Los Dragos Album Reviews

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Los Dragos (2004)

Los Dragos (2004)

Little Boy Blue / Beat-Beat / Bad Generation / Could Be / Last Kiss / Rollover… / Don't Go / Blues Mud / Tiffany's in My Garage / Drago Robot / Duffy / Co.Co.Co. Chicago / Affliction / If You Leave Me / Astro…!?*What?

This foul-smelling motherfucker of an album is right up my alley. Displaying a sound and 15 songs in 36 minutes that pay tribute to the in-your-face thrash of Sacrifice-era Motörhead, 60's garage-punk (The Sonics, etc), the urgency of surf and ferocity of warted punk rock, Los Dragos have succeeded in releasing an album that almost gets by on the strength of attitude and grime alone. Songs alternate each other with the subtleness of a kick in the balls, riffs are smashed against the head, and sometimes an insanely roaring bass sound will make your intestines switch places. Several of these songs ("Don't Go," "Beat-Beat") are fairly accessible rave-ups that are basically a tougher, uglier version of mid-to-late 60's rock 'n' roll, but there are instances where they are as bad-ass as Motörhead ("Bad Reputation," "Could Be," "If You Leave Me") as hectic as the Dead Kennedies ("Duffy") as fucked up The Jesus Lizard ("Drago Robot") and as rock 'n' roll as the Supersuckers ("Co. Co. Co. Chicago"). Pretty, it ain't. Original, it ain't. But it's dirty, it's self-assured, it's quite diverse and it delivers the goods. There's no instantly identifiable classic for the books, but there's precious little filler either - as the album's basically one relentless blast of filth and fury. We all know that an impressive sound (I especially dig the clear, almost rockabilly-styled drum sound as well as the muddy bass rumbling) often makes up for sub-par songs, but that's not the case here. Is it a convincing, little album that's ideally suited to crank up when you're driving around in your car? FUCK YES! I tried it out and for a while I thought my little Ford Courier van was a big-ass pick-up truck with a V8-engine and flames and topless women painted on the sides. As long as I can't afford a big-ass pick-up trick with a V8-engine and flames and topless women painted on the sides, we need more bands like Los Dragos.