LAMC Preview: Mexrrissey

Camilo Lara, Ceci Bastida, Adanowsky, Chetes, Sergio Mendoza, Jay de la Cueva… all these names

independently would be enough to fill a good sized venue anywhere in Mexico and the U.S. Southwest. In fact, I’m sure there has been at least 1 multi-day music festival, where their respective bands have all been on the same bill.

So what on earth would bring such prominent musicians together in a musica indie super group the likes of Them Crooked Vultures?

Their love for Morrissey.

Sure I could spend the entire post breaking down and explaining the anomaly that appears to draw Mexicans & Mexican-Americans so passionately towards the sounds of the Smiths & Morrissey, but I would barely be scratching the surface of the socio-economic parallels between working class England & Mexican immigrants in the U.S. of the 1980’s.

And we would need a book to even begin exploring the themes of cultural identity vs. nationalism within the context of racial pressures of sexuality, that Morrissey challenges and resonate deep within Latino audiences.

So for the sake of argument lets keep it simple in boiling it all down to it being good music; a little dramatic at times, but nonetheless, good.

There are a few Smiths & Morrissey cover bands out there that do very well, but Mexrrissey is one of the first to actually, in a very sacrilegious way to hardcore Morrissey fans, make it their own.

Translated lyrics, Mariachi arrangements, cumbia beats, and bilingual, almost punlike adaptations, make up this non-conventional album and project.

I personally would have never imagined these particular artists ever coming together on a song, let alone, creating a cover band where they all take turns singing in a very relaxed Karaoke way. But it works and it’s entertaining as kitschy as it is.

Mexrrissey will headline Summerstage in Central Park on July 6^th as part of the opening performance of this year’s LAMC. I cannot wait to see this project live and ask them about their recent tour of the UK, which not surprisingly, was very well received.