Gargara Gargara cassette
Fuck me, this is mean. GARGARA (apparently meaning “gargle” in English) is from Buenos Aires, and this is their first recording. This all-female three-piece has the impetuous energy that characterizes young bands, who mostly (and rightly) focus on making a racket and shouting angry words instead of pedal boards and tuning. I wasn’t expecting something quite so raw, and on a second listen, I think I actually like what I’m hearing. This is genuinely primal, snotty as hell, sloppy at times, fast punk rock with that typically raging tupa-tupa Latino punk vibe. I am reminded of classic late ’80s Mexican hardcore punk bands like MASSACRE 68, SS 20, or XENOFOBIA, with something of the Medellin sound of DEXKONCIERTO. You could probably see GARGARA in the light of recent bands like IGNORANTES or INYECCION as well, who successfully built on that infectious, pogo-inducing punk sound. The gruff, screamed vocals are very aggressive and almost too extreme, as I sometimes had the impression I was listening to a demented black metal vocalist auditioning for a tribute band to ’89 Mexican hardcore, which at least is quite memorable. The last song, “Nada,” is the gem here, with some melodic(!) backing choruses providing the hook to otherwise pretty basic songwriting. But then, that’s the whole point of the genre. The perfect soundtrack to pogo like you’re sixteen again.