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, juasteka, 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.
www.mariachielbronx.com