Feature Band
"Sorry, the best we can offer is a bunch of bleeding heart romantics, who never really get the girl. Los Gallos represent the many oxymorons that exist in the culture. Where El Gallo is a symbol of machismo and bravado, these Gallos enjoy writing songs about the one that got away, the one that could have been or the one that will never be. Almost enough heartache to give a Gallo a complex. But, we know it takes a real Gallo to make gallitos." Los Gallos are a Houston based quartet featuring Chuck Pena on vocals and percussion, Max Rios on guitar and vocals, Odi Rodriguez on bass and vocals, and Izzy Lopez Jr. on drums. The group has been together for two years and is active in the greater Houston music scene. They have just released their new EP, entitled "Barrio Boogie", under Tōn It Up Records and are currently planning small tours in Texas and Mexico. The CD is comprised of five original tunes that range somewhere between Elvis Costello, the Gin Blossoms, to Guns n Roses (Is there a correlation? You be the judge). Rios claims that a lot of his lyrical inspiration centers on relationships either falling apart, coming together, or never happening at all. He says most of his ideas come from personal experience, not always his own, but from people around him. He also confesses, "tele-novelas" (Spanish soap opera's) are a good source for juicy stuff. There is one song (Mr. Ugly Stick) that carries a bit of a political tone and was written on September 12, 2001. On occasion we get a little pissed off and music is a good way of easing some of life's anxieties. When asked why they chose a gallo to represent the group, Pena explains, "all the cool animals were taken up - Los Jaguares, Los Tigres, Los Palaminos, Los Tucanes, Los Lobos, and so on. We basically wanted to be a bit comical about it. Not that we don' take ourselves seriously, but we like to just have fun. You know it's worked for us, because everyone can say pico de gallo." Catch Los Gallos Live! |
Los Gallos hail from the industrial east-end of Houston, TX. The side where the sun comes up first and the blue collars never fade. It's home to the cultural clashes of norteno, rap, conjunto, rock, cumbia, jazz, taquerias, and hierberias. Where a killer Santana groove sets the pace for a nice long cruise on the endless highway to chillsville. Barrio Boogie is the debut EP from Houston's Los Gallos (Click a song title to hear it as a MP3) "Ahora O Nunca is the classic, 'girl next door', story. It features a guy falling for the girl next door but he hasn't the courage to act on it. By the time the chorus comes around, he knows that it is, 'Now or Never.'" "Mr. Ugly Stick was actually written on September 12, 2001. It's deals with the conflicting feelings I believe a lot people experienced when we 'woke up one morning (9/11/01) in a different world." - Max Rios
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