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So the man in charge has been getting on my case to get this Chicharones
review done for some time now. I have told him varying stories from
the ever popular "Yeah, it is almost done, but it is at work
so I'll have to send it to you from there", and always managed
to 'get busy and forget' to the old favorite of "I had the whole
thing written but the file got corrupted or something" line.
I have been bullshitting him for the last several months because I
honestly had absolutely no clue where the hell I had left that damned
disk. Since the man had heard all the excuses he was going to hear,
I figured it was time I got off my ass and make an attempt to find
the stupid thing, so I did what every Ritalin popping space cadet
kid does when he loses something and played the 'Where Did You See
It Last?' game. Unfortunately, that game did not work out so well
as I listened to the disk pretty much everywhere. So after tearing
apart the house, checking every CD player I own, and threatening to
eat the dog if I found out that he was the one that moved it, I faintly
recalled listening to the album while riding around town with my buddy
in his chopped and dropped 50's Ford Fairlane. After making a few
calls I had tracked the kid, and my CD, down. Turns out the album
never left the car, my buddy has been listening to it non-stop, and
if you could wear out a disk, this one would have never survived.
I guess this is now his new favorite band. The kid LOVES this CD,
and the only way I was able to get the thing back from him for the
review was to promise to give him the disk back when I was done.
I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that the Chicharones'
When Pigs Fly album had found a new permanent home in the CD
player of my buddy's car, as he is probably the poster child for what
I imagine the typical Chichis fan would be. He is a white early twenties
suburbanite want-to-be skateboarder that grew up on the Internet with
a steady diet of punk rock and hip-hop. He fancies himself an anti-establishment
take no shit drink and party 'til the sun comes up kind of badass,
but really he is more the gets good grades in college and will probably
someday be your boss kind of guy. I am not saying that the Chicharones
fan base is not a diverse crowd, but I bet if you put these guys on
the Warped Tour they would get very, very popular.
Listening to the Chicharones you can't help but hear a lot of Atmosphere
and Jurassic 5, both Warped Tour favorites, and when listening
closely one can even hear a little Ozomatli (the hip-hop side
of Ozo's multiple-personality disorder that is). The back and forth
syncopated style and energy between Sleep and Josh Martinez,
the two elements that make up the Chicharones, while unique, is easily
reminiscent of the classic Jurassic 5 style but delivered with the
upbeat energy and story telling of Ozomatli (and yes I do know that
J5 and Ozo are related). The Chichi's self-depreciating and humoristic
subject matter, however, is very similar to what Atmosphere is currently
doing. The pop punk rock crowd will also find a comfortable familiarity
with the beats and mildly addictive rhythms that the Chicharones use
to tie everything together.
On a whole, the Chicharones seem to have a winning combination: good
beats, a strong delivery, easy humor, fun energy, and a message that
just about anyone can relate to. The Chicharones are one of those
bands that create followers rather than fans and I suspect that When
Pigs Fly will not be the last we hear from the band. Oh, and to
my friend, don't worry, I've got the CD right here and I will get
it back to you the next time I see you, I promise.
-JD Sipes
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Pork Rind Discotheque
3. Surf Rock
4. Little by Little
5. Breaking Point
6. Fiesta
7. Freeze Up
8. Ring Ring
9. Bully Bully
10. Guys Like Me
11. Red Carpet Treatment
12. Can't Find the Time
13. Keep It Moving
14. Take It Easy
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