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BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About
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Los Hermanos
Rodriguez: LHR
Ah yeswith a name alluding to Repo Man you start yourself off with a lot to live up to. For those of you not in the snobbery know, Repo Man is packed with wonderful early 80s, LA-area punk gems. Quite a fine movie and soundtrack, but thats not what were here to discuss today. Were gathered here for Los Hermanos Rodriguez, the rival gang of the repo men, of which Emilio Estevez happens to be a newfound member. By wearing this name, youre immediately placing yourself into a genre, or I suppose it could just be homage to the film, but I think you do have to live up to it in a rightful fashion. Can this power trio jump these hurtles theyve set up for themselves? In an era where computers reign and self-production runs rampant, stereo channel panning and layering become abused sometimes well but horribly abused. It is extremely refreshing when a simple little trio comes through with something that sounds like it was recorded in a garage or basement, totally live and unglossed, that is actually good and works. This is high energy, pretty basic, stripped down rock and roll with some ska indulgent undertones. The music is not heavy on the ska, but ska-ish as was Operation Ivy; it sounds like these guys were all in ska outfits back in middle and high school, during one of its waves, and brought their roots with them into a more punk venture. When I say basic, Im not talking down to the sound, Im talking about the muffled, slightly distorted guitar mastering the four chord progression, root picked bass, snappy snare and sometimes nasal, sometimes belted vocals. Its just raw and good. Theyve got a spunk reminiscent of Tito Larriva and the Plugz. The guitarist doesnt just rely on his four-chord mastering, he can actually screech and shred down his guitar like the best of them. His picked melodies are a hell of a lot better than his progressions, which are good themselves. On Problem, Brett Guizzetti wails up and down his fret board with the verse and then jumps into a 60s pop chorus with backing vocals chanting he likes to drink as a response to the speakers confession. Radio Prick is another standout track and a great drunken sing-along piece that gets a bit personal and directional; its probably one of my favorite tracks off this album, and Im curious as to who theyre referring to. That ones definitely worth a listen. Other standouts American Beauty and Fair Weather. This is a great album. It will make both DC and LA proud.
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