Top 30 RGV Songs of the Decade
Raymus Media - The Rio Grande Valley alternative music magazine
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For the past 10 years, we have seen a resurgence of Rio Grande Valley music. We stacked our alternative music scene with new venues, new studios, more social connections, and taken advantage of the rise of Soundcloud and Bandcamp, but more importantly, we ushered in a new generation of musicians that produced some captivating art. With suggestions from Charlie Vela (follow his studio @casapanchitastudios), Andy Crimson (follow her booking page @sketchbooking956), Amaury Lopez (follow his band Yruama), and a few others, Raymus Media has put together a list of songs that stood out this decade and earned a place in this pantheon.
30. Land Locked Pirates – Oh Me, Oh My
At a time when bluesy southern-rock bands like The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, and Kings of Leon were co-opted by the indie world, Land Locked Pirates brought their own music to the RGV to conquer every rock bar they could play in. Their 2012 single was tailor-made to move everyone from their seats and toward the stage.
29. Italia – Kawaii Life (Remix)
Earlier this decade, bedroom rap became an art form of its own, from Yung Lean to Kitty Pryde, using internet culture as their launch pad. In Italia’s case, she takes this idea to the next level by dedicating an entire music project to her love of Kawaii (Japanese culture of cuteness.) In her popular single, you must admire her commitment to the theme, even name-dropping one of her influences, Perfume. The trap beat is smooth and inviting, and her vocals pack a lot of enthusiasm into such a soft delivery.
28. Costello – Hurts So Bad
Honky-tonk piano and rhythm, red-dirt vocals, and full wall of sound make this tale of overnight mischief an instant sing-along. From bad gambling and tattoo choices to getting slapped by his woman at six in the morning, the mental gymnastics that the narrator uses to excuse himself add humor to an already fun song.
27. Jay Coakley - Mythos
After the end of her piano goth-rock band, called Wreath of Bones, Jay Coakley went solo for one last song. Its acoustic-based with soft electronics, but it’s the strong fantasy ambiance and the story of love that trandcends time that make this song a keeper.
26. Scarlett O’Hara - You Can’t Wrestle Swordfish In Tampa
The demo of this song is what catapulted them to Myspace screamo fame in 2008, which eventually got them signed to Rise and re-recorded this song for their 2010 album. The vocals are brutally strong, the breakdowns are meticulous, and the zig-zags of the song structure keep up the suspense. The methods to their madness gave them a leg-up in an oversaturated genre.
25. Melissa Carver - Alone
Carver has been recording acoustic songs since as far back as 2003, but it wasn’t until she got the full studio treatment that she showed the true potential of her song ideas. After gut-wrenching lines about love affairs and feeling lonely in marriages, the instrumentation builds with a dramatic organ, crashing drums, and Carver’s belted-out vocals in the cathartic second half. For a moment, you might actually feel sympathy for the unfaithful.
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Alone
24. Quiet Kids - Tidal Wave
In 2011, when Quiet Kids released its first EP, chillwave was already on its death bed. So where can you go eight years later? You dig back even further. The result: the dark hooks and backdrop of Depeche Mode, Andy Peña’s stiff but endearing voice, and a new-wave staccato synth for maximum tension. We also can’t forget about the saxophone solo that steals the show, to great effect as in M83’s “Midnight City.”
23. J-Sea - A-Team (Remix)
The 2010’s was the decade that rebuilt trap music from a strictly-southern form of aggressive gangster rap, to a smooth, polished, and heavily syncopated juggernaut that took the world by storm. J-Sea was one of the RGV rappers that adapted well to the trend, without falling into the mumble rap controversy. By remixing a loop-worthy Allen Ritter beat (originally used by Travis Scott) and keeping the comparisons of rap prowess to athleticism, and sports teams to squad goals, he made this his home field with several flows, zingers, and alt-R&B inflections that ring out satisfyingly well.
22. SUPER – My Head Hit the Floor
Hypnagogic theme and synth, distorted post-punk revivalist vocals, and explosive psychedelic finale turn a passive indie pop sound into one of the most memorable songs of the decade.
21. Lazerhog – Space A$$
Spazzed-out funk metal with adventurous twists and turns. Fans of Jane’s Addiction, Primus, Faith No More, and Rage Against The Machine can appreciate the tribute, but the unhinged vocals and off-the-wall technical work give this song a life of its own.
20. Conscious Vibe - Vibe Out
“Both energies combine when the souls intertwine. Hopefully I don’t see you on the other side. This world we’re living in today, I can’t compromise. Too many false prophets and rappers that they idolize,” warns Conscious Vibe, regarding a man wanting to elevate his mindset, but pulled down by his street life. The themes of mentality and meditation carry over to the instrumental too, as boom bap meets cloud rap with breezy saxophones and crashing waves of new-age synth. The blunt lyrics and stern delivery give Vibe a believable streetsmart aura.
19. Dethgaze – Elixer
There’s a certain sense of existentialism that comes with Deathgaze’s early single. Whether that comes in the form of a crisis or of hope is up to you. The indiscernible Thom Yorke-like singing is used more for effect than narrative, and the heavily reverbed electronic rock atmosphere is as stuffy as it is soothing.
18. Twin Tribes – Shadows
It’s not easy to stand out as a goth/dark-wave band. The comparisons to The Cure, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus and all their musical descendants, can be overwhelming, especially when your lead single starts with an obligatory chorused bass line. However, the dance-friendly beat, flamboyant melodies, and dark seductiveness is enough to forget about comparisons for a moment. The flawless execution of this song has launched Twin Tribes into one of the most successful bands in the RGV alternative scene.
17. Echoes & Embers - Wherever You Are
Beauty and grit come together in the form of rapid acoustic picking, weathered singing, and a moving song about finding strength through a loved one during tough times. The backing piano chords and female vocals add depth to an already strong performance. It’s a reminder of how powerfully anthemic folk songs can be.
16. Pillowsnake - rainbow rhoads
It’s the Mario Kart interpretation of a Gorillaz song, with a buoyant bass line, fizzy synth, and a manic version of Damon Albarn’s singing. The most fun psychedelic ride you can get from a pop song.
15. Yruama - Vámonos Pa’ México
A brilliant effort of using both sound and words to set the scenery and tug at the heartstrings. Yruama wants a getaway to Mexico with his lover, and can already see her radiance in his homeland’s sun and wind. So he uses bright jangle pop guitars for the landscape, yearning howls for homesickness, and a shoegazing finale for daydreaming.
14. Contracepters - Y So Salty?
Earlier this year, a bill was passed in Alabama which could bring sweeping changes to the legality of abortion on a road to overturn Roe v. Wade. Hitting close to home was an arson at McAllen’s Whole Women’s Health clinic, the only place in the Rio Grande Valley that provides abortions. In response, Los Skagaleros regrouped under a new name for a charity album and concert, raising money for reproductive rights organizations. In the opening track, the Contraceptors scaled back their elaborate brand of ska to get back to the political origins of punk rock with youthful aggression, group shouts, and working-class appeal. In under two minutes, we get a loud and clear proclomation to all who shout in the faces of, and get in the way of, those seeking services from a women’s clinic: GET OUT!
13. Ali Wagner - Outgrown
Ali Wagner still likes ice cream and still hates baseball, but despite all the superficial likes/dislikes she lists, she has changed on a core level to the point of outgrowing who she is speaking to. The Alvvays-like indie pop innocence is fun and sweet, but underneath is a heart-to-heart sincerity that makes us want to listen deeper.
12. Monstruo Bohemio - Su Arma Es El Miedo
Fear mongering from politicians is a constant reality of life in the Rio Grande Valley. Some artists want to paint a different picture of our homeland and call out the misrepresentation in mass media. Lyrically, sonically, rythmically, and spiritually, Monstruo Bohemio captures the multi-cultural essence of the RGV with cumbia drums and flute, fiery latin-rock guitar licks, and assertive raps.
11. Blocked Numbers - Oh My Ghost
Industrial rock with doomsday sirens and sci-fi noise that can cause anxiety and unease in the deepest parts of our psyche, while the buzzing bass drone adds some badass factor and keeps the song steady. There’s the feel of a cinematic thriller that may not be a coincidence, since industrial music masters like Trent Reznor and Ben Frost have turned their talents to film soundtracks.
10. Dezorah - Las Flores
There can be bitterness toward progressive rock that is deemed pretentious, even to the point of hostility, but Dezorah knows to keep the tasteful riffs and technical fundamentals front and center in a three-piece suite about mortality and being in memory. Part one introduces an echoey desolate soundscape, part two crashes through with a burst of rapid drums, a storm of guitar drones, and intense bass fills that are topped off by one of the fastest and tightest drum solos to come out this decade. Part three is when the main riff appears and the dark latin-rock sound is solidified after three minutes of anticipation. This is the section where Dezorah saves the best for last: Danica Salazar’s blazing vocals.
9. Carmen Castillo - Agarra La Onda
At the height of tensions against the border wall, this song is a call to action for “los artistas, desempleados, anarquistas, feministas,” to unite against government intrusion and take back the pride of our homeland. The fluid cumbia beat, subtle psychedelia, and Castillo’s scrappy-spirited speed raps create an anthem of a generation. Mostly rapped in Spanish, the beat switches up as she runs a quick victory lap in English that every listener can celebrate with. The song was so well received, it made it on two RGV compilation albums: Wild Tongue, and Tales From The Border.
8. The Vangoes - Across The Room
The feel-good song of the decade. Skank guitar strums, festive organ chords, and group la-la-la’s. Shawn Elliot Russell’s quick romantic raps stay excellently in the pocket, but it’s Lamar Jones’ soulful singing that steals the show and is the x-factor to this heart-warming masterpiece.
7. Los Skagaleros - Infinitely
“It’s the emptiness inside our hearts that makes me feel so young,” the male/female duo ironically sing whole-heartedly, backed by a band that downplays the standard pop-punk sound of third-wave ska and pays homage to the genre’s jazz origins. Odd catchy melodies, slowed and heavy transitions, and instrumental extravagance. This band uses their high musical IQ to create a song that’s an all-around good time.
6. Noe Saenz - I’ve Got A Lover
“Immediately from the start of the title track, we hear his soulful tenor vocals and effortless falsetto; In the hook he sings “I’d rather be with yoouUUU” with a slide note that is one of the most satisfying moments of the album. The funk bass line, tense guitar fills, erotic gloss, and Maroon 5’s appeal make this song a pop masterpiece.”
5. Geminii - Avísame
“Using the sonic expansiveness of American electronica and the sleek sexiness of latin-pop, Geminii hits the ground running with their debut single. The lyrical core is a love-me-or-leave-me ultimatum, while the instrumental takes from a rich pool of textures and samples, and then builds a densely dark and dance-friendly track with a potential for widespread appeal. The professional vocal performance and polished production tie the elements into a grand presentation that is ready to conquer the RGV and beyond.”
4. Pillowsnake - ASMR Superstar
Pillowsnake’s ambiguous take on the ASMR phenomenon that has taken over Youtube may as well be about his own habit of never being quiet. He keeps it noisy, pounding, screeching, and glitchy. In this song, the lo-fi madman scrapes the polish off of Southern hip-hop, turning it into a psychedelic, flamboyant, and dissonant atrocity of our expectations. The pitch-shifted and distorted vocals, the creaking background sounds, and the campy guitar solo all add to the chaos without taking away from the earworm of a rap hook. The dirty south just got dirtier.
3. Dezorah - Vicio (Casa Panchita Session)
Everything Dezorah does works! Mostly recorded live, for this reworking of one of their early songs, they added a classical guitar and hand drums to their already stacked rock instrumentation. They also added more occult atmosphere to their occult lyrics. The beautifully hazy main section works great on its own, but it’s also a slow burn for a big payoff: an unexpected uproar of cumbia and psychedelia that is one of the most tense music moments of the decade.
2. Sick/Sea - Robot
Sick/Sea was born out of the late 2000’s indie movement that saw surprise crossover pop hits like “Bruises” and “Young Folks,” before turning to darker hits like “Sail” and “Pumped Up Kicks.” Sick/Sea’s transition was emphasized most by this song about chasing ever-changing dreams, leaving home, and relationships strained by distance. The palm-muted strums and drums create an irresistible groove, Audrey Scott’s soaring vocals are full of heartache, and all the windy layers of tension add darkness and dimension. The song was also fitting for the time due to the band relocating to Austin, adding even more parallels to all of us who “run neck and neck with life experience.”
1. Chemical Thought - Someone Once Said
“Am I going insane? Or am I just a man?” Elliot Weaver questions with a decade’s worth of angst. The real insanity is Weaver throwing everything at the wall and making all of it stick: the theatrical piano intro, a deceptively jaunty verse riff, the melodic Twenty One Pilots-biting rap section, and the epic mosh-worthy closer. Technically a demo and somewhat crudely recorded, the charming DIY aesthetic comes with a perfectionist mindset: overlapping guitars, meticulous background electronics, and elaborate layered vocals. A maximalist lesson in how to go for all of it, all the time. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m going anyway,” he declares with the passion of a man on a mission. Inspired by a friend who told him that life is great, after losing his way for a moment. We’re right there with him. We don’t know where we’re going next decade, but we’re going anyway. Let’s make it a great one.