Chicano Punk Bands
This page contains a list of Chicano/Latino Punk Bands with links. I have compiled this list through much research, but I do not claim it is a complete list. I am sure there are many other Chicano/Latino Punk Bands out there. In most cases very little information is available on the bands, such as what nationality the members are. However, all the bands listed have at least one Hispanic member and are from the United States.
THE LIST
? and the Mysterians - First band to be described as "punk rock". Also the first Latino rock band to have a hit record in the U.S.
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Official Site
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The Plugz - One of the first Chicano Punk bands. Formed in 1977. They are from Los Angeles, CA. The Plugz are acknowledged as being the first DIY Punk band in LA, starting their own PLUGZ Records and later Fatima Records. Fun Fact: The Plugz song "Electrify Me" is featured in the adult film New Wave Hookers (1985).
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The Zeros - From Chula Vista, CA. One of the first Chicano Punk bands along with the Plugz. Formed in 1977.
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Cruzados - 1980s Punk band consisting of members from The Plugz.
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Official Site
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The Bags - East Los Angeles Punk band formed in 1977. The band was started by Alice Armandariz and Pat Morrison, who gave themselves the stage names of Alice Bag and Pat Bag. They derived their names because they would perform with grocery bags over their heads. After the band's breakup, Alice Bag went on to join other bands such as Castration Squad, Cholita!, Las Tres and Stay at Home Bomb. Her website has a biography, information on the bands, audio and links to other bands and sites.
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Official Alice Bag Site
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The BRAT - East Los Angeles Punk band formed in 1979. Tito Larriva from The Plugz produced The BRAT's debut EP, "Attitudes". The five songs on the Attitudes EP received much airplay on KROQ and other LA radio stations. Success destroyed the band. Managers and produced demanded catchier songs from the band and prevented them from releasing indie material.
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Los Crudos - 1990s hardcore Punk band from Chicago. Most of their songs are in Spanish. This band was popular within the DIY underground and helped increase the presence of Latinos in the Punk scene. Singer Martin Sorrondeguy created a documentary about Chicano/Latino Punk called Beyond the Screams.
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Los Illegals - Formed in East LA in 1979. Their album Internal Exile dealt with the issues of immigration, poverty, street gangs, violence and alienation. While touring, Los Illegals were met with hostility in both the US and Mexico. In the US they were called wetbacks and in Mexico they were called "Pochos", or not truly Mexican. As a reaction to anti-illegal immigrant legislation in the 1990s, Los Illegals teamed up with the band Concrete Blonde and released the album Concrete Blonde y Los Illegals.
Wikipedia
Mark Guerrero Official Site
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Ska Punk band formed in 1988 from Riverside, CA. This band has multiple sites with information.
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Official Site
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Subsistencia - Not much information available for this band except a MySpace page. They are Chicanos from Los Angeles, and their songs are very political.
MySpace
The Casualties - This band has a lot of sites. They are a hardcore Punk band from NYC that formed in 1990. Though not technically Chicano, the lead singer Jorge Herrera is from Ecuador and in 2005, The Casualties released an album in Spanish titled En La Linea del Frente (On the Front Line).
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Ricanstruction - These guys are actually Puerto Rican. Ricanstruction formed in the 1990s in NYC. They have a manifesto on their website where they promote anti-authority and direct action. The band members are activists and their lyrics are politically charged. Sale of their albums were banned by Tower Records in Japan for being "too radical". Tower Records in Miami, FL followed suit shortly after.
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Official Site
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Huasipungo - A Latino hardcore Punk band from New York. Formed around 1990. They appear to be very politically active judging by the information on their website. Their MySpace says that they are against homophobia and their website shows that they participate in various benefit concerts.
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Spitboy - An anarcho-punk band from San Francisco, CA formed in the early 1990s. The band consisted of four women. Their music aggressively criticizes patriarchy and gender roles. Their music reflected the fact that they were women in a male dominated world.
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La Plebe - Punk band from San Francisco, CA. Their songs are in English and Spanish. They are still active today.
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Union 13 - Hardcore Punk band from East Los Angeles, CA. They formed in the early 1990s. The members are Mexican-Central-American. Their albums contain songs in English and Spanish. Their songs are political in nature. Someone who saw them perform informed me that their name is pronounced Union "Trece".
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Manic Hispanic - Punk band from Orange County, CA formed in the early 1990s. They have a strong sense of Chicano identity. Most of their songs are about being Chicano or about issues that Chicanos face. This band is very funny and amusing to listen to. They have many cover versions of songs but change the title and lyrics to address Chicano culture. Some especially humorous songs are "Get Them Immigrated", which is a cover of The Offspring's "Come Out and Play", and "Mommy's Little Cholo", which is a cover of Social Distortion's "Mommy's Little Monster".
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The rest of the list consists of bands that I found little information about. Most of these bands only have a MySpace page. Media from these bands is also very limited. Although these bands are significant because of their minority presence within the Punk scene, not much else can be said about them.
N/N - Hardcore Punk band from San Francisco, CA. They singer is Martin Sorrondeguy from Los Crudos.
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Bolivar Vive! - Ska Punk band formed in 2007 from Marina, CA.
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Niño Zombi - Punk Band from Los Angeles, CA.
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Las 15 Letras - Punk band from Los Angeles, CA.
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Agente Calavera - Their MySpace just says that they are a Punk band from California.
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Viernes 13 - Ska Punk band from Los Angeles, CA.
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Sbitch - From El Paso, TX. Formed around 1994-1995.
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Kontraattaque - From Los Angeles, CA. Formed in 1997. Their MySpace about section indicates that they were a political band.
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Last.fm
James and the Mexicans - Punk band started in 2002 from Ventura and Oxnard, CA.
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Sin Orden - Hardcore Punk band from Chicago formed in the late 1990s. It appears that all, or most, of their songs are in Spanish.
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Last.fm
Los Dryheavers - Punk band from Watsonville, CA. Consists of five Chicanos.
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Last.fm
Peligro Social - Punk band from San Francisco, CA.
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Destruction Made Simple - From Los Angeles, CA. They appear to still be active and doing shows.
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Flojos Nos Visten - Formed in 2000 in Marina, CA.
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Cadillac Tramps - Pretty much no information on this band, except that band member Mike "Gabby" Gabrono went on to form Manic Hispanic.
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La Bestia - From East Los Angeles. The guitarist for this band is Rudy Brat from the Punk band The BRAT.
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Agnostic Front - Hardcore Punk band formed in NYC in 1980. Singer Roger Miret is Cuban-American.
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Official Site
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