Mariachi El Bronx

Ever since Minor Threat first laced up their boots in early '80s DC, hardcore has been almost fanatical about purity. In some ways this die-hard dedication to keeping to the formula has been a blessing, giving the movement the clarity of purpose and ability to survive practically unchanged to the modern day. But, sort of like Communism, the strict, dogmatic reliance on tried and tested rhythms and structures has acted like a straitjacket. After all, there's only so much you can do with the whole verse-chorus-verse-chorus-breakdown thing.

Now, what usually happens is bands disavow their hardcore roots and wander off into different things. The Beastie Boys went rap, Ian Mckay went jazz/dance, Give Up The Ghost went electro and Black Flag just sort of wandered off into weird, scary progcore. However, for LA hardcore act the Bronx, the whole conundrum of what to do when hardcore's rules bite has been a little less obvious. Rather than breaking-up and reforming as an acid jazz outfit, the band has crazily split in two, keeping the Bronx name to do all the balls-to-the-wall stuff and coming up with a new identity, Mariachi El Bronx to play strange, Mexican covers of their own songs whilst endulging their life-long passion to dressing like the Three Amigos.


And you know what? Amazingly, in some weird, never-shoulda-worked way, the results have turned out to be pretty spectatular. Vice and Witichita records bang on about them all the time and with thier lazy, burrito-hewed melodies, Mariachi El Bronx should be used to soundtrack every BBQ from here to the big one at the end of the world.