Hailing from El Monte, a sleepy suburban town just east of Los Angeles, The Red Pears’ founding members, Henry Vargas (vocals/guitar) and Jose Corona (drums), draw their sound from the spectrum between the early 2000s New York indie rock and grunge scene to the cumbia and corridos that soundtracked their childhoods. After cycling through an assortment of lineups, mutual friend and bassist Patrick Juarez stayed on and expanded their operation. Now a solid three-piece band, the emerging alt-rockers have come a long way from meeting at a local Battle of the Bands, practicing in their garages, and naming themselves after their favorite color and a pun on the word “pair”— a subtle nod to sonic inspirations The White Stripes and The Black Keys.
The Red Pears first got on the map with self-releases For Today, For Tomorrow, For What Is, For What Could’ve Been and We Bring Anything to the Table… Except Tables We Can’t Bring Tables to the Table, that led to expansive touring and learning the ins-and-outs of being on the road. In 2019, the band delivered their sonically and emotionally diverse heartfelt EP Alicia, named after Corona and Vargas’ mothers, that showcased a polished alt-rock sound without sacrificing the band’s roiling, fuzzed-out garage spirit. The Red Pears north star continues to be their undying honesty and commitment to the craft. “It all boils down to effort and humility,” says Vargas, “we just want to do our best and make the music we want to make. Now we have more help and resources, but it’s about continuing to push and keeping that humility.”
In 2021, Henry, Jose and Patrick introduced and solidified a new era for the band with their latest album release You Thought We Left Because The Door Was Open, But We Were Waiting Outside. The album marked a matured reinvention of their nostalgic indie attitude as their early sounds, sonic inspirations and revived the rebellious spirit of garage rock and took on a fully realized form in the name of friendship, growth and timeless rock ‘n’ roll. Channeling the tenacious fervor and reception of the album, the band landed a notable “All Eyes On” feature in SPIN naming them as a band to watch as well as utilizing the momentum to relocate their moxie to packed stages across the U.S.
Their ascending career has seen the band sell out venues nationwide on numerous headlining tours, including a rapidly sold-out show at the renowned The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles at the end of 2022, have opened for bands like Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing and graced coveted festival stages like Coachella, Tropicalia, ZONA Fest, and SXSW. 2023 will see The Red Pears continue to rise with new music, headlining Viva! Pomona Festival, supporting Interpol at The Greek in Los Angeles and their biggest headlining run yet at the end of the year.
Four-piece alternative band hailing from Granada Hills, CA. The four create an atmosphere that is overwhelming with emotion.
“Mexican Slum Rats are masters at composing songs one can feel to their core, balancing tranquility with chaos — a perfect mixture that is only heightened by their expressive instrumentals. Lead vocalist Kevin Villalba has an unforgettable and profound pitch that lingers to correctly portray the sense of vulnerability people often attempt to conceal, humanizing their music and creating an outlet for others to turn to. Accompanying Villalba’s vehement displays are the distinct sounds of a strumming guitar, making for a complete and ideal performance.”
– Catherine Quinones, Daily Trojan
60Juno leads Central California’s post-punk scene with sounds of heavy nostalgia felt deep in the chest, all beginning in the lonely bedroom of a 2020-quarantined teen in Merced.
Inspired by the 2016 surge of Southern California’s DIY Indie-Rock scene, as well as the ever-popular Soundcloud era of rap, 60Juno realized that creating his own sound wasn’t as far away as he once thought. The independent 20-year old is the driving force behind all of the bass, drums, guitar and vocals that can be heard on each track listened to by nearly 250 thousand people across the world.
Though inspired by the likes of The Drums and Current Joys, 60Juno takes the usually wistful, dreamy surf-rock sound a step further into post-punk territory with heightened energy and rough, low vocals thrown on top.
What may have started off as a drive to create for the sake of creating has now transformed into a push toward establishing a notable sound worth remembering. With no plans of stopping any time soon, 60Juno only has up to go from here.
