Although Hispanic Heritage Month is ending, you can still bump these 9 local artists all year round!
DJ MamaCD (Keren):
Llamativa- Llamativa is certainly deserving of its name, which means striking in Spanish. An all-femme 8-piece band based in San Antonio, the band blends a variety of Latin musical influences, including Cumbia, Salsa, Tejano, Chacha, Bolero, and Baladas.
Vanita Leo- Vanita Leo, also from San Antonio, comes from a long line of Tejano musicians. A cumbia singer songwriter, Leo’s music is rooted deeply in her identity as a Mexican-American woman. Her sound blends modern pop with traditional cumbia rhythms. Her latest album, Cubiamante, is out wherever you stream music now.
Daphne Michelle- A Latin pop queen based in McAllen, Daphne is an up and coming legend with powerful vocals and bittersweet lyricism. Her latest singles ¿A Quién Le Debo? and Tu Nunca Lo Sabrás, are out now.
Conor:
Los Juanos – Los Juanos, a band originating from San Antonio with a sound heavily influenced by “Tejano dream-pop,” is a band that refuses to be confined to a single genre. Wanting to break away from the strict sound of Tejano music, they push into more experimental and freer sounds.
Beach Cowboys – Beach Cowboys, an alternative indie project created by Gael “Ale” Moreno, is a one-man band of sorts—where Gael creates, produces, and records everything that Beach Cowboys makes. With heavy influence from post-punk and dream-pop, this project from El Paso is a must-listen, especially if you enjoy bands with similar sounds to Beach House.
Los Lonely Boys – Los Lonely Boys is a love story between rock and roll and Tejano styles of music. Deeming themselves “Texican Rock n’ Roll,” these three brothers show out with their vocals, their drums, and especially their guitar. Bringing a heavy nostalgic sound from late-’90s greats such as Sugar Ray and 311, if you have any inclination toward those bands (or even if you don’t), I would highly recommend checking out Los Lonely Boys.
Cristie:
Fea- FEA is a San Antonio based, all female punk band with Latin oldies, post-punk and riot grrrl influence. They use their life experiences to create relatable and impactful songs to spread a sense of solidarity, purpose and fun with their music. They have successfully established themselves as a prominent Latina punk band.
Tony Jupiter- Tony Jupiter is a band originally from El Paso, Texas, blending Chinaco culture and the surf goth subgenre. They have a look that separates them from other bands, embodying a payaso (clown) persona inspired by Chicano clown culture. They aim to perform music that combines the essence of beach days and dark edge, with a constant presence of Chicano culture.
Night Ritualz- Night Ritualz brings a combination of haunting sounds with dark wave and post punk sounds, creating their own genre, “fuck wave”. They take inspiration from bands like “Depeche Mode” and “Deftones”, along with Mexican and Tejanos influences to tell intimate stories in both English and Spanish. They offer moody and relatable music through their lyrics and sound.
