Originally formed in 1994, the group is fronted by Pistoleros guitarist Mark Zubia and features a talented cast of local stalwarts. The band initially came about when Zubia, bassist Paul "P.C." Cardone and drummer Mike Kellems of Satellite were spending a leisurely Sunday drinking together when they were unexpectedly called upon to perform.
"We were at Long Wong's drinking--day-drunk--when the band that was supposed to open for Satellite canceled," recalls Zubia. "Mike, P.C. and I had jammed together on a couple of songs before. They knew some of the Live Nudes stuff [Zubia's pre-Pistoleros project] and some of the originals as well as a bunch of fuck-off covers so we said, 'Let's just do it.'"
Adding Zubia's former Live Nudes bandmate Greg Simmons on guitar (and later Pistoleros drummer Gary Smith), the group began making its Sunday outing a regular happening. The band--then still nameless--played the slot for close to two years before Zubia left to record the Pistoleros' major-label debut for Hollywood Records. A year of inactivity followed before the group, then occasionally billed as Zubia Cousins, started back up in late '97.
"We didn't practice. Obviously we don't practice," says Zubia with a laugh. "We practice onstage, but after all this time playing together, we have more than two hours' worth of material," says Zubia. The looseness is a large part of their appeal. Whether the group is vamping on blues covers, playing originals or digging out some rarely heard local chestnuts, Los Guys are never anything less than entertaining, and, for all its ramshackle nature, the band's onstage enthusiasm can be infectious.
"We're all friends, so it's an opportunity for all of us to get together, have some drinks and just play," says Cardone.
But beyond the boozy fun lies an accomplished sense of musicianship. Clearly the most dynamic element of the group is the guitar playing of Simmons. Simmons (a former member of the Slims and founder of the Regulars) is currently in the process of putting together a new group and has just completed work mixing several songs for a possible solo album.
With Simmons' band situation in a state of flux, Los Guys has given him a stage to showcase his genuinely dazzling fretwork. "He's a magical man, one of those guys who was born to play that damn guitar," says Cardone. "In the early days, when he was in Live Nudes, he was painfully shy. Now he's really come out of his shell, so to speak," says Cardone.
For Zubia (currently in preproduction on a new Pistoleros record), the group offers him the opportunity to dust off some long-forgotten songs from the local music catalogue. "We do some Live Nudes songs. We play some things that my brother (Pistoleros front man Lawrence Zubia) wrote years ago that no band ever did, like 'She's Gone.' And we also do things like 'Spark'--a song that [former Gin Blossoms guitarist] Jesse Valenzuela and [former Feedbags front man] Jim Swafford wrote."
In addition to the rarely heard local numbers, the group indulges on a choice selection of country and blues tinged covers ranging from "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Faded Love" to "Dead Flowers." "I started in that more bluesy vein as far as what I gravitated towards and what I learned. 'Cause I was a Rolling Stones guy as opposed to a Beatles guy. In a way this is where we all came from--I guess where all musicians come from, really."
For Cardone the group represents an opportunity to make music outside the confines of a "serious" band. "It's never been fully functional or fully dysfunctional either. We've found that we keep it fun by not making it a business and totally serious," says Cardone. "We're serious about playing, but it's just so much easier than the normal band thing. We're just friends that love to play together so there's no drama."
Some of the drama that Cardone refers to recently hit the normally stable Satellite, as rampant breakup rumors surfaced after the group had what Cardone characterizes as a "really big fight." Instead of calling it quits, the band (which already had planned to take a break during August) decided to take the rest of the summer off and let things cool down. Cardone says they plan on getting together at some point in late August, and he's optimistic about the prospects of the group resuming after the "trial separation."
In the meantime, Los Guys continues to perform regularly with a Sunday night slot at Long Wong's, and a Wednesday night residency at the Yucca Tap Room. "We just want to keep on playing gigs that don't interfere with our main projects," says Zubia. "But I don't see us going out to showcase in L.A. anytime soon."
Teen Queens: Palo Alto, California's teen-girl sensations the Donnas have been making a sizable splash with their cross-pollination of the Runaways and Ramones. Following on the heels of 1998's American Teenage Rock & Roll Machine, the group is in similarly fine form on their latest Lookout Records release, Get Skintight. With songs like "Get You Alone," "Hyperactive" and "Hook It Up," the band continues its penchant for crafting the kind of hormone-drenched songs of teen rebellion that nobody tries, or dares, to make anymore.
The Donnas' performance this past Saturday at Boston's proved that their growing reputation is well-deserved. The group played a tight, energetic, if somewhat short set that left an enthusiastic and eclectic throng of fans wanting more. In fact, the show was so crowded it was almost impossible to see the band at all unless you were standing on top of an outdoor perch literally positioned right behind the stage. The crowd, which included aging rock vets, hip indie scenesters and a bevy of local musicians, wasn't disappointed as they were able to glimpse the girls in all their punkish postadolescent glory.
In 1996 and barely out of high school, the group (which features four different girls named Donna) began to draw attention with a string of singles and an eponymously titled full-length release on Super Teem Records. Skintight (produced by Steve and Jeff McDonald of Redd Kross) furthers the group's '70s pop-punk sound by adding a heavier guitar crunch. Admittedly there was more than a little perverse pleasure in watching these young girls mine the crotch-rock aesthetic of arena metal--minus the annoying bombast. Unfortunately, the group's all-too-brief set didn't include their wickedly cheeky cover of Motley Crue's "Too Fast for Love"--a track featured on Skintight.
CBGB Cool: From the London '77 era artwork of their album cover to their rigidly stylized appearance, the Lower East Side Stitches are a kind of punk tribute band playing original songs. It's hard to call their material imaginative--reverent is probably the best way to describe the group's faithful Pistol pastiches and Clash-inspired rantings.
Produced by former Ramones associate Daniel Rey, their latest album Staja98L.E.S. (and their first for the BMG-distributed Ng Records) has all the right sonic touches. Full of blaring guitars and surprisingly hummable melodies, the album is always aggressive, often fun, but rarely unique. Although they hold their punk forefathers in high regard, the band is respectful of little else. With songs like "Parasite," "Disgusted," and "Down the Drain," they specialize in anthemic punk diatribes detailing despondency, boredom and general snottiness.
On "N.Y.C. Is Dead," the group laments the "Giulianization" of the city's once slum-filled culture ("Can't drink in the street/Or even take a leak"). The band will attempt to transform the Nile Theater into a decadent wasteland along with T.S.O.L., the U.K. Subs, D.O.A., Murphy's Law and others as part of the Social Chaos tour. The tour will make a stop at the Nile on Friday, July 23. The all-day show starts at 2 p.m., with tickets priced at $18.
Celebration Time: Local funk collective Dislocated Styles will be celebrating the release of their first full-length CD, Elevator Music, with a special all-ages performance and party at Boston's this Friday, July 16.
The show is being presented by the Jim Beam Backroom and Triple J. Worldwide and also will feature California bands Papa Roach, Even Rude, and Alien Ant Farm. Colorado's Sucker and local favorites Warsaw are slated to appear on the bill as well. The Edge's (106.3 FM) Michael Beck will host the evening's festivities. Dislocated Styles' debut EP, Spankin' the Funky, was released in 1997. Tickets for the event can be purchased the day of the show for $8.
A similarly celebratory mood will be in effect at the Rhythm Room on Sunday, July 18, as the Phoenix Blues Society marks its 10th anniversary. The group, which has been instrumental in preserving and promoting the local blues scene, is throwing an all-day concert and barbecue for the occasion. Music will be provided by a host of Valley vets including Sistah Blue, Chuck Hall, Hans Olson, and Chico Chism. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m., with music scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Cover is $5.
--Bob Mehr
Contact Bob Mehr at his online address: [email protected]