BigHassle.Com: El Bronx

Mariachi El Bronx

Los Angeles based punk band "The Bronx" - aptly named after the left coast borough - has for the last 6 years redefined what punk means, sounds like, and doesn't look like. After 3 self titled full
lengths, countless tours all over the world, more 7 inches and eps then one can count, the band returns with their latest offering, yet another self titled full-length: Mariachi El Bronx

As follows: according to the band...
Mariachi El Bronx was probably conceived in August of 2006 in Los Angeles' infamous "Downtown Rehearsal." It all started as a way to flip the Electric goes acoustic performance garbage, because that's never good. We were invited to play live on television but decided that a cheesy acoustic version of our song was not what we wanted to do. The Original El Bronx line up, or at least as it appeared on TV. featured guest appearances from Zander Schloss ( Wierdos, circle jerks) and Keith Douglas (Mad Caddies). The project triggered something inside all of us that was unexpected. It's almost impossible to explain, but it felt like discovering a second soul within you. We instantly started writing new songs. The body of this record was written all over the world. As the Bronx played, El Bronx wrote. Inspired by the jungles and beaches of New Zealand, "sleepwalking" was one of the first songs written, along with "my brother the gun." The music for Quincenera was written under the German summer sun. And so on, and so on. Once we were home the territorial pissings of punk once again worked their way into our lives as we completed writing what was to become Bronx III and Mariachi El Bronx. we discovered that we had more than enough songs for a record, now it was time to cement the sound. Vincent Hidalgo, son of David Hidalgo (los lobos, latin playboys) joined El Bronx in late 2007. Vincent really helped bring everything together as a unit we poured our heart and soul into every song, musically and lyrically. Jon Avilla (Oingo Boingo) was picked out of a prison line up to produce the record. It was at his studio in the San Gabriel Valley where we put the finishing touches on the record. What had started as an act of rebellion had become something bigger than the sum of its parts. Alfredo Ortiz (beastie boys / money mark)
plays percussion and an unnamed string quartet that did us a "solid" but wouldn't give us their names due to contractual obligations to the television show "American idol". Mariachi El Bronx
touches on many facets of mariachi music, the most well know being norteno as well as jorocho, wasteka, bolero and corridos. It may seem strange for a band that blasts the audience into outer
space every night to take this direction, but mariachi music is every bit as much of a soundtrack to southern California as punk. They are seamlessly intertwined. The band will perform in a variety of different ways, sometimes incorporating mariachi into their punk set, sometimes 2 nights at a venue performing each band respectively, often times having one band open up for the other. Check your local listings. We very much enjoyed making this album, and we hope that you receive the same enjoyment out of listening to it.
- Mariachi El Bronx (the Bronx)

Matt Caughthran - Vox
Joby J. Ford - vihuela
Ken Horne - guitar
Brad Magers - trumpet
Vincent Hidalgo - guitarron
Jorma Vik - drums

Click on a thumbnail to download that hi res JPEG (suitable for publication):

QUINTESSENTIAL LA PUNK BAND THE BRONX RELEASES
SELF-TITLED NEW RECORD AS MARIACHI EL BRONX

ALBUM AND ACCOMPANYING COLOGNE BOTH CAPTURE
THE ESSENCE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND MEXICO

The latest offering from Los Angeles punk band The Bronx, like its previous releases, encapsulates the ethos of their hometown. This time, however, the band takes a slightly different approach- by taking audiences on a border-bending journey of the senses and performing as Mariachi El Bronx. The band’s self-titled full-length will be released on September 1st on Swami Records. The soulful, passionate musical influences of Mexico, achieved by such exotic elements as norteno, jorocho, wasteka, bolero and corridos, combine with the band’s songwriting expertise to provide a sun-drenched summer soundtrack equally appropriate to Los Angeles as south of the border.

This embodiment of The Bronx was originally conceived as a new twist on the electric-goes-acoustic performance. Citing the influence of various worldwide locales, as well as the addition of guitarron player Vincent Hidalgo (son of David Hidalgo of Los Lobos and Latin Playboys,) eventually Mariachi El Bronx was born. The record was produced by Jon Avilla, and features percussion by Alfredo Ortiz and orchestration by an unnamed but renowned string quartet.

The band will perform in a variety of different ways, sometimes incorporating mariachi into their punk set, sometimes playing two nights at a venue performing each band respectively, often having one band open for the other.

Though at the outset this reincarnation of The Bronx as a mariachi outfit may seem like a departure, it in fact deviates little from the band’s original path. According to the band, “mariachi music is every bit as much a soundtrack to southern California” as The Bronx’s raucous punk rock. With Mariachi El Bronx, the band yet again proves it can and will redefine what punk means, sounds like, and doesn’t look like.

Just as Mariachi El Bronx attempts to capture the aural essence of Mexico and its palpable influence on Southern California, the band introduces a cologne to harness that essence in a fragrance, to be released in conjunction with the new record. Barrio Sweat is warm and masculine… inhale for initial notes of leather, sage, thyme and green fig… exhale and experience earth properties of adobe, loose sand and dry grass transporting a finish of sweet agave and caramelized goat’s milk. Each bottle of Barrio Sweat comes complete with a larvae of the agave snout weevil imported from Jalisco, drowned at the bottom of this mystical potion, reminiscent of the finest Mezcal. Barrio Sweat, just like Mariachi El Bronx, captures the intoxicating magic of Mexico, while honoring the time-honored traditions and values of another age that continue to shape the “barrios” of today- in Los Angeles and beyond.

Publicity Contact:
Jim Merlis
Big Hassle Media
jim@bighassle.com