Album Notes

"... There's never really been a guitarist quite like her, not only in Hollywood, but anywhere." - L.A. Weekly

Sylvia Juncosa is a unique figure, a wild guitar bandit queen with serious skills, a tender singer with thoughtful lyrics, a restless soul who travelled the world. With a brash persona and an innovative musical style that bounds exuberantly between alternative rock, hard rock, psychedelic and '60s, Sylvia has earned the moniker "the female Jimi Hendrix".

She began her career as keyboardist. In the early 1980s she was an original member of the Leaving Trains, then toured the US with Clay Allison (with David Roback and Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith, that band was a pre-cursor to Opal). Her true path was as a frontperson and songwriter however, so she soon switched to guitar and formed her own band, To Damascus. This trippy trio became an L.A. cult favorite, released two critically-acclaimed albums and built Sylvia's reputation as "LA's top female guitarist".

"... She can make her guitar sing, speak, laugh, cry, and beg for mercy." - Music Connection

During this time she also joined SWA, a punk metal band featuring former Black Flag bassist Chuck Dukowski. She performed on their album "XCIII" (SST Records) and in many raucous, thundering live shows.

In 1988 Sylvia went solo, retaining the power trio format of To Damascus but gaining the ability to "get the best players for each project" as she put it. Her first solo album "Nature" (SST Records), with its fearless anthem "Lick My Pussy, Eddie Van Halen", cemented her reputation as a bold personality and gained considerable attention in Europe. Sylvia had an affinity for Europe, and after a second album "One Thing" (Fundamental Records) and a US tour opening for Soundgarden, she bought a one-way ticket to Germany.

"The thing about Sylvia Juncosa - the woman can play guitar. And she has a style all her own." - L.A. Reader

Giving herself over completely to the traveling musician life, Sylvia toured, recorded another album "Is" (Glitterhouse), and wandered the world as far as India before returning to the US in 1995. There she was swallowed in a dark mystery and disappeared until the dawn of 2009, when she came blasting onto the scene again with a band as blazing hot as ever.

"Hiatus? What hiatus? ... Sylvia was melodic, and thunderous, and furious, and tender, and manic, and sweet ..." - live review