TRASH ROCKETS

History, Tidbits and Multi-Generational Sonic Mayhem

Louis Siedlecki (vocals) and Leon Oehlers (drums) and Leon’s two sons Lee (guitar) and Matthew (bass) perform and record their original high energy style in a blend of hard edge rock with the intricacies of swing, jazz, country, punk and psychobilly.…a truly unique blend of butt-shakin’ high energy music with a TeXXXas flamethrower attitude.

Louis "Buckaroo Lou" Siedlecki – (Vocals): Original vocalist for The Hangmen and The Five Canadians in the mid 60s. Songwriting and recordings including the single “Writing on the Wall” – 1966 which hit the “top ten” in Canada and Los Angeles airplay markets. (TIDBITS: “Writing on the Wall” is featured on a number of album compilations such as the Pebbles LP/CD and Leaf Records of early garage/punk recordings considered premier musical samples of this style music. Currently considered one of the most sought after singles for collectors/enthusiasts and featured on numerous download websites. Group was featured in the periodical Brown Sack (1997) as one of the prime innovators of the garage/punk sound with featured article references to Louis as one of the premier vocalists and songwriters.) Louis has been referred to as the “grandfather of grunge” on many websites dedicated to collecting this genre of music. Press web reviews of The Five Canadians include the review quotes “…..punk in the original sense of the word.” – RECORD COLLECTOR and “Writing on the Wall” is reason enough for The Five Canadians to be enshrined in the Sundazded Garage of Fame.” – Louis moves on to become lead vocalist for the Texas group Trans Continental Mercy Flight and a appeared in national concerts featuring Canned Heat, The Zombies, and Blues Image. In 1969 Louis teamed up with Leon "Psychodaddy" Oehlers and together were original founding members of the Texas regional psychedelic rock group TOUCHSTONE. Played throughout the region and appeared in concert with such artists as Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, MC5, ZZ TOP, Blue Cheer and many other national acts. Louis also ran point as the lead vocalist for the TOUCHSTONE acoustic “spin-off” group The Coyote Brothers. In 1972 he was chosen as the lead singer for the regional/national touring production of the Tommy Opera by The Who. With a head and ears full of sonic mayhem, Louis decided to "move to Montana and be a dental floss tycoon" and to pursue interests in “non-traditional Bluegrass” music and vocal styling. While farming dental floss in Montana he became the lead vocalist for The Seldom Heard Band playing “non-traditional torqued-up bluegrass” music throughout the U.S. Northern states, Canada and Ireland. The Seldom Heard toured with The Chris Hillman Band and Gene Clark (former co-founders of the Bryds) as well as sharing the stage with such legendary notables as Peter Rowan (The Flying Burrito Brothers). After touring with Seldom Heard, Louis moved back to Texas, reconnected with Leon for songwriting and recording, sang with blues group T.T. Thunderbeard as well as providing lead recording vocals for Free Flow Production Company production of Three For All. Along with Leon, his two sons Lee and Matthew, they formed TRASH ROCKETS in 2002 and built their Leapin’ Lizards Recording Studio and Music Emporium in the backwoods of South Central TeXXXas. "It's all about the music."

Leon “Psychodaddy” Oehlers – (drums & engineering): Leon began playing the steel guitar, guitar and drums at age eleven. By age thirteen he had established an “in demand” reputation as a dance drummer in the South Central Texas region country dancehalls and the legendary “Ice House” country music circuit in San Antonio and other South Central Texas cities. In addition to consistently playing the country dancehalls, Leon continued formal instruction and education in symphonic, stage band swing/jazz/rock performance and contest drumming. From these experiences he developed an eclectic style of drumming that mirrored the musical influences of the region, i.e., classic dancehall/Tex-Mex C & W, Latin, rock n’ roll, blues and soul. Leon co-founded the popular Texas country dancehall group The Mavericks which later joined forces with the future award winning country music star Moe Bandy. They recorded and released four singles and reached the Texas country radio play lists. The group was highly sought after as a back-up dancehall band for many of the touring stars of the Grand Old Opry. Leon gained many years of valuable professional experience backing such notables as Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Rusty and Doug, Doug Kershaw, David Houston, Little Jimmy Dickens, Johnny Bush, Wynn Stewart and many others. After many years with The Mavericks, he joined the New Breed Soul Review show band on the R&B club circuits in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. The New Breeds gained popularity as a top show group within this regional circuit and performed in many of the legendary R&B venues of the d