PLAYERS:
Fritz Beer - Vocals, Guitar
Errol Siegel - Guitar, Vocals
Armando Reyes - Drums
Matt Hunke - Bass
also
Daniel Bull - Bass
Lee Abramson - Bass
Harvey Giblin - Drums

There is no definitive sound to Texas music: it encompasses blues, country, rock and countless other genres that branch off those.

Though there is not just one bass riff, guitar lick or backbeat to fix the limits of Texas music, you know the sound when you hear it and you know it's Texas.

One band that exemplifies a truly great blend of blues, country and rock is the Austin–based band Punchy

Errol Siegel, lead guitarist and spokesman for the band, talked about the many different influences at work in Punchy.

"I would say that the foundation of our sound is like Midwest rock like the Replacements and Soul Asylum, they are pretty good examples," Siegel said, "and definitely some of the more classics like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen -- that influence is huge."

He went on to include British influences the Clash, Elvis Costello and Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople.

Not only are their musical influences diverse, only one member of the band hails from Texas. Drummer Armando Reyes is from Houston.

Fritz Beer, songwriter, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, is from St. Louis, Mo. Matt Hunke, bass guitar, is from North Dakota. Siegel is from Delaware. All four members eventually gravitated to Austin for its music scene.

"In Texas you get to soak up a lot of country and blues influence just from being here," Siegel said. "Texas music is everywhere. I don't think native Texans realize growing up with it that it's not in just Austin."

Not in just Austin, indeed. In 2001 the band covered the Southeast and Midwest performing more than 200 shows.

But it all started for Punchy when Beer chose Austin in 1997 and hooked up with an old friend from elementary school, bass player Daniel Bull.

Though their experiences were in loud rock as they played with several bands, they now wanted to emphasize melody and lyrics over noise. They wanted to be songwriters.

They found Siegel by placing an ad for a drummer. Although not a drummer, Siegel answered anyway and won a place with the band -- which was still drummerless -- with his virtuosity and work ethics.

Reyes eventually became the drummer after the road–weary, sleepless group began calling itself Punchy.

Then Bull, who had beaten leukemia 10 years prior to forming Punchy, became gravely ill again and was forced to leave the band.

Hunke joined the band when Bull exited -- just in time for the group to sell the single "Keep Turning Right" to Musicblitz.com. They then signed an album deal with Pinch Hit Records and began work on their second compact disc.

Their latest CD, "Just My Type," was released in May 2001 and is reported by Album Network as a regional best seller in the Southwest.

"Just My Type" is much more cohesive than Punchy's first CD. Though there is something to be said for the self–titled first effort, "Just My Type" has a tighter sound. It is a bit more crisp and precise than "Punchy."

But the best thing about the first effort is its raw energy. This is something which really cannot be replicated in a studio.

Without knowing exactly what, the listener can tell something is different. The difference being that the band recorded "Punchy" in two days as opposed to the weeks taken with "Just My Type."

This is not saying one is infinitely better than the other. It's just different.

It's like taking a live show and making it studio perfect with the same feel. It's a difficult task and one not often ventured.

Anyway, at the end of the day it is truly amazing that Temple attracts such talent and can keep it coming back. This is a testament for the band as well as the audience.

---L.I. Escobar-Temple Daily Telegraph