Photo by Jennifer Dale
Long-time Texas musician Marcus William Striplin has been performing and recording music for over two decades, chiefly out of Dallas, and prepares to release his debut solo album under the pseudonym Margaret Chavez (an homage to Striplin’s mother). Having spent the greater part of the last decades with his band Pleasant Grove, Striplin has finally broken out on his own, stretching his fingers into sonic pockets all his own, giving Striplin’s fans the flavor they seek without putting any limits or bumpers on his smokey, psychedelic groove.
“Strange Buoy’s” wastes no time dropping you into Striplin’s wash of vocals and dusty guitars, surrounding you in a dirt devil of a sound that lies somewhere on the spectrum between Americana and psychedelia. The wash takes on a strong current as the song builds, rocking you gingerly around in his swirling sphere before laying you down gently…which is a real courtesy because you will need a second to reorient yourself.
“Storage Buoy’s” appears on A Loupe, out January 19. Catch Margaret Chavez tonight at the Cactus Cafe with Sanco Loop.
-Taylor Wallace // Host, Thursdays at 8p & Saturdays at 2p; Producer, Ekelktikos with John Aielli