Oh, man, you caught me again. Here I am, the editor of this zine, reviewing something that one of our contributors put out. Conflict of interest! I tell you what. When three other zines run a review, I’ll retract this. You just send me the links. It’s not like we have contributors to this here publication because we think they suck and they should be ignored. China Loca are: Amy Adoyzie, Imposing ‘Stache Gus, and a warp speed Casiotone providing the drumbeats. Let’s not gussy this up beyond what it is: Amy sing/screaming, Gus plonking through a practice amp, and a machine, but, damn, if the minimalism doesn’t play in their favor in a Crass-meets-Bikini Kill-meets-cheap-beer-belly-basement way. There’s anthems (“SOS”—“same old stuff” (roller rink mix)), there’s ballads (“This Is All”), and there’re straight-up rockers. Take your Warped Tour, cell phone excuses, and viral marketing. I’ll take a band that had three months to exist, practiced in their pajamas, and DIY’d furiously any day.
–todd (China Loca, and if you have Razorcake #43, there’s a link in Amy’s column to download this album for free.)