El Proyecto de Historia Oral del Rock Alternativo e Independiente de Juárez explora las perspectivas de varios músicos, promotores y participantes en la escena del rock alternativo e independiente de Ciudad Juárez. Los entrevistados hablan de sus experiencias en bandas locales y de su percepción sobre la evolución de la escena, lo que nos ofrece una visión de la vibrante, pero desafiante comunidad artística que existe en Juárez.

“If you have not seen Acid Pie play live before, you are definitely missing out” - KA Radio’s Lochlann Green enthusiastically reports. From the first ground-shaking beats on Chuy Avila’s drums to the final chords of their set, it’s hard to deny the excitement that this four-piece band produce live. While the songwriting team of Rolph Zehntner and Adrian Romero pay close attention to their harmonies and melodies, even crafting occasional ballads such as “Rainy Days” or the acoustic “Hard Folk”, it is the thrills you are here for: loud, bright guitars, Edgar Santiesteban’s thumping bass and those killer drums - all compacted in songs almost always under three minutes. Even the sentimental “Don’t Forget About Me” - with its catchy call-and-response chorus - has a frenetic quality that crosses the bridge between good old fashioned rock & roll and uncompromising punk rock. 

The twin cities of El Paso, Texas and Juarez in Mexico - one of the largest borders in the world - is seldom associated with rock music. But those acquainted with the region may know its rich underground scene, one which has exploded in the last few years with many new and exciting acts covering a wide spectrum of popular music. It is there that Acid Pie concocted their own brand of rock & roll. 

Rolph, Edgar, Adrian and Jesus gradually came together during the first few years of development, but it wasn’t until late 2012 when their debut EP was quickly recorded live at RockStar Studios, capturing the garage feel and intensity of the band in 6 tracks - just over 15 minutes. Titled “It Make Me Feel Like… Wooh!”, quoting Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”, it is a tribute to the very scene where the group originated. It earned them a surprise nomination for Best Garage/Punk Album at the 2013 Indie-O Music Awards; Mexico’s biggest national recognition for independent musicians. 

Almost immediately the band returned to work with producer Hector Rodriguez, expanding their subject matter for their first long-play. The self-titled album released in 2014 draws its inspiration not just from the underground, but a bigger part of life in the border-town that serves as its backdrop: “Bang! Bang! Why’d you want to start a fight when we’re all trying just to make a living? All the people coming in and out, can you hear them now? Listen, listen!”. This new offering has also earned them praise including the number 1 spot at Rios Online Radio’s countdown of the Best of 2014 and two Decibel Awards, for Best Garage Rock Album and Viewers’ Favorite Garage Rock Band. Just a few months later, 2015 comes as an exciting year as the band continues to promote their LP and build a wider following (now as part of the Electric Social Records roster) while also working on new material which will take the form of a new album; exploring new sonic avenues and reflecting on their experiences in the US, where they are now based.

Followers of Acid Pie