His mother sang in a choir, his older brothers were diehard classic rock fans, and Garza himself worshipped the Mexican music he picked up on his radio. In 1989, following stints in numerous high-school bands, Garza enrolled in the University of Texas-Austin, where he and his oddly named outfit Twang Twang Shaka Boom gained industry attention for Garza's combination of pop-savvy songwriting and Robert Plant-style vocals. After leaving the group to go solo, he gigged continually around and outside the Texas area. At first, Garza rebuffed various offers, choosing instead to record and distribute music on his own. He eventually signed with Lava/Atlantic, who landed him a slot on the Great Expectations soundtrack before releasing his major-label debut, This Euphoria, in April 1998. Garza subsequently drew multiple critical accolades (as well as comparisons to the late Jeff Buckley) and toured with the Smashing Pumpkins and Ani DiFranco; he issued Kingdom Come and Go a year later. ~ Brian Raftery