Album Notes

Every decade or so, a great new band based out of L.A.’s Eastside crosses cultural boundaries and language barriers, and merges into the mainstream music scene as a talent to be reckoned with. East Los Angeles’ youthful UPGROUND are clearly this decade’s band from the barrio to cross that divide. Their music is an exciting fresh musical blend of ska, reggae, cumbia, rock and funk. The “Latin Ska” music scene has embraced their music; however the material they are releasing on their first full length CD is too diverse to be limited to any one genre. It is indeed a variation of many sounds sure to appeal to all.

UPGROUND began their musical journey early on, first at home and then at school. Participating in the school jazz band and orchestras these young musicians began to hone their skills. At home, the mix of traditional Latin music ranging from salsa to regional Mexican and everything in between began to fuse with the classic rock, blues, reggae, ska, and jazz they were listening to on their own. Undoubtedly, this eclectic range of music played an important role in developing into a delicate fusion of sounds that we now know as UPGROUND. The members are Adolfo Mercado Jr. – Drums, Danny Estrada - Vocals & Guitar, Chris "Bolillo" Manjarrez – Bass, and what has been introduced as “the best horn section coming out of Los Angeles": Everado Garcia - Vocals & Trumpet, Chris De Los Santos - Tenor Sax & Keyboards, Eric Carrillo - Alto Sax & Timbales, Joseph Quinonez - Trombone, and Aaron Perez - Alto Sax

UPGROUND has been playing locally for over 4 years and through their music these young men have developed a bond that translates into pure, raw musical energy. Their explosive “live” performances, displays their dedication, and pride not only to their music and the band as a whole, but to the communities they live in. This has transformed them into one of the most sought after young bands in Los Angeles’ competitive Latin music scene. In a short period of time they have shared the stage with such acts as Ozomatli, Tom Morello(Rage Against the Machine), Tierra, Malo, Quetzal, Voodo Glow Skulls, Go Betty Go, Quinto Sol and The B-Side Players to name a few. On the other side of the fence, they also had the privilege to open for Alternative bands like The Killers and The Chemical Brothers at the The Shrine Auditorium.

Critical acclaim and recognition greeted UPGROUND’s first EP and their live performances as time went on, culminating in a surprise April 22, 2006 Los Angeles Times review. Writer Agustin Gurza wrote a glowing review of their show called “They’re Younger than they sound” and said: “Despite their age, they seem to channel artists many of their peers have never heard of Bob Marley, Glenn Miller, Arturo Sandoval, Tower of Power. And they play with a surprising mastery of complex harmonies and time changes”. The review led to Nationwide attention including an offer to play Hollywood & Highland (Kodak Theater)’s Fridays by the Fountain, and interest from the Reality TV show “Jammin” (on SITV).

UPGROUND releases their debut full length CD titled “Feel the Vibe” in summer of 2006. Over a year in the making, it was Produced by Rudy Salas of Tierra, Mixed by David Salas (who produced La Sinfonia (Sony), Don Abusivo (Universal), El Pecador (Universal), and La Epidemia (EMI)), and Mastered by Brian Springer/ Precision Studios, who has produced/recorded Pink, Christina Aguilera, Mya, Snoop Dog, J-LO/Ja Rule, Ashanti, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, Fat Joe, Mariah Carey, and many more. Watch out for UPGROUND, this is only the beginning.