Early catalog of San Antonio-born band Butthole Surfers getting vinyl reissue

Butthole Surfers, the San Antonio-born band that continues to reign as one of Texas’ weirdest musical exports, will reissue key recordings on vinyl through Matador Records.

The reissue series will include material recorded during the Surfers’ “strange, grotesque and ultimately unparalleled first decade,” according to Matador’s online announcement. The first three in the series will drop March 22 and include the albums Psychic… Powerless… Another Man’s Sac (1985) and Rembrandt Pussyhorse (1986) as well as the live EP PCPPEP (1984).

All the records were remastered under the Surfers’ supervision, according to Matador, which also released a new video for the song “Butthole Surfer,” featuring photos by Gail Butensky.

Vocalist Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary, both students at Trinity University, formed Butthole Surfers in 1981. They were later joined by members including drummer King Coffey, who’s remained part of a core trio that still occasionally reunites for performances.

From their punk-inspired roots, the Surfers evolved into a key player the ’80s and ’90s rock underground. The group was known as much for its acid-drenched recorded output as it was for chaotic live shows involving fire, strobe lights and grotesque film montages. 

San Antonio Current writer Bill Baird chronicled the band’s San Antonio years in a 2022 cover story.

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This article appears in Jan 24 – Feb 6, 2024.