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The Silos
Biography
One of the pioneering bands of the early alternative country scene, the Silos were the brainchild of vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader Walter Salas-Humara, who was born in Florida to parents who were exiled from Cuba. Salas-Humara began writing songs while he was a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville in the early '80s (where he played in an early version of the Vulgar Boatmen), and by 1985 he had relocated to New York City and was eager to record an album. Salas-Humara began working with bassist and guitarist Bob Rupe, another former Floridian. Calling themselves the Silos, the pair recorded -- with the help of a few friends -- a low-budget album called About Her Steps. Released by a small New York independent label called Record Collect, About Her Steps earned a number of rave reviews, and Salas-Humara and Rupe assembled a touring version of the Silos to support the release on the road.

In 1987, the road-tested Silos went into the studio to record Cuba, which added a tougher and more confident tone to the debut album's blend of jangle and fuzz; the album became another critical favorite, and the band signed a major-label deal with RCA, who released the band's self-titled third set in 1990.