the short story
"LOS ABANDONED are leading the new wave of pomo, post-punk, Latino L.A." - Josh Kun, SF Bay Guardian/Boston Phoenix
Blondie meets Cafe Tacuba:
From Los Angeles to Chile to around the world and back again, LOS ABANDONED reunites the Casio keyboard with gritty electric guitars and the bittersweet ukulele in
their post-punk/latin alternative influenced sound. This fierce combo features the classically trained, bilingual punk rock diva LADY P. on vocals and ukulele, along with DON VERDE, co-songwriter and ace lead guitarist. With a rhythm section composed of the
unstoppable VIRA LATA on bass and DULCE on drums, LOS ABANDONED is taking over the scene with their bilingual blend of hooky, high-energy pop/rock and retro-folklore sounds. Since 2002, their groundbreaking self-produced/released EPs and their no-holds-barred live shows have earned them accolades in the press and won them space in the hearts of thousands of fans. Whether caught live or on disc, Los Abandoned's knack for hard-rocking riffs, catchy melodies and cheeky lyrics is sure to transport even the most jaded listener to an alternate reality of heartbreak, secret crushes and art school stalkings. The band has performed tirelessly, sharing bills with the likes of Cafe Tacuba, Tegan & Sara, Garbage, the Breeders, Molotov and Julieta Venegas.
Look out for their first full-length album "Mix Tape" in 2006 on Vapor Records.
the long story
Over the past four years, Los Abandoned have taken over the Los Angeles scene with their bilingual blend of hooky, high-energy pop/rock and retro sounds. Their groundbreaking self-produced/released EPs and their no-holds-barred live shows have earned them accolades in the press and won them space in the hearts of thousands of fans. Whether caught live or on disc, Los Abandoneds knack for hard-rocking riffs, catchy melodies and cheeky lyrics is sure to transport even the most jaded listener to an alternate reality of heartbreak, secret crushes and art school stalkings.
Los Abandoned began as the brainchild of songwriting team Lady P (lead
vocals, rhythm guitars, keyboards and ukulele) and Don Verde (lead guitars, backing vocals, programming) during a period of mutual frustration, both professional and personal. Despondent over the break-ups of their respective bands, the two began collaborating in Verdes basement studio in an attempt to channel their shared feelings of sadness into something constructive. "We didnt want to go the self-pity route," recalled Verde. "We just felt too ridiculous." Instead they created a collection of songs that are at times naive and heartfelt and other times self-aware and sarcastic. The fruits of these early sessions were released in the form of their breakthrough debut EP "demotape", already a cult classic.
Upon completing demotape in 2002, Lady P and Don Verde set out on the task of assembling the rhythm section that would enable them to perform their songs live. They found it in bassist, Vira Lata, and drummer, Dulce. Due in large part to their relentless performance schedule, Los Abandoned built up a dedicated following and quickly caught the eye of the local media. They were featured in the LA Times, La Opinion, OC & LA Weekly, Al Borde, La Banda Elastica and the groundbreaking bilingual music and culture television program, LATV Live. "For me, one of the highlights had to be getting played on Rodney," remarked Lady P in reference to KROQ DJ Rodney Bigenheimers addition "(I Didnt Mean to) Stalk You" to his play list.
Over the next year the band performed tirelessly, sharing bills with the likes of Cafe Tacuba, the Breeders, Tegan & Sara, Garbage, Calexico, Julieta Venegas, Molotov and Aterciopelados. They performed in Austin, TX as part of the South-By-South-West festival and Mexico City's VIVE LATINO festival to over 60,000 people.
On August 5, 2004, Los Abandoned released "self-titled EP", the long awaited follow up to 2002s "demotape" EP. "self-titled" tipped the groups musical balance more in the direction of plain old rock. It features the single, "Van Nuys (es very nice)," a bilingual Valley Girl tale over music that sounds like the Ramones getting caught in a blender with a synth-pop band. They marked the occasion by throwing an elaborate "Broken Hearts Prom" theme party complete with a prom court, silver streamers, a balloon arch and a prom photographer. Most recently, they opened the Bridge School Benefit on a bill featuring Paul McCartney, Neil Young and the Red Hot Chili Peppers among others.