We first heard from Marujah back in 2020 upon the release of their single “Ke Pasa” from the album Gypsy Noise Ritual. That record introduced readers of The Static Dive to a genre-bending and groundbreaking band from San Diego. For the better part of a decade, the band has been rocking the California/Mexico border with their own distinct brand of ska-infused alt-rock. Their sound gives a distinctly Latino twist to a great Southern California musical tradition.
Ska is a Jamaican music. The genre’s upbeat ‘skankin’ rhythm was the musical precursor to reggae, dancehall and reggaeton. Rock & Roll music has been influenced heavily by ska music since the 1950s. The Chordettes classic “Lollipop” was originally a ska song. In the 80s ska took over London. In the 90’s, bands like Sublime and No Doubt introduced ska to the aesthetic and attitude of stoner SoCal alt-rock. Today, groups like Dirty Heads, Vana Liya and Marujah continue the tradition.
Henry619 is the brand new album from the award-winning Marujah, released worldwide via all major streaming services on Halloween 2022. The album was produced by the legendary John Avila from Oingo Boingo at Brando’s Paradise studios in San Gabriel. The record takes a wild ride through Latin Alternative, punk, ska and rock.
The record opens on its current single “Zombicron”, a downtempo reggae groove with just enough tremolo on the guitar to make it creepy. Its a great vibe that gradually evolves into a cool psychedelic rock jam. The band continues that trippy feel for the intro of “Eslova”. In short order they kick it up a notch and add a skankin groove to their acid rock guitar. “Disaster” follows with a cool surf punk/alt-rock mash-up.
That sort of genre free-association is the Marujah game plan, and its a lot of fun. From the Soundgarden-esque guitars and dark alt rock meditation of “Guillermo del Monster” to the old-school hard-core punk of “Pendejadas”, The band keeps it interesting while maintaining their distinctly cool Latin ska-punk aesthetic. They wear that badge proudly on tracks like “Bandida” and “Saturno”.
Check out Henry 619 in it’s entirety below, or listen on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear the song “Zombicron” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below to connect with Marujah. Get on their socials and get in the loop.