Mariachi el Bronx

'Mariachi El Bronx'

Caustic L.A. punks make a run for the border.

Spin Rating7 of 10

How do you follow three self-titled albums of cranky punk shenanigans? If you’re the Bronx, you make a shockingly credible mariachi record. On Mariachi El Bronx, these West Coast bad boys retain their lyrical grit -- one tune is called “Cell Mates” -- but trade the bruisingly metallic Black Flag guitars for the kind of thrumming acoustic arrangements that have long been a part of Southern California’s sonic landscape. Vincent Hidalgo, son of Los Lobos singerguitarist David, appears, as do the American Idol strings. (Hey, it’s L.A.) Next time: Islamic wedding music?!

By Mikael Wood

1 Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'
2 Lana Del Rey 'Born to Die'
3 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
4 Kathleen Edwards 'Voyageur'
5 Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'
6 The Mark Lanegan Band 'Blues Funeral'
7 Of Montreal 'Paralytic Stalks'
8 Leonard Cohen 'Old Ideas'
9 Imperial Teen 'Feel the Sound'
10 Skrillex 'Bangarang'

1 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
2 Cloud Nothings 'Attack on Memory'
3 Kathleen Edwards 'Voyageur'
4 The Mark Lanegan Band 'Blues Funeral'
5 The Mark Lanegan Band 'Blues Funeral'
6 Leonard Cohen 'Old Ideas'
7 Escort 'Escort'
8 Escort 'Escort'
9 Escort 'Escort'
10 Himanshu 'Nehru Jackets'

Mariachi el Bronx

'Mariachi El Bronx'

The Mark Lanegan Band 'Blues Funeral'

Of Montreal 'Paralytic Stalks'

Van Halen 'A Different Kind of Truth'

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