Egon - Phonetic Disasters - Has Anyone Ever Told You?

Review by: Clint Newsom

Phonetic Disasters deals with the issues any conscious person ponders when making the most important decision in life. “Where do I stand in this world? What ideology do I subscribe to? How can I take this information and create my own system of belief and spirituality? After I’ve figured all this out, how do I make sure people understand me?” Surely the origin of man is an issue that has consumed Mr. Talamantes for as long as I’ve known him. Endless van rides from Austin to El Paso were spent considering the origins of the universe, the power that brings us together as humans and the language we use to make sense of the sprawling mass we’ve inherited. Countless beers have been drunk in search of an agreement on the matter and Talamantes has never been one to saunter around the issues, making sure you leave the discussion with the axioms of his philosophy hammering away in your head.

Flashback. I remember seeing the very first Egon show six years ago. It was held in a REC room of an apartment complex on the far-east side of El Paso, as strange a place as any for the beginning of a philosopher/historian’s musical career. The show was shut down by a valiant police squad after half an hour of nonstop sweat, noise and spontaneity. With no real church of punk, such brief presentations were common in El Paso at the time. Bands would constantly fight for the first time slot, hoping to get out all their yelling and make believe chords in on brief sermon before the Praetorians could peep their heads over the gates. These are the origins of Phonetic Disasters: constant disagreement between kids and Cops, conflict between the lower valley and west side kids, and an inevitable grappling amid the church of punk and the cult of La Virgen. It was hard to understand how a pop band like Egon could stay afloat in the midst of such turmoil.

Talamantes, now a high school master of History, has evolved into a shaper of young minds and a promoter of discourse. He is the quiet Claudian observer, who’ll only tell you his family’s hush-hush history if you have some knowledge of History yourself. He is the thankless hero in a world that seeks to strip you of your ideals and leave you naked on the streets of Juarez out front of Fred’s begging for a ride home. He extends his arm to you; take it and live in a world of reason, clear communication and moral mindedness, refuse and not only have you caused the greatest phonetic disaster, but you’ve probably already been arrested by the police.

Buy Phonetic Disasters if you like any of these: Boys Life, Avalon by Roxy Music, The Regrets, The Afghan Wigs, and Spoon.

Be sure to enter the Has Anyone Ever Told You? contest to win Phonetic Disasters here.

Read where Egon got their name from here.

Read where Has Anyone Ever Told You got their name from here.