Foss (2)

Foss was an American post-hardcore/punk/emo band active between 1993 and 1995 in El Paso, Texas. It's notable as the first group established by drummer and rock vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala (b. 1974), the leading member of internationally renowned bands At The Drive-In and The Mars Volta. The second co-founder, Beto O'Rourke (b. 1972), became a Democratic Party politician, serving as the US Representative for Texas's 16th congressional district in 2013–19 and running in the 2018 Senate election in Texas. His career revitalized a much broader interest in a relatively obscure band, with leading music publications, like Spin Magazine, Pitchfork, and Alternative Press, commenting on the Texan candidate's past involvement with Foss and even Reuters calling Beto an "ex-punk rocker" in the breaking news headline. The Republican Party of Texas attempted to mock O'Rourke by tweeting the cover of the band's debut single, 5832632, with Beto wearing his girlfriend's dress; the plan somewhat backfired as liberal media turned the narrative 360°, reporting on the record's musical value and even drawing parallels between Beto's pledge to reject financial contributions from political action committees in the Senate campaign and the DIY ethos he practiced in the early punk days. In August 2018, the band's debut 7" was published online by Latin American online magazine Remezcla, which also posted a detailed article interviewing Bixler-Zavala. In March 2020, Cedric, who supported Bernie Sanders, shared his disappointment with O'Rourke endorsing Joe Biden in the 2020 elections. Beto O'Rourke and Cedric Bixler first met at the local "Campus Queen" venue in El Paso at one of the punk shows organized by Ed Ivey of Rhythm Pigs. Cedric subsequently spoke about Beto as the crucial early influence and "sort of the older brother/mentor" with whom he learned the tropes of making music. In early 1993, Bixler-Zavala on drums and O'Rourke on bass formed Foss ("waterfall" in Icelandic). Inspired by the DIY ethics of punk labels and zines like Dischord Records and Maximumrocknroll, Cedric and Beto also launched their independent label, Western Breed Records. The inaugural release and Foss debut, 5832632 7", came out in April 1993. Curiously, the band's self-titled demo and the subsequent 1995 album, 11020823, came out on unsigned tapes. Foss embarked on two US and Canadian tours, disbanding in 1995 due to O'Rourke's admitted realization that he wasn't that good at playing music, further pressured by his family to focus on gainful employment and address the piling up student loans from Columbia University. Foss line-up Cedric Bixler-Zavala — drums, vocals Beto O'Rourke — bass guitar, vocals Arlo Klahr — guitar, vocals Mike Stevens — guitar, vocals