Los Skarnales Archives - The Heights Theater

REVEREND HORTON HEAT

Loaded guns, space heaters, and big skies. Welcome to the lethal littered landscape of Jim Heath’s imagination. True to his high evangelical calling, Jim is a Revelator, both revealing & reinterpreting the country-blues-rock roots of American music. He’s a time-travelling space-cowboy on a endless interstellar musical tour, and we are all the richer & “psychobillier” for getting to tag along.

Seeing REVEREND HORTON HEAT live is a transformative experience. Flames come off the guitars. Heat singes your skin. There’s nothing like the primal tribal rock & roll transfiguration of a Reverend Horton Heat show. Jim becomes a slicked-back 1950′s rock & roll shaman channeling Screamin’ Jay Hawkins through Buddy Holly, while Jimbo incinerates the Stand Up Bass. And then there are the “Heatettes”. Those foxy rockabilly chicks dressed in poodle-skirts and cowboy boots slamming the night away. It’s like being magically transported into a Teen Exploitation picture from the 1950′s that’s currently taking place in the future.

Listening to the REVEREND HORTON HEAT is tantamount to injecting pure musical nitrous into the hot-rod engine of your heart. The Reverend’s commandants are simple. And no band on this, or any other, planet rocks harder, drives faster, or lives truer than the Reverend Horton Heat. These “itinerant preachers” actually practice what they preach. They live their lives by the Gospel of Rock & Roll.

From the High-Octane Spaghetti-Western Wall of Sound in “Big Sky” — to the dark driving frenetic paranoia of “400 Bucks” – to the brain-melting Western Psychedelic Garage purity of “Psychobilly Freakout” — The Rev’s music is the perfect soundtrack to the Drive-In Movie of your life.

Jim Heath & Jimbo Wallace have chewed up more road than the Google Maps drivers. For twenty five Psychobilly years, they have blazed an indelible, unforgettable, and meteoric trail across the globe with their unique blend of musical virtuosity, legendary showmanship, and mythic imagery.

“Okay it’s time for me to put this loaded gun down, jump in my Five-Oh Ford, and nurture my pig on the outskirts of Houston. I’ll be bringing my love whip. See y’all later.” -Carty Talkington Writer/Director

Rev your engines and catch the sermon on the road as it’s preached by everybody’s favorite Reverend. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the 11th studio album from REVEREND HORTON HEAT, boldly titled Rev, due out January 21st.

Los Skarnales

Los Skarnales have been bringing their Pachuco Boogie Ska to the world for almost 30 years. With the perfect Ska, Rock-A-Billy, Cumbia, Reggae, and Punk Mix, they will make you dance your chanclas off!!

This is one Pachanga you don't wanna miss…

Swimwear Department

Swimwear Department is a dance-punk band from Houston, Texas. All their songs are about swimming pools, shopping malls, and sometimes both.

In summer 2017, Ned Gayle challenged Matt Graham to create a band based on a band name. “It was kind of a dare, just something fun, like a writing prompt. Neither of us expected anything to come of it.”

Five years later, Swimwear Department continues to gain momentum. The band is known for its frenetic live shows. They bring the party energy of The B-52s, DEVO, and their Houston predecessors, The Judy’s. At shows, fans join in enthusiastic shout-alongs and improvised line dances.

Matt Jensen of Divide and Conquer calls Swimwear Department’s music “…refreshingly frivolous…proof that you can take subject matter that on the surface level may seem a bit silly and provide emotionally satisfying and even profound experiences.”

Graham says, “I stay true to the whole malls and pools thing, but I can’t help writing about what’s going on with me personally. Yeah, we want people to interact, to dance. Yeah our songs are about malls and pools, but at the same time, they’re about what matters to us.”

The band’s NPR Tiny Desk Contest entries have been showcased on the NPR All Songs Considered Blog. These videos featured a 150-year-old tallship and a cameo by Houston legend Mattress Mack.

Swimwear Department has made festival appearances at Bowie Elvis Fest, UTOPiA Fest, Peelander Fest and River Revival Festival. In 2021, they headlined the Miller Outdoor Theatre Summer Mixtape Series. The band has performed with Angelo Moore, BODEGA, Dan Deacon and Peelander-Z. Swimwear Department is Ned Gayle (bass), Jack Gordon (Drums), Matt Graham (vocals), and Jeremy Grisbee (keys).

Los Skarnales

Los Skarnales have been bringing their Pachuco Boogie Ska to Houston and to the world for almost 30 years. With the perfect Ska, Rock-A-Billy, Cumbia, Reggae, and Punk Mix, they will make you dance your chanclas off!!

This is one Pachanga you don’t wanna miss…

This is one Pachanga you don't wanna miss…

With almost 30 years in the Texas music scene, Los Skarnales was started in 1994. The band rose out of the ashes of local punk rock band Desorden with help from original members Felipe Galvan and Jose Rodriguez. Always true to roots music in all forms, Skarnales performs a mixture of ska, reggae, rockabilly, cumbia, and danzones, all with a punk attitude. Never letting down at a live show, the band has performed extensively throughout the United States and Mexico and has shared the stage with such artists as Flaco Jimenez, Ozomatli, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, the Aggrolites, Maldita Vecindad, the Slackers, the Specials, Fishbone, Agent Orange, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and many more.

By the mid 2000’s, the band had released three full length releases: Vatos Rudos, Suavecito Style, and Pachuco Boogie Sound System and had been featured on numerous compilations and live recordings distributed throughout the U.S. and Mexico, including the song “Demasiado Tarde” in the 1999 movie, “Sexo, Pudor y Lagrimas”.

In 2010, Los Skarnales released its Fourth studio album entitled “Dále Shine!” which was recorded in New Orleans. The Album retains the Ska/Reggae feel of previous works, but incorporates more Latin sounds for an energetic mesh that will most definitely keep the bodies moving.

Los Skarnales celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014 with the release of “Vatos Rudos Forever”, a collection of 34 songs spanning the band’s beginnings to the current line-up, demonstrating the band’s diverse sounds.

In 2015 the band released the EP entitled “Another Day, Another Borrachera” on Smelvis Records. Once again, the Vatos Rudos from Texas were at it again, mixing global roots music with their Chicano style showing off their Pachuco Boogie sounds.

Recently coming back from performing the massive Ska festival SKA-TEX in Texcoco, Mexico in Oct. 16th were they headlined and closed the festival in front on 40,000 eager fans and sharing the stage with international Ska bands as Inspector, Los Intocables, Inspecter 7, Los Autenticos Decadentes, El Gran Silencio, Molotov, and many more.

Los Skarnales

With over 20 years in the Texas music scene, Los Skarnales was started in 1994. The band rose out of the ashes of local punk rock band Desorden with help from original members Felipe Galvan and Jose Rodriguez. Always true to roots music in all forms, Skarnales performs a mixture of ska, reggae, rockabilly, cumbia, and danzones, all with a punk attitude. Never letting down at a live show, the band has performed extensively throughout the United States and Mexico and has shared the stage with such artists as Flaco Jimenez, Ozomatli, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, the Aggrolites, Maldita Vecindad, the Slackers, the Specials, Fishbone, Agent Orange and many more.

Recently, the band released a new EP entitled “Another Day, Another Borrachera” on Smelvis Records. Once again, the Vatos Rudos from Texas are at it again, mixing global roots music with their Chicano style showing off their Pachuco Boogie sounds.

Money Chicha

Money Chicha is an Austin, Texas based group featuring members of the Grammy-award winning Latin orchestra Grupo Fantasma and its offshoot funk outfit Brownout which performs a fuzzed-out, reverb-drenched and percussion-heavy style of music inspired by the sounds of Peru and Colombia in the 60’s and 70’s. This style of music, sometimes called “Chicha” music, is known for its infectious Latin beat, its psychedelic, surf guitar pyrotechnics and its melodies influenced by the indigenous culture of the Andes mountains.

The group’s sound is derived from the exhilarating syncopations of congas, cowbell and timbales, the gritty tones of combo organs and vintage synthesizers, effects-laden guitar melodies, insistent basslines and a healthy dose of trippy, psychedelic effects. Money Chicha is a modern translation of this South American musical style interpreted by highly skilled veterans of America’s most vibrant music town. In their capable hands the “Chicha” genre takes on a new and unique character, guaranteed to move one to both dance and listen, entranced by the undeniable rhythms and virtuosic displays of musicality.

Money Chicha’s debut album “Echo en Mexico” was released in July 2016 on Vampisoul/Munster records (Spain) and received overwhelming praise from critics and tastemakers in North/South America and Europe as well. The band’s music has also been featured on numerous compilations including “The Rough Guide to Psychedelic Cumbia” and “Songlines Compilations disk Fall 2016” and has been featured on British Airways Songlines radio playlists. The group has performed at Tropico Festival in Acapulco, MX, Mapquest music festival, SXSW, Pachanga Festival and is scheduled to perform at Mole de Mayo festival in Chicago, IL

Ungawa! The Tiki Bandits from Las Vegas, Nevada are Tiki Punk, Lucha Core and everything Friki Tiki! The Tiki Bandits feature Frank, from Voodoo Glow Skulls, and friends.

In 2015, the band released a new EP entitled “Another Day, Another Borrachera” on Smelvis Records. Once again, the Vatos Rudos from Texas are at it again, mixing global roots music with their Chicano style showing off their Pachuco Boogie sounds.

The Modern Don Juans hail from Austin, Texas. The band consists of members of some of the best known and most celebrated US rockabilly bands to have emerged since the 50s. It’s more than likely that you have seen Tony Estrada – vocals and guitar, Tjarko Jeen – guitar, Todd Wulfmeyer – bass and Bobby Trimble – drums on stage somewhere, sometime if you’re into rockabilly at all. Their resumes include The Star Mountain Dreamers, Big Sandy and the Fly-Rite Trio, Ronnie Dawson, Marti Brom, The Bellfuries, The Modern Don Juans, The Dave And Deke Combo, The Planet Rockers and Kim Lenz and that’s just the rockabilly acts they’re associated with. Individually but also often as a team the guys have backed up just about every original 50s artist that has reemerged on the scene and that versatility, flexibility and experience shows up in their music, sound and individual styles. The music is not just rockabilly or 50s Rock and roll. Being from Texas other influences like country, blues and swing can’t help but sneak in. The band prides itself in mainly playing original material but doesn’t shy away from playing a few well-chosen covers either. After their Spinout records debut album and accompanying 45 there are now plans for a second full length due out in the near future.