Houston Press
June 2008

Even though they are from East Los Angeles and have close ties to Los Lobos, there are few repertoires that scream "Gulf Coast" like Tremoloco's. No matter whether the language is Spanish or English; the style honky-tonk, Tex-Mex or rock and roll; the dance a two-step, zydeco stomp or slow drag, Tremoloco plays it with a mastery that makes most of our local honky-tonk heroes sound like weekend warriors at best. The accordions whir, the guitars smoke and the blues is the blues no matter the language. To properly listen to 'Loco's magnificent debut, Dulcinea, one needs the clinking of ice in glasses, the low barroom hubbub of voices and laughter and the occasional Freddy Fender "ay-yay-yay." The material ranges from the hilarious "Mi Novela" (my soap opera), in which a macho husband can't get enough of the daily Latin television dramas, to "Tremoloco," a super-cool instrumental track that should be on a tape loop in every bedroom in America where clothes are on the floor and the sheets are tangled. With Los Lobos drummer Cougar Estrada, Dave Alvin alum Rick Shea on guitars and Tony Zamora's earthy lyrics and vocals, this band should rapidly become favorites here in H-Town, where belt buckle polishing is part of the genetic code. Throw Tremoloco on the jukebox anywhere between Los Skarnales and Clifton Chenier, between Freddy Fender and Los Lobos, between Ruben Ramos and Bill Black's Combo, and you're on Tremoloco's musical terra firma, a robust Tex-Mexican Americana.
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Yes this CD is fun, catchy, danceable and very listenable (I love it) but what's most impressive is the album as a whole. At first it may seem like just a fun mix of styles and genres but after repeated listening it reveals a lot more. The songs on this CD tell their stories in a very literate way. Even the beautiful instrumentals like Cowboy's Lullaby (Dulce's Dream) conjure up lovely and serene images. If you listen closely the title (Dulcinea) will make sense as will the beautiful front and back cover art. How something so diverse can be cohesive musically, lyrically and even visually is quite an acclomplishment! It just gets better and better the more I listen and for me that has always been the mark of a great record. And as if the amazing collection of contributing musicians and their performances aren't enough I find the writing genuine, sometimes funny, romantic though not corny and a bit like short stories I would read over and over again. Okay, so I'm a bit of a bookworm geek still I cannot recommend this recording enough! Do yourself a favor and buy it right away!!!
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I find myself humming these songs in my head often.  I often judge music by how it affects me in different ways and whether it gets better and better the more I listen to it.  This is defintely the case with this music.  I love all the songs-hard to say which is my favorite. There is something for everyone in this collection. It is a great CD!!!
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Ersatz Uncle Tupelo, BUT on the border no less! I love it!
And you guys have the best customer service edge!
Bless you--
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