Music
Although San Angelo, Texas isn’t directly on the U.S./Mexico border, it is close enough that it’s tough to tell where one culture leaves off and the other begins. Indeed, this cultural collision even comes with a familiar name, “Tex-Mex.”
And while Tex-Mex is a proper descriptor for such foodstuffs as fajitas and chili con queso, when it comes to music, Tex-Mex doesn’t quite hit the mark. However, Los Lonely Boys, who hail from the aforementioned San Angelo and are therefore experts on the matter, have solved this problem, dubbing their particular hybrid of rock, Texas blues, country and Tejano music “Texican rock ’n’ roll.”
The brothers Garza (guitarist Henry, bass player Jojo, and drummer Ringo) formed this Texican trio sometime during the 1990s, playing in the Nashville club scene. However, Music City wasn’t their proverbial promised land, and after several years, they eventually hightailed it back to Texas, and the musical roots from which they sprung.
While some people may argue the adage “there’s no place like home,” it certainly proved to be true for the Garzas, as in 2004 they nabbed a distribution deal with Epic Records and soon unleashed their Texican sound—characterized by nimble guitar playing, three-part harmonies and an upbeat feel, even when dealing with such subjects as lost love and the hope for redemption—on an unsuspecting public.
And from the band’s very first single, they proved Texican was a sound that would stick. Undoubtedly, if you happened to turn on a radio station playing popular songs during a certain period from 2004-2005, you are familiar with this band, as their song “Heaven” was a heavy rotation staple during that time. Los Lonely Boys would ride that wave of popularity clear until the 2005 Grammys when they nabbed the award for Best Pop Performance. In 2006, they were nominated for two more Grammys, although they didn’t take any statues home that year.
Since then, they’ve done what bands of their ilk do, namely writing and recording more music and hitting the road to play for audiences who crave their singular Texican sound. After suffering through some setbacks, including a label change and surgery for Jojo’s overtaxed vocal cords, the band is set to release a new album, Rockpango, which is Spanglish for “rock party.” And it’s a rock party they expect to throw when they take the stage Feb. 17 at the Mount Baker Theatre, where they will feel the air with the Texican sound they created.
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