Loco Gringos

This self-titled CD is was originally issued on the Existential Vacuum label in 1992 after Loco Gringos had broken up; the 2006 CD reissue on Saustex adds a few previously unreleased live bonus tracks, as well as basic historical liner notes. While their name might lead you to expect some sort of unhinged punk-Tex Mex fusion, actually Existential Vacuum was for the most part fairly average late-'80s punk rock with snarl-growl vocals and a caustic, smarmy humor. The tempo might quicken to near-hardcore levels at times, but there are hard rock influences afoot, as well as a bluesy swing in "Nurture My Pig." "Ain't No Corndogs," sung to the tune of Bill Withers' classic soul hit "Ain't No Sunshine," lapses into out-and-out blatant satirical silliness. Yet it's actually not all that typical of an album that seems to want to present a healthily irreverent punked-up brand of ugly rock, but can't prevent an inherent grimness from seeping through. The four bonus live cuts, recorded at an Austin club with an estimated date of Halloween 1987, are of decent sound quality and much the same style, and don't repeat any of the songs from the studio album.