Los Retumbes

Reviews

Los Retumbes Violentos Torpedos Realidad cassette

The second full-length from this Crazy 88s-masked duo out of Barakaldo, Spain comes in a tiny run of 25 red-shell cassettes on Nashville’s Knuckles on Stun. What’s inside is stripped-down, ’50s-rooted rock’n’roll delivered with lo-fi urgency and a surfy twang. The band quotes BILLY CHILDISH and LINK WRAY as inspirations, and I found the music to be playful and oddly wholesome—maybe they’re the spiritual descendents of HASIL ADKINS. Garage punk often revels in abrasion, but this feels like a different proposition: one more rooted in dancing, sweating, and smiling through the noise. Recommended for people who like to have a good time. Check out “Come On!”

Los Retumbes Y De Postre, Komtessa cassette

If I had to imagine a garage band from the Basque Country in Spain releasing an album on a punk label out of Nashville, Tennessee, this is exactly what I would want to hear. Fast, driving, distorted guitars leading punk-tinged garage bangers with lyrics in Spanish, reminiscent of DIRTBOMBS and early MARKED MEN. Extra plus is album art that looks something William Hanna and Joseph Barbera would illustrate if they had worked for Adult Swim.