The beginning of the Austin music scene
An integral seed of the Austin music scene from 1967 to 1976, Sonobeat’s prodigious output introduced Johnny Winter, Eric Johnson, Rusty Wier, James Polk, and dozens of luminary Texas musicians to the world.
Sonobeat in the 1970s: progressive everything
This month we continue to focus on Austin, Texas’ Sonobeat Recording Company in the 1970s, a decade of epochal change in Austin’s music scene and during which Sonobeat recorded dozens of acts across a colorful spectrum of genres. Although the 1960s had seen extraordinary growth in Austin’s indigenous music scene, by 1970, the River City’s laid-back, non-corporate approach to music culture had become a powerful magnet for singers, songwriters, and musicians from just about everywhere. The Austin music scene exploded in the ’70s with progressive rock and progressive country acts dominating Austin’s night life. At the same time, progressive jazz, R&B, folk, and Americana acts thrived throughout Central Texas. Austin’s population grew by nearly 100,000 in the ’70s, reaching 345,500 by 1980, kickstarting striking changes not just to Austin’s rising music community but also to its rising skyline.
In the Spotlight
Phoenix
In 1970, Austin, Texas, supergroup Lavender Hill Express unexpectedly collapsed. Within weeks, its lead guitarist, Leonard Arnold, assembled a rock trio with Rodney Garrison on bass and Tom Harmon on drums. Leonard named his new band Phoenix, a sly nod to its rise from the ashes of Lavender Hill Express. Rodney was a recent Austin transplant from north Texas. Tom had been drumming around Austin for a couple of years. The three just clicked and quickly established themselves as one of Austin’s hottest new bands.
Who’s Who
From 1967 to 1976, Sonobeat recorded hundreds of Austin, Central Texas, national, and international singers, songwriters, and musicians. Since launching SonobeatRecords.com in 2004, we’ve continuously mined the Sonobeat archives and connected with members of the acts Sonobeat recorded and their families and friends to compile an up-to-date list of the legacies and legends who make up Sonobeat’s Who’s Who.
Explore our history
Sonobeat Records was founded in Austin, Texas, in May 1967 and operated in Central Texas until September 1976, releasing two dozen stereo 45 RPM singles and half-a-dozen albums recorded by Austin, Central Texas, and international singers, songwriters, and musicians. Journey back in time with a scrolling list of Sonobeat’s 1960s and ’70s milestones or dive right into Sonobeat’s year-by-year story.
