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When not working on solo material, Chris has a number of side projects and other original bands that he performs with. There is also an extensive history of groups that he has played with since his first professional gig in 1989. Here is an overview – a family tree of sorts – listing the eclectic group of musicians and artists that Chris has worked with over the years. Quick Links: Thin Ice :: Holt & Carbrey :: The Revolvers :: Love Bomb :: Bullfrog :: Walter Mitty :: Hard Night's Day :: Olospo :: The Days :: Chris Holt Jukebox :: Sorta :: Jones Thing :: The Lonelies :: Petty Theft :: The Slack :: Rahim Quazi :: Salim Nourallah :: The Egos Thin Ice was Chris Holt’s first ever band, founded in 1988, when he was fourteen years old. The group, conceived at their Dallas high school by Chris’ best friend Danny Mayfield, was named after a Pink Floyd song, from The Wall. With Chris on guitar and Danny on bass, they went on to spend their high school years playing with a variety of musicians under the TI banner. The band started with William Hooper on drums and Stuart Cochran on vocals, and that lineup recorded an EP in late ’88, which several people claim to still own. The quartet played a pair of gigs in early 1989 – Chris’ first ever – before Cochran was replaced with vocalist Ryan Deaver, and second guitarist Jonathan Holt was added. The five-piece lineup released a second EP in the summer of ’89, but it proved to be short-lived as well. By early 1990, Thin Ice finalized its lineup with Rob Giles on drums (who would later go on to a successful solo career), and Charlie Jackson on lead vocals. The group released a full-length album, Desiderata, in 1990, and won their high school’s Battle Of The Bands for a second year in a row the following January. They even briefly added female vocalist Lindsay Wooten to the lineup in 1991, before Chris and Danny graduated and the band members went their separate ways. In the spring of ’92, the four original members of Thin Ice – Holt, Mayfield, Hooper, and Cochran – reunited to compete at the Battle Of The Bands once again. But by that point…it was old news. Despite a spirited performance, they lost. And so closed the book on Thin Ice. After splitting up with Thin Ice in 1991, Chris attended the University of Oklahoma, and spent his first year there playing very little music. But after rediscovering his love for songwriting in the summer of ’92, he quickly embarked on a series of musical projects. The first of those projects was the duo Holt & Carbrey, featuring Chris on guitar and piano (which he had recently taught himself to play) and his friend David Carbrey on lead vocals. H&C played more than a hundred shows together over the next two years, mostly as a duo, but occasionally with a full band, called The Revolvers. Their vast repertoire consisted of a wide variety of classic rock covers by the likes of the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan and others, as well as Holt originals, which by that time, were becoming plentiful. It was during this time that Chris began to build the tremendous library of both original and cover songs that would form the foundation for his later acoustic shows, and bands like The Chris Holt Jukebox. Despite many of the shows being documented, there are few recordings left of Holt & Carbrey’s acoustic shows. When Chris moved back to Dallas at the end of 1994, the duo stopped performing, but were reunited onstage for a nostalgic set at one of Chris’ 2002 acoustic shows, a couple of days before his wedding, where David was the Best Man. The Revolvers were a part time electric band that performed many of the same songs from the Holt & Carbrey repertoire. With Chris and Dave fronting the band, and augmented by bassist Steve McCaleb and drummer Wayman McAllister, the band played semi-regular gigs throughout 1993, before fizzling out in 1994. Occasionally using alter ego names like “Savoy Truffle” and just plain “Revolver”, the band played both Holt’s and McCaleb’s originals, as well as their beloved Beatle covers. Unfortunately, there is no documentation of their existence, aside from setlists and notes compiled by Holt and Carbrey. While moonlighting with both Holt & Carbrey and The Revolvers, Chris fell in love with a local band called Love Bomb, and used to attend every show they played. He even learned their songs on guitar and piano, and sat in with the band occasionally in late ‘92/early ‘93. Love Bomb was a Norman-based alt-rock band fronted by guitarist/vocalist Scott Peace, and featuring Chris’ friend Craig Pentecost on bass. Guitarist/songwriter Jon Ebrey and drummer Wayman McAllister (who also played in The Revolvers) invited Chris to join on bass when Craig left in mid-’93 to join the band Wakeland. Chris happily accepted and joined Love Bomb on several short tours, which lasted through the fall of ’93. But unfortunately, the band stalled at that time, and virtually disintegrated due to lack of momentum. Over the next couple years, the band would play together occasionally, but by the time Chris left Norman in late ‘94, Love Bomb had ceased to exist. Love Bomb released a full-length record, Anson Williams Lives Here, in 1992, and recorded a couple of EPs shortly thereafter, though Chris is only featured on a pair of tracks, playing piano. All of it remains very rare to this day, but it is definitely worth hearing, if you can get your hands on it. When Love Bomb fell apart in 1994, Chris continued playing with various local groups, one of which was Bullfrog. Though Bullfrog never played all that often, their two-year run (from ’94 to the end of ’95) can now be seen as the seed, or first incarnation of what later became known as The Chris Holt Jukebox. The power trio, consisting of Holt on guitar and keys, Wayman McAllister on drums and Craig Pentecost on bass, played virtually all covers, and often ad-libbed songs, by request. Nearly a decade later, this spontaneous method of performance would come full circle with Chris’ acoustic all-request shows, as well as the Jukebox performances with Nick Ramirez and Drew Hunter. There are a few existing tapes of Bullfrog performances out there, but most are of poor quality. Walter Mitty began on February 8, 1995, when Chris Holt met James Ashcroft. The two met randomly, through a “guitarist wanted” ad that James placed in the Dallas Observer that month – an ad that Chris just happened to notice one day while thumbing through the paper. James was a student at SMU and Chris had just returned home to Dallas, after leaving Norman and OU. Chris spent that winter working in the studio, self-producing what was supposed to become his first solo album. But he ran out of money during the final stages of production, and the project was indefinitely shelved. Though there was initially a plan to release the project as either two EPs – High Anxiety and Naturally Amused – or a full-length single disc, the album never saw the light of day. That was because of Walter Mitty. Chris and James wrote a song on the day they met, and it was called “Journeyman Butcher”. “JB” was a multi-sectional progressive rock instrumental, featuring Ashcroft’s syncopated piano lines and Holt’s soaring guitar melodies, over a rollicking, fast-paced bluegrass beat. The Walter Mitty “sound” was spawned and defined in that first creation, influenced by the collective eclectic tastes of their new partnership, which ranged from the classic pop of Chris’ heroes, The Beatles, to the schizophrenic compositional stylings of James’ musical idols, Phish. It was a style that Chris later described as “prog-pop” – a sound also embraced and expanded on by Chris’ later (and more successful) band, Olospo. Though the Ashcroft/Holt songwriting team got off to a strong start, it took nearly a year for them to solidify the lineup of the band, and to begin gigging. They played their first official shows in late ’95 at a local dive called The Regal Beagle, before solidifying their lineup with drummer Derek Williams and bassist Matt McCaffree, in early ’96. Later that year, McCaffree departed for Austin, and bassist Sean McLarry, the younger brother of a friend of James’, was recruited. Sean, several years younger than the other three, moved all the way from Las Vegas to join the band, and quickly added a new dimension to the Mitty sound, with his quirky personality and unique bass technique. With this lineup, Walter Mitty spent two years building a loyal local fan base, through a series of weekly gigs at the Home Bar, near SMU. Mitty spent most of 1997 living together on a remote farm in Waxahachie, TX, and recording their full-length debut album, which, due to financial struggles, wouldn’t see the light of day until more than a year later. Nevertheless, the band continued to play regularly in Dallas, and the crowds grew exponentially. But in early 1998, McLarry inexplicably departed the band and moved back to Vegas. After the band members got over the initial shock of Sean’s surprise departure, they began looking for a replacement. Bassist Lindsay Greene, who was still in high school and a member of local band Reuben Bloomfield, joined a month later, and Mitty again attacked the local scene, expanding their following even more. Their momentum peaked in June 1998, with a feature article in The Met, The Dallas Observer’s rival entertainment newspaper. But Derek Williams left the band shortly thereafter, and Mitty stalled again. The band regained its footing in late ’98, with fill-in drummer Edo Levi, and the release of their self-titled debut album. And although they played a pair of successful shows the following spring to promote their second release, Live At The Curtain Club, Walter Mitty disbanded in June 1999. The three core members – Holt, Ashcroft, and Greene – had spent the first part of the year living in three different cities, and the band simply ran out of steam as the summer began. All three went their separate ways and have yet to play again as Walter Mitty. Lindsay stayed in Austin, James moved to California, and Chris stayed in Dallas and formed a new band, called Olospo. In May of the following year, Sean McLarry died tragically in his hometown of Las Vegas. He was twenty-five. Walter Mitty is a very important chapter in Chris Holt’s musical history, for a variety of reasons. First, the framework and sound of Mitty formed the basis for what became Olospo in late 1999. And in addition to Holt’s solo compositions, he also participated in three different songwriting partnerships (with Ashcroft and McLarry, and later Greene), which produced many songs that remain in Olospo’s rotation to this day. For more information on Walter Mitty, check out www.olospo.com The Beatles have long been Chris Holt’s all-time favorite band. So he was naturally delighted when, in mid-1995, a friend took him down to Club Dada in Deep Ellum, to see Hard Night’s Day, Texas’ premiere Beatles tribute act. HND formed in 1994, as the brainchild of local musician Tom Prejean, who hosted open mic night on Sundays at Dada. HND began playing the happy hour slot every Friday night at Dada – a weekly gig that they would maintain for an entire decade. Prejean soon left the budding project, but drummer Doug Cox and guitarist Bob Cummins wasted no time in putting together a new and expanded lineup. Guitarist/vocalist Danny DeLaMatyr and bassist/vocalist Mark Ehmann joined shortly thereafter, as did multi-instrumentalist Jim Savage. They felt that the five-piece lineup was necessary to make it sound “just like the records”, and they didn’t want to wear wigs, or affect hokey accents. It was all about the music of The Beatles, and nothing else. So HND’s hook was their accuracy – their attention to detail. They used all the same guitars and amps that the Beatles did, and studied the records closely to duplicate the sounds. Mark even played a left-handed Hofner, which made him a remarkable Paul look-and-sound-alike. The band spent three years tightening their act and building a large, devoted fan base in North Texas, before Savage left in late 1996. John Cartwright, a local musician and friend of the band, joined immediately thereafter and filled the Lennon role in Savage’s absence. But he too left the band a few months later. Chris Holt had seen HND multiple times by early 1997, and when he found out that Jim Savage had left the band, he knew he wanted to play with them. But after an awkward, drunken first meeting with Doug and Mark at the Barley House (they were introduced through the same mutual friend that first brought Chris to Dada years earlier), months went by without any response or offer to join. Finally, in May 1997, just days after John left, Bob called Chris and asked him to come to a rehearsal and jam. Chris happily accepted, and after singing and playing “I Am The Walrus” with the band, he passed the audition…and was offered the job. Holt played keyboards, guitars, harmonica, and sang both Lennon and Harrison parts during his tenure in HND, which lasted nearly six years. In August 1998, the band traveled to London to record at Abbey Road Studios, which was a dream come true for all five members. But instead of rehashing a Beatles classic, they chose instead to record one of Danny’s original songs, inspired by their historic surroundings. Later that same week, the band took a train to Liverpool and participated in the annual Beatle Week festival, which featured more than a hundred Beatle tribute acts from all over the world. In addition to playing a multitude of shows at historic venues like the Cavern and the Royal Court Theater, they also enjoyed the legendary Penny Lane and Strawberry Field locations. Hard Night’s Day would return to Liverpool twice more during the next five years to play at the festival. Chris Holt’s membership in Hard Night’s Day ended in 2003, when Olospo decided to hit the road and tour full-time. He had become increasingly unavailable to HND during the previous year, due to Olospo commitments, and it was time to move on with his original music. Since leaving, Chris has continued to play with the band on occasion, and still gets the call to fill in every now and then. In 2004, he even filled in on drums for Doug at the Hard Rock Café. Danny DeLaMatyr left Hard Night’s Day at the same time Chris did, and he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his own original music as well. The core members of HND kept moving forward and quickly added keyboardist Carter Livingston and multi-instrumentalist Paul Averitt to the lineup. They continue to play regularly, to the delight of their devoted Beatle-loving fans. In May 2005, HND won “Best Cover Band” at the Dallas Observer Music Awards for the fifth time – an indisputable testament to their ongoing popularity. For more information on Hard Night’s Day, check out www.hardnightsday.com Olospo is probably the band that Chris Holt is best known for. It is unique for its longevity – it’s the longest running lineup of any band he’s ever been involved with - and it has had the most success of any band for which he has contributed original music. Olospo’s music, mostly written by Holt, is a wildly eclectic mash-up of instrumental complexities and classic pop melodies, driven by a diverse group of stylistic influences. It is a sound that Holt began shaping in the days of Walter Mitty and later refined with Olospo, a style he describes only as “prog-pop”. Olospo formed in the summer of 1999, merely weeks after the final split of Chris Holt’s previous band, Walter Mitty. Holt immediately contacted Tom Bridwell, a drummer whom Chris had met the previous summer, and who had been considered as a possible replacement drummer for Mitty. After splitting up his old band, Holt informed Bridwell that he intended to start a new band that would pick up where Mitty left off, albeit with an entirely new repertoire. Within a couple weeks, Holt recruited bass player Nick Ramirez and keyboardist Britt Morris, and Olospo’s lineup was finalized. And unlike most bands, this foursome would remain together for the duration of Olospo’s career. The new band rehearsed rigorously through the end of the summer, and prepared twelve original songs – later known as “The Dirty Dozen” – for their debut performance at the Home Bar in Dallas, on 9/9/99. The Home Bar was the site of many Walter Mitty performances during the late 90’s, so it seemed appropriate that the new band would reach out to the same audience. That night at the show, band members asked audience participants to help the band choose a name for themselves. After collecting ballots after the show, the band was rather surprised to find that the name with the most votes was a name they hardly understood – Olo Spo. It was quickly revealed that this potential new name was an inside joke between Morris and some college friends, and after a great deal of hesitation, the name was whittled down to a single “word”, and finally kept. From there, Olospo went on to write, rehearse, and gig extensively, with both Holt and Morris providing original songs. Near the end of 1999, the quartet recorded more than a dozen of their new songs at Gretchen Studios in Plano, TX, with friend and producer Jeff Halbert. While those sessions did produce some interesting initial results, the project was shelved indefinitely, because the band couldn’t be satisfied. So the Spo (as they came to be known) continued to write, rehearse, and perform in and around Dallas, slowly building their budding fan base. Over the course of 2000, the Spo also began adding older Holt songs from the Walter Mitty repertoire, such as “Grace” and “Journeyman Butcher”, which took on new life in the hands of the new band mates. Olospo entered Last Beat Studios in Dallas in the late spring of 2001, to begin work on their debut album, with producers Paul Williams and their old friend Jeff Halbert. Herbal Tea was recorded and mixed in two months, followed by a celebratory trip to Cozumel, Mexico, with a large group of friends. Herbal Tea was released in the fall of 2001, and the Spo capitalized on it with a relentless gig schedule, in cities all over Texas. The following summer, with the help of new friend James Dean Young, the Spo returned to Last Beat, and in a mere three weeks, recorded and mixed their second studio effort, This Is The Pagoda. Pagoda was a stronger and more mature effort than Herbal Tea, and the Spo’s momentum grew as a result of their increasing confidence. 2002 culminated with performances at The Big Wu Family Reunion (a three-day music festival in Wisconsin) and at the first-ever Austin City Limits Music Festival – Olospo’s biggest profile show to date. From there, the only thing left to do, in their eyes, was hit the road. The four members of Olospo quit their jobs in January of 2003 and decided to tour full-time. They hired a booking agent and bought a van, and despite their financial concerns, eagerly headed out into the great unknown. Touring provided the Spo with many life lessons, but it also allowed them to tighten musically. Soon, as a result of constantly performing, they were sounding better than ever. But it was a hard time for the band. Despite the release of Pagoda and the enthusiastic response from fans, the band was having no luck finding management or record label interest. After blowing the roof off at Jambase’s SXSW showcase, and another strong showing at the Big Wu Family Reunion, the band was hoping for more national success, but was dismayed to find that it was not happening quickly. Upon returning to Texas, the Spo played a pair of shows to the local faithful, which was later whittled down to a single disc, and released as Live At Dada, the band’s first official live album. But the support from their Texas fans wasn’t enough to sustain the band’s momentum. And despite a strong batch of new songs that debuted on Halloween of 2003, the band’s spirits were completely deflated by the end of the subsequent November tour. In December, after less than a year of full-time touring, Olospo announced they were breaking up, and played an emotional pair of shows to packed houses in Fort Worth and Austin. Fortunately, it would not be “the end” of the Spo just yet. In the spring of 2004, after a few months off, the four band members agreed to play a few more shows, just for fun. And fun they were. The reunited Olospo was surprised to find that their popularity had actually increased in the months since their split, and though they agreed not to tour in 2004, they played a half-dozen shows, all with increasingly enthusiastic audiences. In 2005, Olospo continued to play occasional shows in Dallas and Austin, but has yet to hit the road full time again, though it has not been ruled out. They are currently making plans to start recording a new studio album at Last Beat over the summer, for hopeful release in 2006. For more information on Olospo, check out www.olospo.com The Days were a Denton-based rock trio led by Chris’ friend and Hard Night’s Day band mate Danny DeLaMatyr. The group started in the early 90’s in North Texas as a four-piece called Big Big Drama, but by the mid-90’s, they had become a trio, consisting of DeLaMatyr on guitar and vocals, Rick Norman on bass, and Paul Davis on drums. The Days recorded fourteen of Danny’s original songs and released their debut, The Mystery Of The Watched Pot, in 1995, to rave reviews around Dallas. The album remains a power-pop masterpiece, filled with lush harmonies and stripped down, guitar-driven production. Unfortunately, The Days were unable to really build any momentum around the album, and their activity slowed in the following years. In 1997, right around the time that Chris Holt joined Hard Night’s Day, The Days took a lengthy hiatus, before returning in 1999 with Chris on bass. After a couple solid performances, bassist Rick Norman returned and Chris stayed on as the fourth member, playing guitar and keyboards. The Days played a handful of other shows in 2000 and 2001 before the performances ceased altogether, due to scheduling conflicts. During this time, DeLaMatyr built up a considerable backlog of new original songs. In 2003, Danny left HND (at the same time Chris did) and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his songwriting out west, where he remains today. After touring for a bit as a guitarist for Rhett Miller, Danny is currently working with drummer Luke Adams on a new recording project, which is expected to see release in 2006. The Chris Holt Jukebox, as it is known today, first came into existence in early 2004, as a fun, moneymaking side project with Olospo band mate Nick Ramirez and drummer Drew Hunter. But the origins of it go all the way back to the mid-90’s, when Chris played regular acoustic shows with the likes of Holt & Carbrey and Bullfrog. In those days, Chris studied pop music history with a finely tuned ear, and over the years built up an incredible library of cover songs. In 1995, after moving back to Dallas from Norman, Chris began playing solo acoustic shows every week. These continued through the end of ’97, and then dropped off inexplicably for several years, probably because of other time consuming commitments, first with Walter Mitty and later with Olospo. Late in the summer of 2002, during the making of Olospo’s second album, Chris began playing weekly shows again. The shows took a page from his old days with Bullfrog, and were mostly request-oriented affairs, with the catch being that Chris would play any request, as long as it was a song he knew and liked. And with such a large catalog, it became quite an entertaining challenge for both audience and performer alike. When Olospo took time off at the end of 2003, Holt and Olospo bassist Nick Ramirez joined up with drummer Drew Hunter, and the three of them began playing impromptu cover shows, with the same request-heavy format. “Stump The Band” became a popular game, because more often than not, the band could play the requests. Within a couple months, the band was nominated for “Best Cover Band” at the Dallas Observer Music Awards. Though they lost to Hard Night’s Day, it provided enough momentum to keep the band playing regularly, and to growing audiences. The Jukebox trio played show after show that year, building a large, diverse repertoire, before activity fell off in late ’04, as Chris began to concentrate more on his own original music. Currently, the Jukebox is somewhat in limbo, as there are no current plans. In the meantime, Chris continues to play regular acoustic shows with the request-friendly atmosphere, and the Jukebox will undoubtedly return soon enough with an updated catalog of new covers and originals. Sorta is a five-piece original band from Dallas, TX, and a favorite of Chris’. Led by singer/songwriter Trey Johnson, Sorta’s music is an eclectic mix of folk, country, and rock influences, ranging from the classic to the current. Sorta’s lineup is made up of some of Dallas’ finest musicians, including Danny Balis on bass, Carter Albrecht on keys and guitar, Ward Williams on pedal steel, and Trey Carmichael on drums. Interestingly enough, Carter and Ward both play in Chris’ solo band, The Egos, and Trey designed both Holt’s Summer Reverb album art, and this website. Chris Holt’s musical connection to Sorta began in the spring of 2004, when he was asked to fill in for Carter at a handful of shows, while he toured with Edie Brickell. Chris played guitar and keys at several Sorta shows In Carter’s absence, including one in early 2005. With two studio albums under their belt and a third on the way, Sorta has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim around Dallas, as well as national attention, with notable song appearances on shows featured on both MTV and the WB. For more info about Sorta, check out www.sortaweb.com The Jones Thing is a five-piece rock band led by Dallas singer/songwriter Jeff Jones. Jones’ songs have a quirky retro-pop feel to them, influenced by the melodic pop songs of classic artists like XTC and Elvis Costello. Jones took a group of his original songs to Last Beat in late 2003, and began recording with producer Paul Williams. Multi-instrumentalist Eric Neal joined them in the studio, as did drummer Trey Carmichael, and within a few months, The Jones Thing’s first album, A Comfortable Pair, was finished. It was around March of 2004 that Chris Holt stumbled into Last Beat one night and met Jeff Jones. After praising the music and practically inviting himself into the fold, Chris joined the Jones Thing a few weeks later, playing keyboards and guitar and singing backing vocals. The Jones Thing, featuring Jones, Neal, Carmichael, Holt, and bassist Joe Schwartzott, performs regularly in the Dallas area, and is currently rehearsing new material for a future release. For more info about The Jones Thing, check out www.thejonesthing.com The Lonelies are an alt-country/rock band, led by singer-songwriter Doug Burr. Doug’s bittersweet country songs have garnered him a great deal of praise from both fans and musicians in North Texas. While Doug records and performs often as a solo artist, The Lonelies are Doug’s “electric rock band”. Chris Holt met Doug Burr at a show in the spring of 2004, while sitting in with Sorta. Doug later asked Chris to join The Lonelies, and Chris accepted, being a big fan of Doug’s material. The band had just finished an EP called Democracy, Whiskey, and Sexy, featuring drummer Jerry Saracini (formerly of Slowpoke and a current member of Steely Dan tribute band Naked Lunch) and bassist Andy Odom (who would later play in Chris’ solo band The Egos). With Holt on lead guitar, The Lonelies began evolving with a new raw, layered rock sound – a stark contrast to the country songs of previous years. The Lonelies play about once a month around North Texas, and are currently preparing to record a full-length debut album, for release in 2006. For more info about The Lonelies, check out www.thelonelies.com Petty Theft is a tribute band that exists solely for one purpose, and that is to further its slavish devotion to the great Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. PT is the brainchild of Mike Rhyner, a talk radio legend around Dallas, and the voice of The Hardline, arguably Texas’ most popular talk radio program, on AM station 1310 The Ticket. Rhyner’s dream was to put together a Petty tribute band, and by early 2004, he had assembled the majority of his lineup. With his old friend Rodney Wall on guitar, Kent “Sticks” Kolman on drums, and the “bass player’s bass player” in Harrison Calhoun, all they needed was a keyboardist who could properly channel the great Benmont Tench. Chris Holt had been friends with Mike Rhyner for a couple years, thanks in part to a couple of friendly appearances with Olospo on The Hardline, and when Mike called to offer Chris the keyboard position in March 2004, Chris jumped at the opportunity to have some fun. A few months later, Bill Porter was added as a third guitarist, to make the six-piece lineup complete. Petty Theft is currently a popular draw in the Dallas area, and was honored recently with a Dallas Observer Music Award nomination, for Best Cover Band. Chris Holt left Petty Theft in early 2005, to pursue his solo career and to focus more on original material, but the band has moved on with a new keyboardist and continues to play regularly around town. For more info about Petty Theft, check out www.pettytheftband.com The Slack is a brand new rock band, featuring Chris Holt on guitar and vocals, Lindsay Graham on guitar, Eric Neal on bass, and Chris Carmichael on drums. The Slack was an idea that Holt and Graham first had in the summer of 2004 for a fully collaborative new band, but it took many months before the two could coordinate their schedules to get the project off the ground. The foursome began writing together in February of 2005, and despite inconsistent rehearsal schedules, took the time to record and arrange a batch of new original songs that run the gamut from angular guitar pop to ambient acoustic ballads. Though the band has yet to play its first official gig, they are currently rehearsing and recording new material, to be released and performed in the fall of 2005. For more info about The Slack, check out www.theslackmusic.com Rahim Quazi is a Dallas-based singer/songwriter, who has made his name playing in bands such as “OHNO”. In 2005, Rahim recorded and released his first solo album, Big Black Box. Chris Holt has played several shows in 2005 as Rahim’s lead guitarist, and the two work together whenever possible. For more info about Rahim Quazi, check out www.rahimtheband.com Salim Nourallah is a singer/songwriter/producer from Dallas, TX, who has met with a great deal of critical acclaim, though he might not be a household name. Salim has been playing in bands in Texas for more than a decade, including the Moon Festival and the Happiness Factor. In recent years, he has become a well-respected and highly utilized producer, working with bands such as The Deathray Davies. He has also released a variety of solo albums, including 2004’s Polaroid and his most recent effort, Beautiful Noise. Chris Holt played guitar and other instruments on several Beatiful Noise tracks, and also plays guitar for Salim’s current band The Noise. For more info about Salim Nourallah, check out www.salimnourallah.com The Egos are Chris Holt’s new solo band, assembled for the purpose of promoting Chris’ 2005 solo album Summer Reverb. Though the album itself features Chris on almost every instrument, The Egos are a six-piece band, made up of some of Dallas’ finest and most reputable musicians. In addition to Holt, who sings and plays acoustic and electric guitars onstage, the band features Carter Albrecht (of local favorites Sorta and Sparrows) on keyboards and guitar, Ward Williams (also from Sorta and Sparrows) on slide guitar and pedal steel, Eric Neal (from The Jones Thing and The Slack) on lead guitar, Andy Odom (from The Lonelies) on bass, and Chris long-time friend and Olospo bandmate Tom Bridwell, who co-produced Summer Reverb, on drums The Egos made their live debut at The Granada Theatre in Dallas on May 12, 2005. They followed it up with a release party for the album the following weekend, and plan to continue performing the Summer Reverb material onstage, as well as any new material Chris might introduce in the coming months.
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