Houston (5)

Houston began in Duluth, MN, where guitarist/vocalist Jeff Halland and bassist/vocalist Lane Soderberg first got their start in rock & roll bands. Eventually, the duo moved south to Minneapolis, united with drummer Ian Prince, and began working on the stripped-down indie metal grooves of Houston. Overhead, the trio's self-released debut, appeared in 1999; it was followed by two EPs and a collection of outtakes, b-sides, & demo material. The 2001 full-length Head Like a Road Map was recorded at Houston's own Cape Kennedy and Mission Control while 3 songs were done in part by Shiner's Paul Malinowski with a contribution of vocals by Allen Epley. This particular release expanded the band's palette to include post-rock experimentation, noise freakouts, and interlacing vocal and guitar harmonies. Two years later, a tour-savvy Houston returned with Bottom of the Curve, its first release for Michigan indie 54º 40' or Fight!, and continued playing shows throughout the Midwest and beyond. As the fate of most bands, Houston disbanded in June 2004.