

Layton DePenning? Yep, got him, too.

Lavender Hill Express? Boarding here.

John Inmon? Find him in a flash.

Ginnin' for Genesee? Good to go.

Eric Johnson? A hot lick away.

The KAZZ-FM/Sonobeat connection? Linked.

Vulcan Gas Company? Delivered.

Psyched out for Roky and the Elevators?

Seeking the Sweetarts? Supplied here.

Jim Mings? Mighty sure he's here, too.

In quest of New Atlantis? Located!

We've partnered with Site Search 360 to bring you a quick and easy way to search Sonobeat. Looking for a particular band, musician, singer, songwriter, or song? You'll find a search box at the bottom of each page. Enter your search criteria and press Enter or Return to get a graphic list of the pages where your search term appears. Just another way to help you find what you're looking for here at Sonobeat.

A Picture of Me, reframed

Our spectacular digital remaster of the Sweetarts' 1967 single A Picture of Me breathes new life into this Austin rock classic. Celebrating the single's 50th anniversary in 2017, A Picture of Me is newly Mastered for iTunes, bringing out its original sonic goodness and sounding even better than the original vinyl edition. A Picture of Me and its flipside, Without You, are available on iTunes and other digital services worldwide.

You better Watch Out!

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lavender Hill Express' Watch Out!, in 2018 we remaster and reissue a dazzling digital edition. Watch Out is classic southern rock by one of Austin's premiere '60s bands. Originally issued as a vinyl 45 RPM single in June 1968, this is Lavender Hill Express' second Sonobeat release. Our remaster restores its super sonics. Get it on digital download and streaming services worldwide.

Sonobeat's Custom Mixers

When Sonobeat launches in 1967, it has no equipment or studio facilities of its own. So it rents Austin, Texas-area nightclubs, during off hours, as its recording venues and borrows tape decks and microphones from a local radio station, but it still needs an audio mixer. Here's the story of the progressively more capable (and complex) custom mixers Sonobeat builds during its first four years of operation.