Chicano Batman
Los Angeles-based band Chicano Batman source their high-spirited alternative Latin synthesis from Tropicália, West Coast psychedelia, and late-'60s/early-'70s soul, among other styles. Sounding both lively and laid-back, the group's dance-friendly grooves are matched to thoughtful lyrics that explore personal and political themes. 2017's Freedom Is Free was an engaging celebration of their fun and serious sides, while 2020's Invisible People revealed a greater musical sophistication and 2024's Notebook Fantasy added a retro-electronic sheen to their sound.
Eduardo Arenas (bass, vocals), Bardo Martinez (lead vocals, organ, guitar), and Gabriel Villa (drums, percussion) formed Chicano Batman in 2008, and made their recorded debut the following year with a self-released, self-titled album. After Carlos Arévalo (guitar) was added to the lineup, Chicano Batman issued the four-track Joven Navegante EP in 2012. A second full-length LP, Cycles of Existential Rhyme, was issued by the independent El Relleno Records imprint in 2014, and the band greatly expanded their fan base in 2015 with dates opening for Alabama Shakes and Jack White, as well as a performance at Coachella. In 2016, Chicano Batman signed to the ATO label, where they released Freedom Is Free, their third album, in early 2017. (ATO also reissued their self-titled debut in 2018, as well as a two-fer edition of Joven Navegante and Cycles of Existential Rhyme.)
Chicano Batman released the collaborative single "Háblame/Córazon de Roca" with Caloncho in 2019, the same year they put out their Black Lipstick EP. Their next full-length, Invisible People, followed in 2020, with the group exploring more sophisticated musical structures and refining their use of studio technology. For 2024's Notebook Fantasy, Chicano Batman worked with producer John Congleton, who previously helmed albums for St. Vincent and Erykah Badu. The music revealed a more polished sound and a greater embrace of vintage keyboards and drum machines (the latter significant as by the time they began recording Gabriel Villa was no longer a member of the band).
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