Bob Rupe

The Silos is an American rock band formed by Walter Salas-Humara and Bob Rupe in New York City, United States in 1985.

History

Prior to starting the Silos, Salas-Humara had been a member of The Vulgar Boatmen, and Bob Rupe was in Florida bands, The Roll N Pinz, The Cichlids, Crank and The Bobs, as well as Screaming Sneakers. The Silos put out the independently released album ''About Her Steps'' in 1986, which received a warm critical reception. The band's 1987 follow-up album, ''Cuba'', also independently released, received even more recognition. The Silos were named Best New Artist in the Rolling Stone magazine critics' poll. ''Cuba'' continues to be cited as highly influential among alternative country artists. The band subsequently signed to RCA Records and released their self-titled third album, produced by Salas-Humara and Rupe along with Peter Moore. Commonly referred to as "the bird album" or "The One With The Bird On The Cover," ''The Silos'' led to the band's network TV debut appearance on ''Late Night with David Letterman''.

Salas-Humara quit the band following the release of ''The Silos'', and purchased the rights to The Silos name from Rupe in 1991, thus dissolving the partnership. Subsequent albums included ''Hasta La Victoria'' (1992), ''Susan Across The Ocean'' (1994), ''Heater'' and its remix companion ''Cooler'' (both 1998). After ''Heater'' was recorded, Salas-Humara turned the band into a three piece with Drew Glackin on bass and lap steel guitar and Konrad Meissner on drum and backing vocals. The subsequent records were ''Laser Beam Next Door'' (2001), ''When The Telephone Rings'' (2004), and the live ''This Highway Is A Circle'' followed. Bloodshot Records released the Silos' 2007 offering, ''Come On Like The Fast Lane''. In 2008, Glackin died. Salas-Humara and Meissner continue to perform with other players. In 2011, the band released ''Florizona'' with Rod Hohl playing bass, Bruce Martin on keyboards and Jason Victor on guitar.

Salas-Humara has also released the solo albums, ''Lagartija'' (1988) (which also featured Bob Rupe), ''Radar'' (1995) and most recently, ''Curve and Shake'' (2014). He joined Alejandro Escovedo and Michael Hall in a side project called the Setters. The novelist and music aficionado Jonathan Lethem called Salas-Humara "a melodic genius, one of our greatest songwriters." ''Rolling Stone'' said Salas-Humara "has a deft songwriting touch, creating terse, stripped-down songs as elegant as Shaker furniture.

Bob Rupe went on to record with House of Freaks, Gutterball and Sparklehorse. Prior to starting Silos he was well established as a producer and engineer in South Florida, handling production for Psycho Daisies, The Chant and The Preachers. He was a member of Cracker from 1994 to 2000 and has appeared as a guest artist on releases by many other artists including Freedy Johnston, Joan Osborne, Steve Wynn, Daniel Johnston and Garrison Starr. Bob Rupe has also mastered records for a variety of artists across many musical styles including Charlie Pickett (Bar Band Americanus).

Discography

*1985: ''About Her Steps'' (Record Collect)
*1987 ''Cuba'' (Record Collect)
*1990: ''The Silos'' (aka ''The One with the Bird on the Cover'') (RCA) U.S. #140Billboard AllMusic
*1992 ''Hasta la Victoria!'' (Normal Records)
*1994 ''Susan Across the Ocean'' (Watermelon Records)
*1994 ''Diablo'' (European version of ''Susan Across the Ocean'') (Normal Records)
*1994 ''Ask the Dust: Recordings 1980-1988'' (reissue of ''About Her Steps'' and ''Lagartija'' alter Salas-Humara (Watermelon Records)
*1997 ''Long Green Boat'' (Greatest Hits with live tracks) (Last Call Records)
*1998 ''Heater'' (Checkered Past Records)
*1998 ''Cooler'' (Re-mixes of ''Heater'') (Normal Records)
*2001 ''Barcelona'' (Live) (Return to Sender Records/Normal Mail Order)
*2001 ''Laser Beam Next Door'' (Checkered Past Records)
*2001 ''Nuestra Vida'' (Greatest Hits) (Discmedi)
*2004 ''When the Telephone Rings'' (Dualtone Records)
*2006 ''This Highway Is a Circle'' (Live CD + DVD) (Blue Rose Records)
*2007 ''Come On Like the Fast Lane'' (Bloodshot Records)
*2011 ''Florizona'' (Sonic Pyramid)
*2022 ''Family''

Related projects

*1988 Walter Salas-Humara, ''Lagartija'' (Record Collect)
*1990 The Vulgar Boatmen, ''You and Your Sister'' (Record Collect)
*1992 The Vulgar Boatmen, ''Please Panic'' (Safe House Records)
*1993 The Setters, ''The Setters'' (with Alejandro Escovedo and Michael Hall) (Blue Million Miles Records; re-released in 1994 on Watermelon Records)
*1994 Walter Salas-Humara, ''Lean'' (Live) (Return to Sender Records/Normal Mail Order)
*1994 Walter Salas-Humara, ''Ask the Dust: Recordings 1980-1988'' (reissue of ''About Her Steps'' and ''Lagartija'' olo (Watermelon Records)
*1995 The Vulgar Boatmen, ''Opposite Sex'' (Blanco y Negro)
*1996 The Setters, ''Dark Ballad Trash'' (Return to Sender Records/Normal Mail Order)
*1996 Walter Salas-Humara, ''Radar'' (Watermelon Records)
*2000 Woozy, ''Woozy'' (with Dave Bassett) (Last Call Records)
*2003 The Vulgar boatmen, ''Wide Awake'' (Selections from the studio albums plus four new tracks) (No Nostalgia)
*2008 I'm Not Jim (with novelist Jonathan Lethem), ''You Are All My People'' (Bloodshot Records)
*2014 Walter Salas-Humara, ''Curve and Shake'' (Sonic Pyramid)

References

External links

The Silos official site

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silos
Musical groups established in 1985
Musical groups from New York City
Bloodshot Records artists
1985 establishments in New York (state)