From their Epitaph release FIRME: . . Fat Randy (.au 341k) . . Fat Randy (1.7 megs) . . official home page		Just seventy miles east of Los Angeles lies a small town infamous for it's noxious smog levels, it's hostile sheriff's deputies and it's exploding crystal methamphetamine labs. But this modest, blue collar community is perhaps best known for the local slaughterhouses and sewage treatment plants whose rank flatulence nauseates thousands of unsuspecting visitors each year. However, the recent success of the Inland Empire's prodigal sons, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, has finally placed Riverside, California on the map for something that they can truly be proud of. After shipping over l60,000 copies of their Epitaph debut FIRME, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, with the help of producer Jim Goodwin, boldly deliver the goods with BAILE DE LOS LOCOS, easily their fastest, hardest and most potent record to date. The title can be loosely translated as 'Dance Of the Crazy People', and it's the perfect metaphor to describe both their records and their live gigs. Like a homemade burrito drowned in a pint of Picante, BAILE DE LOS LOCOS is simply on fire; one fast, energetic and ferocious track after another. At first listen, the exhilaration just grows and grows, to the point where auditory overload seems almost certain. Even Los Hombres No Lloren (one of three tracks in spanish), with it's more relaxed tempo and rock-steadyish groove, will keep your heart pounding. Included is a bonus track: the perennial holiday favorite Feliz Navidad, although you've never experienced it like this before. "In some songs we're serious about our lyrics, in others they're just for fun, and some are meant to be both, but when it comes to the music itself, we are always serious...serious about having fun," reveals guitarist Eddie Casillas, "Bulletproof is about how kids these days don't think about consequences, I mean guns are everywhere but there is no concept of mortality. On the other hand, there's Elephantitis. It's about having big nuts. Sure some people will read into it, but it's just a joke, you know, about big nuts. Motel Six is about not being able to get a gig so you decide to rent a motel room for a few bucks just to have a place to plug in and play far the night. Sure it's funny, but that's one of the first songs we ever wrote, and we remember what it was like. We put it on the record for all the bands that look up to us. I mean, sure it was tough, but we eventually got past that stage, and so can they." In 1988, Eddie and his younger brother Jorge convinced their older sibling, Frank, to join their after school jam sessions with neighborhood pal, Jerry O'Neill. Thus the Voodoo Glow Skulls were born; originally a four piece hardcore punk band. Three years later they were getting bored with the same old thing, so they added the fastest and most deranged horn players they could find. Joey Hernandez, Joe McNally and Brodie Johnson soon found themselves playing the brass more fiercely than their parents ever could have possibly imagined. After a handful of local gigs and two 7"s, they released their first full-length WHO IS? THIS IS? (also produced by Jim Goodwin) in 1993 on a tiny, one man label located only a few miles away, Dr. Strange Records. After squeezing themselves (and their gear) into a beat up van for a half dozen or so national tours, including a successful supporting slot for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the band was astonished to see how quickly their popularity was rising in the underground scene, It was at this time that the Voodoo Glow Skulls chose to join forces with the most successful independent rock label to date, Epitaph. Their Epi-debut, FIRME (produced by GGGarth Richardson) was recorded in both english and spanish. Often asked why they would record the same record in spanish, they candidly reply "because we can." The english version was released in Oct. 1995 to an anticipation never before seen by an Epitaph debut. The version en espanol (March 1996) was not only well received by their fans (both english and spanish speaking), but it was also championed by La Banda Elastica magazine, the principal taste-maker of the booming 'Rock-en-Espanol' scene. Playing live is also a priority for the band, and what a live show it is. Even the Kali Cartel can't stimulate like a Voodoo Glow Skulls show. Since signing with Epitaph, they have completed three more national headlining tours, a pair of left coast regional tours, their first Japanese and European tours, and have additionally supported the likes of 311, No Doubt, Pennywise, Sublime and the Reverend Horton Heat, to name a few. Their single, Fat Randy was easily the fastest song on commercial radio last year. Not only did it receive significant airplay on over 25 stations, but it dominated the KROQ requestline for over eight weeks, consistently ranked in the top 5 most requested. They enjoyed a phenomenal response at the 1996 KROQ Weenie Roast. Perhaps the most telling sign, was their first visit to KROQ's nationally syndicated self help show LOVELINE, they received more calls/faxes directed at them than any other band before, or since. That night, they received more calls about their future touring and recording plans than the Dr. got for personal advice. It astonished everyone involved; the show's hosts, KROQ's staff and the band members themselves. They are still occasionally referred to when a guest band gets a flurry of calls on the show. Not only are the Voodoo Glow Skulls diligent when it comes to their band, they are also deeply committed to the independent music community which had nurtured them. They own Cheap Guy Music, an independent record store in Riverside which started in a hatchback in 1991, they have also been actively involved in the local live music scene for almost ten years; often booking or promoting gigs for lesser known bands (both local and visiting). Recently, they began constructing their own recording studio so local bands can record close to home and cheaply. This connection to their roots has attained the band a considerable measure of respect and admiration from their friends, fans and peers alike. Most importantly, it has given the band an unfaltering foundation and a strong sense of self. Who do Voodoo? They do.
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