It's something of a local coming-out party this weekend for Dallas, Texas, transplant Steve Manuel. He is releasing his first CD, "Comic Book Hero," since becoming a Cincinnati artist five years ago, when he landed in town following his wife's career. Manuel admits to keeping a low music profile.

"At the time I was convinced moving up here was the death knell for any musical career because I was building a following in Texas and came up here where I was an unknown," he said.

Manuel fell in with the "right" musical crowd, hooking up with veteran multi-instrumentalist Josh Seurkamp and Cincinnati guitarist/producer Ric Hordinski, who encouraged him to record. It seems to be a perfect match of regional strengths. Manuel has that great earthy Texas songwriting touch from the state that has produced so many classic songwriters.

Hordinski contributes his tremendous ambient guitar and production know-how producing a dense, sonic experience that brings Manuel's clever lyrics to a soaring texture in what might have otherwise been a more traditional singer-songwriting effort.

Manuel says he came late to the Texas songwriting tradition. He discovered at Texas A&M that a fellow alumnus was Lyle Lovett and realized, "I better get educated in Texas music. I became a raging Lyle Lovett fan."

Manuel performs a pair of release shows 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Monastery, Hordinski's studio/listening room theater at 2601 Stanton Ave., Walnut Hills ($12)