A little more than a week after Buxton and Wild Moccasins signed a deal with the independent New West Records, local country musician Robert Ellis finalized a deal with the label.

George Fontaine, the Houston-based president of the label said New West "is real excited about his stuff."

Ellis has a new album that he says "is completely done, we're just awaiting the artwork" It's the follow-up to his self-released The Great Rearranger and has been playing new tunes at his regular Wednesday gig at Fitzgerald's. The album, titled Photographs, will likely be out in June or July. New West has new albums due from Buddy Miller in March and Steve Earle in April; both are likely to precede it.

Robert Ellis

Also local glam rockers Roky Moon and BOLT! were at SugarHill Recording Studios on Monday making an album for the local ZenHill label, which is co-run by SugarHill's Dan Workman. The album will be part of a new One Day Records series, which true to the name will put bands in the studio to knock out a full recording in a single day. No release date for the recording as yet.

Roky Moon and BOLT!