Los Explosivos

Lots of folks go South of the Border when they're looking for fireworks or recreational chemicals they can't get at home, and in that fine tradition, Mexico City's Los Explosivos are a band whose debut album is guaranteed to blow up in your face and knock you flat on your butt. Los Explosivos play garage punk that lets the garage and punk sides of the formula fight it out in a cage match until they're both bloody and the crowd is screaming for more; Sabu and Carlos let loose with overflowing portions of raw, fuzzy guitar work, and bassist Alonso lands a solid but jumping low-end pulse underneath 'em while Ernesto pounds out a mighty beat on the drums and howls like a madman at the same time, possessed by the holy ghost of rock & roll on vocals. Los Explosivos aren't reinventing the wheel on this set — any band that plays "Louie Louie" is clearly honoring the classics, even if they do change the name to "Luie Luie" and kick it out en español. But they play each song like their lives depended on it, the band wails with maximum energy and just the right amount of sloppy fury for 27 hard-shaking minutes, and there are plenty of American bands who've enjoyed 15 minutes of fame on the garage underground with recordings noticeably less impressive than this. Put Los Explosivos on repeat, crank open some tequila, invite some friends over, and just wait for your party to get real wild real fast. You can thank me (or call your bail bondsman) later.