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Finally!
Published: 3/19/2008 10:40 AM
Last Modified: 3/19/2008 10:40 AM

Folks, meet Dexter Romweber. For those who haven't heard of him, he's the muse for performers like Jack White, the Rev. Horton Heat, Cat Power, Neko Case and more. His garage-blues and surf-tinged band, the Flat Duo Jets, inspired a generation of musicians.

From the late '80s to mid-90s, his band, the Flat Duo Jets paved a rollicking path with its raw intensity and soulful charm. The band is now long gone, but the duo has announced release of "Two Headed Cow," the soundtrack to the 2006 documentary of the same name.

This guy is astounding. I saw him perform with his band, the New Romans, on a trip to North Carolina in January. I also caught both shows last year when he played Tulsa and Oklahoma City with his Dexter Romweber Duo (his sister Sara on drums ... the White Stripes have nothing on those two).

The disc contains 17 previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1986, ranging from early FDJ favorites ("My Life, My Love," "Mexicali Baby") to jaw-dropping cover tunes (The Collins Kids' "Hoy Hoy," Ray Charles' "Mary Ann").

"Two Headed Cow" is a movie about roots rocker Dexter Romweber and his music. FDJ was a highly influential band of the last two decades and has been an inspiration for many other musicians, as well. (White, Chan Marshall aka Cat Power and Case appear in the film along with Exene Cervenka and Jason Edge of the Original Sinners.)

Visually stunning and filmically poetic -- and featuring original black and white footage dating back to 1986 -- "Two Headed Cow" traces the formative years of the band through their signing to a major label through the break-up and Romweber's life today.

The film was directed by Tony Gayton ("Athens, Ga. -- Inside/Out," "Murder By Numbers"), produced by Emmy winning casting director Lisa Wells Fincannon and Bill Cody along with executive producers Craig Fincannon and Frank Capra, Jr.

With origins dating back to the mid-80s, Chapel Hill, North Carolina's Flat Duo Jets made the leap to a major label in 1998. It was not coincidental that the label they moved to, Outpost Recordings, was overseen by esteemed alternative rock forefather and R.E.M. producer Scott Litt. He had seen the band develop over a 10-year period and considered the duo (vocalist/guitarist Romweber and drummer Crow) to be "phenomenal."

The band's energetic revival of early rockabilly had first come to prominence after featuring in the 1986 music documentary, "Athens, Ga. -- Inside/Out." FDJ subsequently released a series of independent albums for a variety of local labels, with highpoints including 1990's self-titled long-playing debut and 1993's "White Trees."

For Flat Duo Jets' Outpost debut, "Lucky Eye," Litt contracted dB's alumnus Chris Stamey (!!!!), who worked alongside him as co-producer. Sessions were completed at the Muscle Shoals Sound studios in Alabama, and over 18 tracks explored roots rock, traditional R&B and surf guitar with Romweber's distinctive playing being influenced by old rockabilly records, and Charlie Feathers in particular.

By 1999 the band had broken up.

It was nevertheless stated that there was a "strong possibility" that the duo would work together again in the future. Romweber carried on the Flat Duo Jets mix of rockabilly, blues and surf music on a number of well-received solo releases.

Here is an interesting little short on Dex, filmed in 1995 on an old Super8 camera by Chad Carlson.

Flat Duo Jets

Dexter Romweber and the New Romans

Dex Romweber Duo

Two Headed Cow

STREAM THE "TWO HEADED COW" SOUNDTRACK!

www.tulsaworld.com/DexSoundtrack

Yar.

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Barrelhouse Beat

Barrelhouse: A colloquialism describing the low saloons at the turn of the century (19th) that served whiskey straight out of the barrel. It's also a reference to the type of music played in those venues. Ex: Barrelhouse music.

Beat: The time or timing. Ex: The band played with a solid beat. Also used as a term describing a reporters specific area of expertise. Ex: The music beat.

About me: I'm Okie born and raised, and have lived all over the state: Oklahoma City, Enid, Moore, Norman, Edmond and Tulsa. I am a music geek, writer, graphic designer and amateur photographer and videographer who's followed the Tulsa and regional music scene since I moved to Green Country more than 10 years ago. I've been enmeshed in Tulsa's varied and vibrant musical night life, what some of us affectionately call a modernized throwback to the Barrelhouse scene, since that time. I fell in love with it. I fell hard.

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Past Articles By Jennifer Chancellor

2/17/2013		Tulsan Johnny Polygon a rapper who delights in hometown crowd
2/15/2013		The Who brings nostalgia, ingenuity to BOK Center
2/15/2013		Lady Gaga tour is canceled
2/15/2013		Audio Adrenaline concert moves to April 7
2/14/2013		The Who brings 'other' rock opera to Tulsa's BOK Center
2/14/2013		Okies nominated for several top ACM awards
2/14/2013		Epic moments of rock 'n' roll history in Tulsa
2/14/2013		The Who talks about 'Quadrophenia' rock opera ahead of BOK show Thursday
2/14/2013		Shawnee songstress Samantha Crain to play Tulsa CD release show Friday
2/14/2013		Rick Springfield to play River Spirit Event Center on Saturday
2/14/2013		Local music roundup: Vaudvillian sideshows? Nerd nights? Live music? Parties? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
2/14/2013		Eli Young band coming to Brady Theater for first time

Jennifer Chancellor's Blog Archive:

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8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008	3/2008
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Jennifer Chancellor
BarrelhouseBeat

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