Over the past few years, I’ve written a bit about the Los Angeles-based synth punk act Prettiest Eyes, and as you may recall the act which is comprised of San Juan, Puerto Rico-born, Los Angeles, CA-based founding members Pachy Garcia (drums, vocals), and Marcos Rodriguez (bass, vocals) along with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico-born, Los Angeles, CA-based Paco Casanova (keys, synths vocals) can trace their origins back to San Juan, where the band’s founding members played in a number of local bands before relocating to Los Angeles to seriously pursue music. Casanova independently relocated to Los Angeles and joined the band to complete its lineup. And with the release of a couple of EPs and their first two albums, 2015’s Looks and last year’s Pools, the Los Angeles-based JOVM mainstays firmly established a reputation for crafting sleazy and primal synth punk that throbs with a muscular insistence.
The band’s third full-length album, the aptly titled Vol. 3 was released earlier this year through Castle Face Records, and album single “Nekrodisco” was a off-center, post apocalyptic ripper, seemingly inspired by Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!-era DEVO. Interestingly, the album’s first single “Mr. President” is a minimalist track centered around howled mantra-like lyrics, industrial clang and clatter and a relentless motorik groove that seethes with uncertainty and menace. At its core, it evokes the immigrant and the migrant’s fear of the authorities — and of a blatantly racist administration.
Directed and edited by Andrew Frescas, the recently released video further emphasizes the song’s murkiness and menace — and interestingly enough, finds the video’s director and the band collaborating to pay homage to John Carpenter‘s They Live!
Prettiest Eyes will be embarking on a lengthy tour that includes a month-long European tour. During the fall, the members of the band will be opening for Thee Oh Sees on a month-long tour that will include a three night run at Warsaw — October 18, 2019 -October 20, 2019. Check out the rest of the tour dates.
Tour Dates:
9/30 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
10/1 San Francisco, CA- The Chapel
10/2 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
10/4 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
10/7 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theater
10/10 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue Mainroom
10/11 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10/12 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
10/14 Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall
10/15 Montreal, QC – Le National
10/16 Cambridge, MC – The Sinclair
10/18 New York, NY – Warsaw
10/19 New York, NY – Warsaw
10/20 New York, NY – Warsaw
10/22 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
10/23 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
10/24 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
10/25 New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jack’s
10/26 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
10/27 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
10/29 Albuquerque, NM – Sister Bar
10/31 Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom