Fayuca

In a scene awash with hardcore kiddies and cooler-than-you indie acts, the local reggae-punk hybrid renegades in Fayuca stand out like potheads at a policemen’s ball. The band’s highly improvisational new CD, Black Market, ebbs and flows with a fusion of south-of-the-border soul and barrio punk, complete with chunky guitars, reverb-laden keyboards, and ever-shifting time changes. Like sets of sweet waves rolling in, Sabbathy riffs and punky double-time drum beats intermix with the constant half-time, bass-driven ska-ggae feel that underwrites most of the CD. In fact, the generous amalgam of genres is its saving grace — without it, Fayuca would just sound like a half-baked Sublime knockoff. Thankfully, the band had the good sense to mix things up. The majority of the bouncy 14 tracks were penned in the studio, with songs like “Mourning Dub” written literally with the push of the record button.