Los Bungalitos – “Quick and Dirty”
There are bands you want to cover, that are always in the stack and you just don’t get around to it.
In TNB’s early days, we wouldn’t even review a band’s recorded work until we saw them live. But we stopped that once our bodies and minds became nearly incapacitated. I’ve never seen this band live, so I guess I could use that as an excuse.
But really, it’s a lame one- when I think of how many times I’ve listed this band, Los Bungalitos, in our concert reports.
But let’s make amends and enjoy the wonder and splendor of Los Bungalitos.
As you probably know “Los” means “The” in Spanish, so I just spent some time looking up what Bungalitos might mean. I was fruitless in my endeavor, perhaps it means “friends of the asshole”- I don’t know.
But what I do know is- this band’s been around for awhile, they come from Lowell, MA (Like Distressor and The Only Things, also.) And play some potent hardcore stuff.
They tag themselves with “punk, metal and hardcore” and what would fit us better? But they play on bills that are mostly of the hardcore/metal style, music that is precise, hard and strong.
Too proficient for me to call them punk, though they have the spirit, and they do have some thrash or metal parts mixed in- but mostly they have the speed and velocity of hardcore along with the high, emotional vocals and social commentary lyrics adding some rockin’ parts as well. It all adds up to some powerful, hard hitting music.
Let’s lend an ear and listen:
After a few words proclaimed a cappella (by itself), “Antiquated Modernity,” erupts in a whirlwind of emphatic vocals, fast rolling rhythms and guitars churning in a torrid, tornado of sound- sonic explosions signifying excitement, realness and guts. “This new feudal age where the lord is the banker…Spending your life owing those that own you. Protected by the laws bought by the fruit of your labor.” The drums roll then slash in a manner as if to catch up to a moving train, the vocals send out a signal of high alert while the guitars feed fire to the ecstatic panic. Towards the end there’s a little respite from the angry, crashing, euphoric onslaught or, what I call, a great tune.
With a galloping, high energy beat, “Deception,” ignites emotions from the start with venomous vocals and slaughtering guitars. “You think you know me better than I know myself, the world you see is far different from mine. So why you go as if you can relate to me?” Soon the intensity increases as the guitars spiral upwards and the drums beat away in the beautiful chaos. The rhythms change, a wah-wah guitar lead pokes it’s head in, here and there. This song sound like a jam between Iggy & The Stooges and Black Flag and is another great song.
The unrelenting rhythms, the decimating guitars, the venomous bile spouting vocals of “Vassals Of Innovation,” strike out with the urgency and power of a heat seeking missile. “Trudging along in a path of destruction, when we’re gone all will go in ruination, who will inherit the world devastated?” I’m not sure, I’m just hopeful the grasshoppers or squirrels make a better go at it, I’m almost positive they will. Towards the end, this song rocks out with a short, but effective guitar solo followed by a short, but effective verse- leading this terrific tune, triumphantly out.
“Esto Nu Es Una Cancion De Los Crudos,” which I translate as, “The gringo music writer has burritos for brains,”- but really, I’m not gonna look it up as I’m sure it’s translation will stay within the themes of the EP. But what I will do is say, this is the fastest, most intense, truly pure hardcore song on this recording. With the drums forcefully flailing to keep up with the rapid, rabid pace and the “in your face” vocals blaring alongside them and the guitars growling contempt and complaints along the way. “Esta es mi cancion favorita.” (This is my favorite song).
So they also refer to themselves as “Bilingual thrash hardcore mayhem” and that sounds more exciting and apt than anything I could come up with. And though I won’t claim them to be a pure hardcore band, I think the metal influence is small compared to most other local hardcore bands around.
This band has the right to claim itself following in the steps of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains to the present, I believe. And I have the right to claim categories don’t matter when the songs and performance are as exciting, intense and real as this “Quick and Dirty EP.
And it doesn’t really matter if it’s English or Spanish or in Slimedog’s gibberish-
Nothing will change the fact that this is some pretty, great passionate stuff.
(Perro Limo)
