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Well, what can I say? SXSW was great for GLAMBILLY! We were part of 2 great shows: SAUSTEX: “A TOWN SOUTH OF AUSTIN Part 2”, and CORNELL HURD’s: “VIVA SOUTH AUSTIN PARTY,” featuring Bill Kirchen, Billy D., legendary Frankie Miller, and Texas Swing icon and legend, of course, Cornell Hurd. This posting is a rundown of the SAUSTEX showcase; Cornell’s showcase will follow shortly.

SAUSTEX: “A TOWN SOUTH OF AUSTIN Part 2”.
I came to San Antonio 10 years ago and have never felt like a stranger. I was born and raised in rural Appalachia in the tri-state region of Southeastern Ohio, Western West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky – a long way from San Antonio. San Antonio has always felt like home to me. When I moved to the Alamo City maybe 10 years ago I lived on the Southside over around Pecan Valley and Southcross. At the time, I didn’t have a job so I moved in with my girlfriend and her parents. 6 months later I was still there, still unemployed, and my girlfriend and I had broken up. 8 months later I was STILL there, except by now my (ex) girlfriend was going out on dates and I was staying home with her parents watching T. V. At some point along the way, my car broke down and I had no transportation. When I finally got a job, I had a 3 hour commute every day from the Southside to the Medical Center; every morning, 6 AM, you could find me huddled with the masses, in Travis Park, trying to stay warm, waiting to catch my VIA transit [bus] transfer from the 28 Porter St. line to the 92 Outbound -- believe it or not, there are better places to be in San Antonio at 6 AM than Travis Park. This was my intro. to San Antonio. Despite it all, I loved the city. I still love San Antonio. Some people don’t get it, and that’s all that needs to be said; they don’t get it. I get it. I love it. San Antonio is the place I call home now.

Friday night, March 20th, the HABANA BAR, Austin, TX, SXSW, was a celebration of San Antonio music. This WAS a stellar showcase; from GLAMBILLY, to THE KRAYOLAS AND THE WEST SIDE HORNS, to MITCH WEBB AND THE SWINDLES, to DE LOS MUERTOS, to PINATA PROTEST, to BOXCAR SATAN, there were NO weak links. To be part of this showcase was truly an honor and a privilege for me. Besides being a great guy, Jeff Smith is one of the smartest cats I know. He is also one of the most passionate people I’ve met in some time when it comes to music. Friday night was a magical San Antonio night and Jeff was the guy who orchestrated it, all I can say is I’m so happy I was a part of it.

Much thanks to the following: stage manager Matt Hiland for making the night go down smoothly and for being so supportive in every way imaginable; Jim Beale, Jr. and the San Antonio Express News for being there and covering the event and for being so dedicated to music in general; the Habana Bar for providing the property where this magical night transpired; The Habana Restaurant across the street for the shot of espresso at 12 AM Friday night that saved my life; THE KRAYOLAS, MITCH WEBB AND THE SWINDLES, DE LOS MUERTOS, PINATA PROTEST, and BOXCAR SATAN for not only being great people but great musicians as well, and making the night possible; The San Antonio Current for the pre-showcase / SXSW coverage.

Special thanks, as well, to my drummer, Bobby Natanson. I am truly lucky to play with such a great drummer and thanks, Bobby, for sticking with me all these years – if you’re in San Antonio on April 30th, check out Bobby Natanson’s drum clinic at Sam Ash (check website for details), GLAMBILLY will be playing a short set in support of Bobby’s talents as a musician/drummer.

Friday night was also a special night because we were joined by legendary guitarist and Texas Music luminary, Casper Rawls. Casper is San Antonio born and raised, so it seemed apropos that he be there; thanks so much Casper, not just for Friday but for being a part of my music since I came to Texas.
I also need to thank the Pullin family (my ex-girlfriends folks) for their magnanimity all those years ago; I had no place to go and had they kicked me out it’s hard to tell where I might have wound up and I quite possibly would have missed the SAUSTEX showcase. Thanks not only to the GLAMBILLY fans but all the fans of San Antonio music that made the drive to Austin and the Habana Bar and braved the traffic and the SXSW madness to show their support and be a part of this night.

Also, thanks to Drew and Judy for letting us crash at their pad and for taking us to and from the Austin Convention Center and taxiing us around SXSW, making our lives MUCH easier and less stressful. Special thanks also go out to Steve Circeo at T4TX for all his publicity support and for being an all around good friend, great guy, and for believing in the music. And, special, special, special thanks to my promo. and merchandising gal and great friend, Layla Felan, who not only made SXSW possible for GLAMBILLY but makes every GLAMBILLY show possible. And I know you’re supposed to complain about SXSW in general and wristbands and badges and how corporate the event has become but I have to say, everyone at SXSW from parking garage attendants to major movers and shakers, to catering, to door people, to sound people, were all great and treated us very well. And thanks to the city of Austin, Texas for having SXSW where we could gather and celebrate this great night of San Antonio music.

If there are any more copies of the SUASTEX “A TOWN SOUTH OF AUSTIN VOLUME 2” sampler floating around, I recommend you all try and get your hands on one. This sampler features all the bands on the SXSW showcase and is actually a GREAT sampler! Samplers usually tend to be hit or miss and contain much filler, but this sampler is just like the Friday Night showcase: top notch from track 1 to track 12.

And to get a sense of what you missed or to recap, please read Jim Beal, Jr’s. review of the night at the San Antonio Express news via the following link:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/SXSW_highlights_town_south_of_Austin.html.
For more blogging and further review of “A TOWN SOUTH OF AUSTIN VOLUME 2” SXSW San Antonio Showcase, stay tuned for further postings. Peace, love, analog. Do the math. - Hans

REVIEW
Hans Frank & The Auslanders - Glambilly!
by Steve Circeo

One look at his hair, which resembles the end result of a Saturday morning cartoon electrocution, tells you that if Hans Frank is part of the Texas Country Music scene, then he's definitely on the fringe. However, Frank's time as the cleancut leader of critically acclaimed country band 10 City Run firmly establishes his credibility in the genre. Well, 10 City Run was officially killed off late last year, and Frank subsequently re-emerged as the leader of The Auslanders, who comprise the ageless Bobby Natanson on drums and the legendary Pete Mitchell on guitar. I hadn't seen The Auslanders' live show, and hadn't heard the live album they released, so I wasn't really sure what to expect from the band's first studio release. But, having heard the solo demo Hans had made last year, I have to admit, I was pretty sure I'd like it.

The first sound out of the speakers when I put Glambilly! into the CD player, was a keyboard playing a rumba beat. (Okay, I admit, I don't know a rumba from a samba from the frickin' Macarena, but the name of the song has "rumba" in it, so I'm taking a chance that it's a rumba beat.)

After a few bars, Hans started singing,

I hear that train a-comin'.
It's comin' 'round the bend.
I ain't seen the sunshine, since I don't know when.

I think, "Hey, I know that song," and, sure enough, the tune is called "Folsom Prison Rumba" (that's right, "rumba"), and it is easily the coolest cover of Johnny Cash's song I've ever heard. It embodies what I consider to be the primary reason to do a cover tune, and that is to put a new spin on it, make it your own.

Besides "Folsom" and a darker take on the Bob Wills classic "Stay All Night" — a similar version of this song appeared on the 10 City Run album Somethin' Else — Hans includes eight originals on Glambilly! that give us an idea of what scary things may be going on inside his wildly coiffured head.

n order of appearance, "Last Night" is the first-person account of a wacko who killed a stray dog just for fun and then has his woman leave him. "Regular" is a song about sobriety. The use of cowbell in that song and elsewhere on the record would make fictional record producer Bruce Dickinson very happy. "I Love the Women" has Hans admitting that "these women make a fool out of me." That may tell us where he's coming from when he shouts "Get The Hell Outta My House" over and over in the next song, which, as you may learn from an Auslanders live show, is relatable to anyone "who has ever had a Cops moment." The tune features some frenetic drumming and a vocal performance by Frank to match it.

"Laura's Store" is a cool jam song that leads us into the best three-song segment of the album: "Easter '94," "Bleed," and "Tar Tool." Thematically, none of these songs is a pick-me-up, by any means, but "Easter '94," with its me-first attitude, and "Tar Tool," a country song about a zombie, are good fun to sing along with.

The tune in the middle of the triplet, "Bleed" is a beautifully bit of melancholy — and that's when Hans Frank is at his best. With his deep voice and an imposing bass line, Hans delivers one of the finest songs of the year in "Bleed," a tune that is instantly relatable to anyone who has lived life a little:

A good friend is so hard to find.
The people you know ain't worth a damn.
I got the ball. I know I'm right. I'm stuck here on the ground.
That don't mean it don't hurt, when you all pile on.
Don't you ever, ever let 'em see you bleed.

That's a Frank assessement of a man down on his luck, but who has not given up the fight dammit!

10 City Run's Somethin' Else was a really good record, but if you look at the credits, you'll see that the darkets ones are those penned by Hans Frank. Now free of the constraints imposed by record label executives, Frank is able to explore his darker side more fully, and he does so with Glambilly!. But, don't worry, Hans hasn't forsaken the lighter side of his old band — the songs are still primarily upbeat and even danceable. He just takes 10 City Run one step beyond. Yeah, that's right: on a scale of 1 to 10 (City Run), Glambilly! goes to 11.

June 2008) Hans Frank was the leader of a nationally successful band, 10 City Run. But with that band now part of history, what has Hans been up to lately? Bobby Natanson is still drumming with him, and they, along with legendary guitarplayer Pete Mitchell, now call themselves either Hans Frank and the Auslanders or Glambilly. The sound is rocknrollcountry with a definite edge, and the band is on the verge of a breakout.

One thing you know even from only a casual conversation with Hans Frank: this man is comfortable in his own skin. He's happy being himself, even if that makes him less accessible to some music fans. Problem is, though, that given the big, spiked hair, the mean bass beats, and the, okay, I'll say it, sometimes weird lyrics, there are probably a lot of Hans Frank fans out there who may never know it.

You may take a look at Hans and say, "I don't get it," but the fact is, there's really not a whole lot to get. This is just well-written fringe-country music, performed by a trio of terrific musicians who, by the way, have all performed at the Grand Ole Opry. How many bands can claim that?

Check 'em out in person at a venue near you. 

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You only have 16 days before the dawn of a new era:

. . . the time has come . . . no more frat country, no more sons and/or children of millionaires posing as outlaws . . . no more slobs . . . watch as the weak and medicore scurry like rats . . . GLAMBILLY! BILL MONROE meets THE NEW YORK DOLLS! Prepare to have fun again . . .

Special thanks go out to Hank Moon at 92.5 in San Antonio, several people have contacted me to say they've heard BLEED spun on THE OUTLAW -- so far as I know, Hank was the first one to add Hans Frank to his rotation since we first sent out the single a few weeks ago. Thanks bro, and keey the faith.

Best,

- Hans

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People have informed me there were audio problems with the newly added song PORTLAND, OREGON . . . I apologize for the inconvenience and the repost . . . all issues have been remedied . . . following is initial post: A friend of mine sold and dealt with Persian Rugs and had flown to Portland, Oregon, he thought, on business. He was to stay with an Iranian woman from whom he was to buy several rugs; however, upon his arrival, he discovered a note in which the woman said she'd been called to New York on last minute business and would be back some time within the week. She also asked my friend to keep an eye on her 13 year old daughter. The teenage girl was troubled but my friend came to know her somewhat and thought she was ultimately a good kid; he felt sorry for her in the absence of her jet-setting mother who was gone from home more than not, often chasing younger men. Every few days the mother would call my friend and tell him: "I'll be flying out on a red-eye tomorrow night" but she'd never show . . . this went on for 2 & 1/2 months. The teenage girl would go to downtown Portland and get into trouble with her friends and my friend would go looking for her in an attempt to prevent serious harm from befalling her. He'd walk the streets of Portland and ask strangers: "I'm looking for a girl, she's 13 years old, have you seen her? She's had too much to drink, and she's all made up . . . have you seen her?" He was always afraid his intentions would seem dubious and ultimately get him in trouble for trying to do the right thing -- an ongoing theme in his life . . . the part about trying to do the right thing. This weeks demo. cut in consideration for my upcoming EP is called Portland, Oregon. Check it out and please give me feedback, leave comments, etc. And for those of you that don't know what I'm talking about or have just joined Hans Frank's myspace, check the blog archive titled: "Ronnie James Dio, Used Car Salesmen, and New Music" for further details. Basically: I will be going back into Tommy Detamore's legendary CHERRY RIDGE STUDIO to record 3-4 songs of what will be a 5-6 song EP. I've demoed 9 other songs and will be posting a new song every week and be asking you all to listen to, comment on, and rate these songs and at the end of 9 weeks, whatever songs you all dig the most will go on the EP. Last week's song was REGULAR, this week it's PORTLAND, OREGON. Also, for some reason, when folks click on the option to "rate" songs, they get an error message . . . not sure why this is and myspace technical support is a no show. Just drop me a line and/or post a general comment. Also, the volume on this weeks cut is a bit low so you'll have to turn it up. Thanks again for your support and may the road rise with you. - Hans

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People have asked / encouraged me to post the video for CITY OF ANGELS (DUMB OL' COUNTRY BOY) from the 10 CITY RUN days so I am posting it. This video was shot at the Bandera Country Jail in Bandera, Texas. It premiered in the Spring of 2006 on CMT's TOP 20 COUNTDOWN hosted by Hank Williams, Jr. which is an odd juxtaposition given, thematically, the song is the antithesis of the family values sap peddled as "Country" music these days in Nashville. The video still gets spins on CMT and GAC as well so you might see it late some night while surfin' the tube. . . The video and shooting thereof was a bit unnerving as well, there had been inmates in the cell where we shot just minutes prior to our shooting - it is my understanding they were moved into solitary so we could shoot the video. Hats off to Bob Phillips of Texas Country Reporter and his crew. Bob asked me to sum up the song in a few words and I said: THE KILLER INSIDE ME by Jim Thompson, accordingly the outcome was the video which went on to win a 2006 ACE AWARD. Anyways, be sure and check it out and thanks for your support, - Hans Frank