Kevin Bronson on May 23rd, 2016

1

The Chavez Ravine are about as Los Angeles as it gets, folks, from taking their name from the neighborhood appropriated by the city in 1959 to make way for Dodger Stadium to the resumés of their members. They are: singer-guitarist Manny Nieto and drummer Phil Guerrero — both whom played in ’90s fuzz-monsters Distortion Felix — and bassist Mando Lopez, who plays in Morrissey’s band and previously worked with Fear and the Breeders. Nieto, of course, is the man at the controls at Manny’s Estudio, where he has produced music for the likes of HEALTH, Trash Talk, Retox, the Herms, Darker My Love, Traps PS and Virginia Reed, among others.

“I think our name The Chavez Ravine does mean something, considering we are all SoCal Latinos making music that’s not metal, has a DJ or playing hip-hop,” Nieto says. “Our DNA is more Devo vs. Wipers.” Indeed, the trio’s new song “Touch Down” throbs menacingly, an unfussy slab of hypno-punk that begs to be turned up to 11. The trio will be doing the Monday residency in June at the Echo — a co-headlining affair with young L.A. rockers Franky Flowers (more on them later this week). They promise to be special nights featuring old and new guards.

||| Stream: “Touch Down”

||| Live: The Chavez Ravine play every Monday in June at the Echo. Musicians note: At the June 6 show, Nieto will be giving away one new EarthQuaker Devices overdrive.