The Fall on Deaf Ears

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The Fall on Deaf Ears
Origin El Paso, Texas, United States
Genres Post-hardcore, punk
Years active1996
LabelsWestern Breed
Past members Cedric Bixler-Zavala
Sarah Reiser
Clint Newsom
Laura Beard

The Fall on Deaf Ears was a musical group from El Paso, Texas [1] that featured guitarist Sarah Reiser, bassist Laura Beard, Cedric Bixler-Zavala of At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta, who played drums, and Clint Newsom of Rhythm of Black Lines and The Hades Kick also on guitar. [2] The band arose from the mid-90s El Paso punk scene.

Contents

Overview

The Fall on Deaf Ears played in the post-hardcore style typical of bands such as The Nation of Ulysses and Circus Lupus. [3] They played live shows with bands such as Propagandhi, Egon, and Select Your Fighter. Beard and Reiser had previously formed the bands Rope and Glitter Girls and had faced criticism for being women in the punk scene. [4] The Fall on Deaf Ears only recorded a handful of songs before they broke up. Beard and Reiser were killed shortly thereafter in a car wreck in 1997. [5] [6] They were both 17 years old. Characterized by the unique vocals of all four members, the band has been described as a "precious document" of the mid-90s El Paso punk era and Texas punk history as a whole. [7]

Bixler-Zavala moved on to At the Drive-In before the dissolution of The Fall on Deaf Ears, which Beard and Reiser sang backup vocals in its early incarnation. [8] He would later write the song "Napoleon Solo" as singer/lyricist with At The Drive-in about the tragedy. The incident has deeply affected the frontman, as evidenced by an interview with Rolling Stone : "I think about them every night. It just sticks with us now. We always play that song about them – ‘Napoleon Solo’ – at the end of our sets. Everything we do is in honor of them." [9] The deaths of Reiser and Beard affected not only Bixler-Zavala but many others in the El Paso scene. Tributes were made from local bands like Egon and Ex-Impetus’ split seven-inch, We Love You, We Miss You. [10] The Musica Sin Fronteras Exhibit in the El Paso Museum of History paid homage to The Fall on Deaf Ears and the two women by dedicating a special section to the group. [11]

The band's recorded material was released in 1997 and titled In Memory 1979–1997, which was a 7-inch single. It also included songs by Rope and was released by Western Breed Records. A self-titled five-song EP was released in 2002 by Post-Parlo Records on CD. [12] In the 5 recorded tracks, samples of Miles Davis' "Bitches Brew" can be heard.

Members

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Kladzyk, René (June 12, 2020). "91 Years of El Paso music history". El Paso Matters. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ Deiterman, Corey (January 31, 2012). "Noise For The Ages: Top Post-Hardcore Guitarists Through the Years". Houston Press . Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  3. ↑ Kevin (January 21, 2021). "Sophie's Floorboard: The Fall On Deaf Ears". Sophie's Floorboard. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  4. ↑ "JTMH Volume 20 | El Paso Punk". www.txst.edu. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  5. ↑ "The Fall on Deaf Ears: The Fall on Deaf Ears". Ink 19. August 22, 2002. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). media.journoportfolio.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 21, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  7. ↑ Chamy, Michael (September 6, 2002). "Phases and Stages". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  8. ↑ Sanchez (RG), Kristin. "Library Research Guides: Communities of Sound: Exploring El Chuco's Punk Rock History & Culture: Reflections on Chuco Punk". epcc.libguides.com. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  9. ↑ Strauss, Neil (February 15, 2001). "At the Drive-In's Identity Crisis". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  10. ↑ Cepeda, Eduardo (June 14, 2017). "At the Drive-In's 'El Gran Orgo' EP Captured a Band Struggling to Survive". VICE. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Talk About El Paso Strong: This Brave El Paso Woman Tells Her Story on How She Conquered Mt. Everest". 95.5 KLAQ. May 28, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  12. ↑ "The Fall On Deaf Ears, un accidente y cómo Cedric Bixler-Zavala escribió «Napoleon Solo» de At The Drive-In". REVENGE OF THE NERDS MX (in Spanish). July 4, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2026.


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