Fiesta Bizarra, "Sadness Sorry Imathgination"

Tightly wound peruano punk that breaks the peace but keeps the pieces

I’m traveling to Peru tomorrow, which happens to be where this month’s feature is from. They’re a punk group, which doesn’t mean much since punk hasn’t been one thing for a while. But Fiesta Bizarra is the type of band that can unite a splintered genre. They live somewhere between hardcore’s stark aggression and math rock’s melodious noodling, not far from emo’s introspective yearning and pop-punk’s cheeky suggestion that a bunch of young people making music should maybe sound like they’re having a good time. Fiesta Bizarra is made up of six such young people, fronted by sing-screamer Yosefu Rodriguez and backed by another singer and a drummer and apparently up to three guitarists. It’s the type of line-up that could easily devolve into virtuosic excess if not anchored by the focused energy that remains punk’s most recognizable calling card.

Thankfully, Fiesta Bizarra is focused. Songs start loud and end fast. The singer sounds angry, the guitarists less so. Together, they create space for a range of emotions that aren’t necessary to name if you’d rather move to them instead. The band is happy to help with that. There’s a swing to their riffs that proves it’s easier to mosh when you also kinda want to dance. The groove can feel unbalanced and is the better for it. Throw in a half-dozen time shifts and the whole structure starts to look tilted, like a Jenga tower that’s had one too many blocks removed. Just when you’re convinced it might stay upright, Yosefu’s scream crashes in to remind you that it’s more fun to knock it all down anyway.

Bonus Pick: For a similar-but-different approach to mood-blending indie rock, check out Club Night, who I featured in a Bandcamp Daily article a couple of months ago.

Although this newsletter has a global focus, Club Night is a hyper-local pick from the city of Oakland, just one bridge away from my current home in San Francisco. Consider it a reminder that, as important as it is to be aware of bands making great music on the other side of the world, it’s equally important to support your local scene. There’s almost definitely someone making amazing tunes in/near your backyard, if you take the time to seek them out.