Centro-matic was an American alternative country band based in Denton, Texas between 1995 and 2014.
Centro-matic started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded in a Millstadt, Illinois studio supplied the material for the quieter, more emotional Navigational on Idol Records and the louder, lo-fi The Static vs. the Strings, Vol. 1 on Quality Park Records.
Throughout his career, Johnson has had a reputation for being prolific and dynamic. So much so, that he built an entirely separate band, the much quieter side-project, South San Gabriel, named after the San Gabriel river fork north of Austin, Texas. The group consists of the same players from Centro-matic with the inclusion of guests, but focuses on more introspective and subdued offerings from Johnson's repertoire. Will has alternated between the two projects, while also releasing solo albums. Centro-matic released Distance and Clime on Idol in 2001 and "Love You Just the Same" on Misra in 2003. South San Gabriel released Welcome, Convalescense and The Carlton Chronicles in 2003 and 2005, respectively. Johnson's solo albums, Murder of Tides and Vultures Await, appeared in 2002 and 2004. Centro-matic followed up Love You Just the Same with Fort Recovery in March 2006. The two-disc set Dual Hawks was released in 2008, with one disc featuring the songs of Centro-matic and the other featuring South San Gabriel.
In September, 2014 the band announced that it would cease performing following their December, 2014 tour. They played their final show at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton, Texas on December 21, 2014.
Links to Peel[]
Peel discovered the band in late 2000 when he played tracks via their All The Falsest Hearts Can Try album. Further material from the group were played on his shows including a session they recorded for his programme in 2001. He nominated their albums, All The Falsest Hearts Can Try, as one of his albums of the month for February 2001 (Peel's Record Box) and Distance And Clime, as records of the months for November 2001 (Peel's Record Box) and December 2001 (Peel's Record Box). Peel would also mention about the place the band were from, named Denton, which was the city where he once worked as an insurance salesman.
Sessions[]
CENTRO-MATIC John Peel 6th May 2001
1. Recorded: 2001-05-06. First Broadcast: 17 May 2001. Repeated: 26 July 2001
- Why Are They Playing So Loud / Without You / Flashes And Cables / Fountains Of Fire
Other Shows Played[]
- Centro-Matic
- 28 November 2000: Most Everyone Will Find Out (album - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 30 November 2000 (Radio Eins): Most Everyone Will Find Out (album - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 05 December 2000: Gas Blowin' Out Of Our Eyes (LP - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 07 December 2000 (Radio Eins): 'Gas Blowin' Out Of Our Eyes (CD-All The Falsest Hearts Can Try)' (Quality Park)
- 26 December 2000: 'Most Everyone Will Find (single)' (Munich)
- 25 January 2001: Gas Blowin' Out Of Our Eyes (CD - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 31 January 2001: Call In The Legion Tonight (CD - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 11 February 2001 (BBC World Service): Call In The Legion Tonight (album - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Quality Park
- 20 February 2001: Call The Legions In Tonight (CD - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- 21 February 2001: 'In The Strategy Room (CD-All The Falsest Hearts Can Try)' (Munich)
- 27 February 2001: Blisters May Come (CD - All The Falsest Hearts Can Try) Munich
- February 2001 (FSK): Ninety Secretaries Down (CD - South San Gabriel Songs / Music) Idol
- 08 March 2001: To Accompany (CD - South San Gabriel Songs / Music) Idol
- 08 March 2001 (Radio Eins): Ninety Secretaries Down (CD - South San Gabriel Songs / Music) Idol
- 16 May 2001: My, My (v/a LP - Band-Kits: A Compilation Of Denton, Texas Music ca. 2000) Quality Park
- 24 May 2001 (Radio Eins): My, My (v/a LP - Band-Kits: A Compilation Of Denton, Texas Music ca. 2000) Quality Park
- 31 October 2001: Scrap The New Rails (LP – Distance And Clime) Munich
- 06 November 2001: The Given Geography (LP – Distance And Clime) Munich
- 14 November 2001: Truth Flies Out (LP – Distance And Clime) Munich
- 15 November 2001 (Radio Eins): Scrap The New Rails (album - Distance And Clime) Munich
- 22 November 2001 (Radio Eins): The Given Geography (LP – Distance And Clime) Munich
- November 2001 (FSK): Janitorial Channel Fail (CD - Distance And Clime) Munich
- 12 December 2001: Actuator's Great (album - Distance And Clime) Munich
- 19 December 2001: Decorated Equals (LP – Distance And Climb) Munich
- 24 January 2002 (Radio Eins): To Unlease The Horses Now (v/a album - The Best Of Americana 2001 (Sounds Of The New West Vol. 3)) Uncut
- 28 November 2002: Upton To Riverhead To Mastic (Various Artists Compilation LP - Awesome II) Munich
- November 2002 (FSK): Upton To Riverhead To Mastic (v/a CD - Awesome II) Munich
- 04 September 2003: Flashes And Cables (LP - Love You Just The Same) Munich
- 09 September 2003: Strahan Has Corralled The Freaks (LP - Love You Just The Same) Munich
- 19 September 2003 (BBC World Service): Reset Anytime (LP - Love You Just The Same) Munich
- 24 September 2003: Picking Up Too Fast (LP - Love You Just The Same) Munich
- 25 September 2003 (Radio Eins): 'Strahan Has Corralled The Freaks' (LP - Love You Just the Same) Munich
- 09 October 2003 (Radio Eins): Picking Up Too Fast (album - Love You Just The Same) Munich
- South San Gabriel
- 10 May 2001: Evangeline (v/a album - Awesome) Munich
- 10 May 2001 (Radio Eins): Evangeline (v/a album - Awesome) Munich