There's no better candidate for our first installment than the Bronx. These Los Angeles rockers are the classic 351 Cleveland engine blasting the shit out of every four-banger hardcore band out there. Airtight rhythmic precision and stomping percussion are topped by dragon-throated vocals by way of Matt Caughthran, whose delivery ranks among the very best hardcore has ever seen. If you're a fan of high-energy balls-out groove rock, you need to hear the Bronx. Now.
After playing their first two shows in 2002, A&R guys were already circling like sharks. The band signed to Def Jam / Island shortly thereafter to put out a jaw-dropping debut record (The Bronx). They toured the world for two solid years to promote it, and what started out as a shining gem of 80s-punk-rooted potential returned from the marathon of shows a finely-tuned rock machine. The evidence is clear on their second album (also self-titled), with an exponentially increased sense of dynamics and texture added to their stomping thrash rock sound.
The Bronx have become de facto narrators of life in Los Angeles; they're a product of the city, and the cultural imprint is a key component of their slick, gnashing sound. While their unique blend of punk and hardcore has earned them a cult following, the band’s still pushing boundaries, to say the least. They just finished recording two albums, and one's a mariachi record. Yep, mariachi. They also kicked their former label Def Jam / Island to the curb, planning instead to release the albums themselves on their own label, White Drugs. Three cheers for independence!
There's still no word on the mariachi release, but Bronx III is set to hit on November 11, according to a post on the band's official website (www.thebronxxx.com). You can check out their new track "Knifeman" on their Myspace page as well (http://www.myspace.com/thebronx). Go ahead and download it. That's right, don't be afraid, it's free. And it's a perfect example of their brand of awesome.
I spoke with Bronx guitarist and chief songwriter Joby Ford a while back about the new albums, and he broke down the mariachi motivation: "It’s really exciting to be able to play two different styles of music," he said. "I mean, I’ve always believed that you should be in your favorite band, or be a band that you would wanna go see. And I think I’d definitely be interested to see a band that plays mariachi as well as punk."
You can check out the rest of the interview here.
http://www.antiquiet.com/interviews/2008/06/insensitivity-training-with-joby-ford-of-the-bronx/
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