Acousitc pop-punk singer, Ruben Farias, released a new song titled “My Night Girl.” Tthe song is about several situations that lead up the impending demise of a once-great relationship.

Ruben described the writing process for the song to be quite simple, as is the case with most of his songs. 

“I came up with the guitar chords and melodies first,” Ruben said. “As I was writing the melodies for the chorus, it kinda started writing itself lyrically,” he continued. 

Ruben gets more personal in the verses where he describes exaggerations of different scenarios he’s experienced.  He talks about how his so-called "Night Girl" threw a beer bottle at him, smoked all his sister's weed, and smashed his guitar among other things.

The video itself features a guest appearance from the famous Sage Orteezy, a gorgeous chocolate Labrador.

Ruben claims that Sage and director Jeff Antons were the real stars of the video. When brainstorming ideas for the music video with Jeff, Ruben asked if it was cool if Sage came out. “He was all about it,” Ruben said. “He got a few clips of me playing with Sage, and pieced the video together brilliantly.” 

According to Ruben, the song is a fun one to play live. Its angsty verses create catchy sing-a-longs with the right crowd. So watch the video and learn the words to the song so you can sing alongside Ruben Farias next time you see him playing around town.

Brownsville-based pop punk group, Kingsway, released their debut song “Worth It,” along with an accompanying music video.

The video, which was filmed and edited by David Garcia sees the band playing the song in a living room, surrounded by baby-blue walls.

Reminiscent of bands like Real Friends and Neck Deep, Kingsway’s sound is a blend of poppy melodies, catchy hooks, and a few dozen power chords. 

Posing questions like “Do you even miss me? Or do you just miss the thought of me? When was the last time I even crossed your mind?” frontman Matt Jenkinns describes the song as being about a failed relationship and the questioning of whether any of it even mattered. The band didn’t want to release a single on its own, which is why they decided to record a video to go along with the release. “Having visuals helps keep someone's attention rather than them just listening to it in the background while doing something else,” Matt explained.

Keep up with Kingsway on Bandcamp, Facebook, or Twitter.

Rudy Cerda and Diana Tovar formed Arcanedisplay as a way to bridge Diana’s interest in indie acoustic rock and Rudy’s interest in electronic music. 

Just yesterday, the indie electronic duo released a new single titled “Life Is A Mystery.”

In February, Rudy messaged Chris Elms (who has worked with Björk and Alanis Morissette, among others) about working together on the band’s next single. After listening to the initial demo, Elms decided he wanted to jump in on the project.

Fast forward a few weeks and the final product was ready.

“It’s a dream come true to work with someone we look up to so much,” Rudy said about the collaboration. “I never thought he’d respond, [much less] work on a track from a little city like McAllen.”

The song opens up with what sounds like French verses and dives straight into Diana’s smooth and calming vocals. The video, on the other hand, is reminiscent of an Apple background screen from the early 2000s. With each beat of the song, a fluorescent orb is seen feathering around over a black background.

“Life Is A Mystery” showcases the struggles that come with living a life of mystery. It’s about not knowing what the future holds and just wanting some time to figure things out.

”Don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m better off hiding,” Diana sings. “I just wanna breathe, I’m tired of lying, just know that I’m living.”

Dispirit are over. In their place lies Glare, a reincarnation of the original, Brownsville-based band.

Glare have done away with their previous alternative emo sound and are now experimenting with shoegaze, as evidenced by their two latest tracks “Into Me” and “Blank,” which you can stream below.

Their new songs are arguably more abstract than their previous ones. 

Sonically pleasing and emotionally conscious, the band ditched their old name and are now ready to show us their new music. 

Keep up with Glare on Bandcamp, Twitter or Instagram. 

McAllen-based indie rock band Apache Pistol released a new song titled "Love Her" off their upcoming full-length debut, which has yet to be announced. 

The five-piece is made up of Joey Castillo on lead vocals, Roly Martinez on guitar, Frank Cardona on Guitar and backing vocals, Charlie Alem on drums, and Dusty Salas on Bass. 

While this is their debut song, its craftsmanship transcends their short time together and sounds like something released by a veteran band. It usually takes years for a band to develop their sound to the point where it sounds well-composed and crisp, but Apache Pistol already nailed it. 

<a href="http://apachepistol.bandcamp.com/track/love-her">Love Her by Apache Pistol</a>

The song opens up with lyrics, "come on down the tree, you and I are lovers," painting a mental picture that matches their cover art: a drawing of a silhouetted couple that transforms into the shape of a tree.

When asked to describe the song, Joey said it is about the growth of love within everyone. "It starts with puppy love, usually something as significant as your first kiss. Something that impacts you and introduces you to this kind of emotions," Joey said.

Eventually, feelings change and it can either get really messy or turn into something great. "Even if you feel like it's right for you, that may not be the case," Joey continues.

The chorus, "Don't wait forever for war" takes on a few different meanings.

"Depending on the relationship, it can mean don't wait forever for war, as in don't wait for that spark, that conflict, the chaos of love. On the other hand, it could mean don't go looking for that type of environment either.

"Everyone is different and everyone loves differently and I tried to put that into words," Joey said.

Catch Apache Pistol at Somos Musica Fest this Saturday, April 29, at Cine El Rey in McAllen. They will be playing alongside The Shakes, Omarstereo, and The Riverside Boys. RSVP to the show here.

Three and half years ago, Dani Salazar and Eric Martinez made the trek from Dallas down to McAllen. The move marked a serious turning point in their lives and a change they won’t forget anytime soon.

Dani got a job offer working as a college advisor down in South Texas. Despite being nervous and not knowing what to expect, she decided to take the plunge and move to McAllen. 

"Something really told me that I needed to go down and I'm really grateful for that instinct," she continued.

Emo pop rock outfit, The Writing Season were once a staple in the South Texas music scene. They played shows at Fallback Records, back when it was still alive and they helped transform the valley’s quiet music scene into an active and passionate community. And then, towards the middle of 2013, the group started to play fewer and fewer shows until they eventually stopped playing all together.

Over a period of a few months, the group disbanded as each member began to figure things out on their own. Some moved away for school and others got jobs outside of the valley.

Fast forward four years. It’s July 2016; and, after vocalist and guitarist JJ Juarez’ father passed away, he began to realize how precious the people around him were. JJ, who lives in Houston, wanted to create music with his friends from the valley as a way to honor his mother and find closure.

After this realization, JJ called the band’s original guitarist, Dexter Garza. It was as simple as asking him if he wanted to play music again. “It was a no brainer,” Dexter said. The chemistry was already there, so why let a good thing go to waste?

Now that Dexter agreed, the paid needed a bassist. JJ called Eric Lopez, who played bass int he original lineup. Eric got the phone call while he was at work. He didn’t answer, so JJ told him to call him back later. JJ was never the type of person to tell Eric to call him back, so Eric wondered what his friend was up to.

When he returned the call, JJ told him his idea. “We’re playing a show in November,” he told Eric. JJ was serious; an hour after Eric agreed to re-join the band, JJ called him back with a date and location for the reunion show.

Now that they had three members, the pressure was on to find a drummer. For personal reasons, the band’s original drummer couldn’t re-join the band. Eric suggested they get in touch with his buddy Gilbert Rios. Sure enough, Gilbert got an email from JJ asking if he wanted to join the band. He said yes hoping it would turn into something that would help get his mind off things.

After The Writing Season joined forces for the second time, they got to writing.

In the Hispanic culture, when kids grow up, they usually buy their mom a new house or car. Sometimes they pay her bills for her. JJ wanted to do something more personal for his mother. He wanted to create something that would be around forever. He decided there was no better way to show his mother his appreciation for her than to create a tangible piece of art and name it in her honor. 

The result is a 4-track EP titled Santa Barbara. The cover art is meant to look like an I SPY book. Looking at is creates a feeling of nostalgia that takes people back to their childhoods. “We put in a bunch of my old toys, my dad’s things, and other items relevant to my life right now,” JJ said about the photo.

The album is about familiarity. It’s about going back to a familiar place, getting back in the swing of things, and reliving those experiences. For this release, it was important for JJ go back to the valley to write it. It didn’t make sense for him to write for it while he was living in Houston.

Opening song “I Was Going Through A Change” starts off with a growing guitar melody that gets a little louder with each passing second. 

"I'm sorry it took me so damn long, I know it's been a while since I've spilled my guts to you, everything here has changed oh nothing is the same" JJ sings. 

The song talks about growth and change in a way that sounds like early 2000s alternative bands. Lines like, "Mom, leave the light on so I can find my room when I get home," add to the album’s nostalgia. The song tells a story about leaving home and realizing how different everything has become.

“Pastry War Hangover” changes perspectives a bit as JJ reflects on the life he built for himself outside of the valley. The title leaves a lot to the imagination, but it doesn’t disappoint. This sounds sounds more punky than the previous one. It sounds like something that Real Friends would release. "I found the secret to my happiness and peace of mind, it's been burning inside me all this time," they sing. This is exactly what the song is about: realizing that you can control your own happiness.

There's talk about dirty sheets, wrinkled clothes, Saturday morning hangovers, and feeling incomplete. Towards the last third of the song, the band add a surprising twist. A fingerpicking tune introduces a more melodic, almost swingy verse that sounds like something straight out of Pinegrove's Cardinal album. 

The song keeps building up before ending on a high note. “Well I spent the new year alone in my bed, fireworks didn't wake me up, I've grown so out of touch.”

The Writing Season always throw out curve balls towards the end of their songs. Each song tends to quickly build up before rolling into the next one. It's nothing drastic, just good work from both the band and the producer. 

“Another Year Spent Alone” is no exception. The song stands out among the album as it is a softer, more acoustic track. The song is written from JJ’s perspective as he’s watching his mom grow old alone.

“I know you've had time to think about it and you don't feel the way you used to anymore, don't tell me that you're fine just for the sake of conversation, I know you better than that,” JJ talk sings.

“And I'll miss waking up to that coffee smell,” he sings, picking up the pace again like I’ve come to expect. “While I set up the table for you and me before our last goodbyes are said again.”

Unlike the rest of the album, you might get through “25 Years Of Sunday” without getting a particular sense of deja vu. This is one of the rawest and more personal songs on the release. The song, which was written about JJ’s father, has a piano playing in the background that creates a church-like effect. It is introspective and slow, and sees the protagonist starting to doubt themselves and the decisions they’ve made.

The song poses questions like "Did you ever find yourself or those things you were looking for?" and "Does it make a difference?" Instead of ending on a hard note like the previous songs, this one fades out slowly before shutting off. And it’s over. The emotional rollercoaster ended just as quickly as it started.

This release is special. The beauty of the album is that it doesn’t just scratch the surface. It digs deep. The album shows a band who have grown out of their angsty teenage phase. instead of writing about girls and relationships, the band are taking a step back and being more intentional about their writing.

In Shades are an emo band split between McAllen, Edinburg and Weslaco. Most of their songs are sad and their latest one, "Valley Nights," is no exception.

The band is made up of Andrew Mendoza on vocals and guitars, Isaac De Leon on guitar and vocals, Daniel Villareal screaming and playing the trumpet, Eric Richerson on drums and Blake Burns on Bass.

In Shades recently released a music video for their song “Valley Nights.” The video was shot and directed by Jeff Antons (who also worked on Fantástico’s latest music video) and sees the band playing their song live to an intimate crowd.

“We always feel more comfortable when we have an audience,” said Andrew. “So we decided to bring together a house show atmosphere,” he continued.

“You just don't know the power of your stare, no you don't know. And I just can't stand all of those valley nights alone,” Andrew sings. The lyric was written about a love he once had, and all those nights he spent away from her.

“A valley is a vast expanse of land and those nights apart were unbearable,” he said.

The band might feel alone, but in this video, surrounded by twinkly string lights and a whole crowd of people singing along to their music, the band can see just how many people are rooting for them.

In their music video, In Shades were able to transform what was once an incredibly lonely night into a memorable one.

Fantástico are a McAllen, Texas based pop punk band comprised of Esther Martinez on guitar and vocals, Eric Fly on bass and backup vocals, and Fabian Gomez on drums.

With a gritty, fast-paced sound that reminds me of Basement Benders, the band’s gravel throated vocals and high energy musings are punk rock at its finest.

Their music video for "He Stays Or I Go" was produced, filmed and edited by photographer and videographer Jeff Antons. The band have a wealth of DIY punk pedigree, and it shows in this video.

The majority of the video is a jam session inside the band’s practice space. The end of the video sees Eric chasing Esther and Fabian into the backyard and pushing them into a pool.

Ok, but what does pushing people into a pool have to do with a song about not wanting to let someone go? I decided to ask the band.

“The pool scene has everything to do with the social aspects of this country and all of the evils that it comes with,” they said. 

They are making a statement by pushing themselves into the water. They are “jumping into the pool of lies and bullshit that is the world we live in.”

According to the band, Eric is the resistance. That’s why he’s the one seen eerily smirking and leaning against a wall after pushing his bandmates into the pool.

The band did a great job taking a story of self-destruction and transforming it a video that is so socially charged.

“The rest of the video, we just wanted to look cool in our practice space.” they said. It worked, they looked pretty cool.

It's been a long road to self-discovery for melodic hardcore outfit Surmount. The five-piece who are split between Palmview, Alton and Los Fresnos have created their own blend of brutally honest hardcore music that appeals to several different people.

Surmount have a good way of capturing the not-so-glorious parts of life and telling their stories in a way that is vulnerable, honest, and inspiring. 

When asked to describe their sound without using any genres, they brainstormed several ideas before arriving at a consensus: melodic sadness or, as their friend Ryan describes it: Audible Prozac.

The band initially began making music in the eighth grade, under the moniker The Ashes I Breathe. They were a self-proclaimed metal band that would play whatever they thought was cool at the time. “Yeah, it was pretty cringy,” vocalist Cesar Izaguirre reminisces. 

The band practiced in Cesar's old bedroom. "I used to live on a ranch out in the middle of buttfuck nowhere and we had a little room.” It wasn't glorious, but the band didn’t seem to care. “It gets super hot but it works," he described.

Years have passed and through some leap of fate, the original members reunited. "We weren't in a band together for like a year before we got back together," said drummer Erick De La Cruz. "Yeah, they were jamming and I was like ‘Let's do it,’” Cesar added, talking about Erick and guiarist Mateo Medrano.

The band’s current Bandcamp page reads that they want to make music that speaks to them and their listeners. When asked how to make music that speaks to people, there was an emphasis placed on relatability.

Ceasar credits his writing process for their latest EP, Seasonal // Tides, to him going through a hard time with his father. 

"I felt like for a lot of people, especially here in the Hispanic community, it is common that somebody in their family walks away," Cesar said. “I have a lot of friends who told me that they can relate to that,” he continued. 

“And my whole point is that whatever I say I want them to be able to connect with that. I want the music to be their voice.”

The EP, which is arguably the band’s most vulnerable piece to date, is a concept album that details the relationship between a child and their toxic father. 

Seasonal // Tides’ most notable songs "Book Keeper" and "Shut You Out" were released as a two-part single a few months prior to the EP release. 

"Book Keeper" was written by Erick about his friend's experience with her own father. "I pretty much asked her what she would want to tell him and then I just wrote it in my own words," he explained. 

"She literally vented to him and he wrote about it and then we related to it so we just wrote on that and it's cool that people can talk to us and we can, with permission obviously, speak about them,” Cesar added. “That's something crazy. It's something that I would have never thought we'd do.”

The EP's cover art is a single photo taken from the middle of a highway as the sun is fading in the background. "I was inside my mom's car and I just took it with my phone," Cesar said. 

"Most of our cover art is from my phone," he said as Mateo chuckled in the background. 

A trip to San Antonio is normally no big deal for most people. For Cesar, though, it was a life changing experience. See, Cesar was raised undocumented and was recently given permission to travel outside of the valley. 

"I had never seen anything outside of McAllen. It reminds me of so much open space and so many things that I haven't seen or haven't experienced or even taken the time to appreciate. I just had to capture the moment,” he explained.

This sentiment can be translated over to the band’s music, as well. There are so many things the band haven’t seen or haven’t experienced, and it’s only a matter of time before they get there.

There is no signage or lights, just a dirt road dwindling down the side of an overpass on South 10th Street in McAllen. This is the place. I have arrived at Sophie's ‘SS’ Saloon ready to support a good cause. 

Justicia 2 is the second annual benefit show for reproductive justice in South Texas. The first event was held in July, and its second installation went down on December 17. 

The stacked lineup included three local bands, along with four bands from all over the state. With free elotes en vaso for the first 30 people (you can bet your ass I was there early), vegan street tacos, two Donald Trump pinatas, and free condoms, the event put up quite the offer. 

Great news! We launch on January 1, 2017. We’re planning some cool features, interviews, and reviews, so get ready to learn about some great local music and arts!