Recent reviews
"What makes 'Americano' so good is wrapped up in its bold vision . . . the Krayolas have grown up to continue the work of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, tying together disparate communities with the invisible voice of song. Obviously, the Krayolas are quite a unique animal."
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"Now, with a new album 'Long Leaf Pine (no smack gum)' and a new generation of fans, the Krayolas are a force to contend with once more."
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"Krayolas and the West Side Horns rock. A total happening, with the vintage Chicano nuevo wavers fronting legendary San Antonio horn section."
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"The new album ('Long Leaf Pine') is a high-energy delight."
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"'Long Leaf Pine' approximates a cruise through the Alamo City in the days when Top 40 radio hopped genres without missing a beat. 'Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag' plants Dylan in the middle of Mexico's drug war, which gives way to the West Side Horns colliding with a Billy Gibbons riff on 'So Happy.' The pop punch of 'A-Frame' goes ballistic on Louie Bustos' sax solo, while Augie Meyers' Vox organ turns up on his own Sir Douglas Quintet obscurity, 'I Wanna Fall in Love Again,' into a groovy country shuffle."<
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"The Krayolas and the West Side Horns are kind of the logical extension of Sunny & the Sunliners. They have great pop sensibilities and still have that San Anto element."
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"'Long Leaf Pine' takes a leap from last year's stellar 'La Conquistadora' and lands the Krayolas into serious contention as one of America's best new bands ... a banquet of compelling, brilliantly written, creatively arranged, confidently played rock'n'roll."
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"It's so jolting to find that their new album 'Long Leaf Pine (no smack gum)' leads off with the bloody New Orleans history lesson "Marie Laveau" and quickly segues into a border tale of mass decapitation called "Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag" ... with its leap from a traditional conjunto intro to a lilting cumbia groove that evokes the surreal brilliance of Los Lobos' 'Kiko and the Lavender Moon.'"
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"Sir Doug meets Rockpile crossed with Big Star on the second superb album in as many years from The Krayolas ... "Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag" rips a story of drug dealing and murder from the headlines. A confident mix of catchy melody and big beat. This is rock 'n' roll at its most essential and effective."
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"Their music is powered by a belief that stretches back to when Elvis Presley was driving a truck and Chuck Berry was a hairdresser ... an undeniable mix of staggering styles that all a listener can do is give in and take the ride with them. But what makes 'Long Leaf Pine' so irresistible is how completely confident the album is."
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"They've never sounded more distinctly South Texan than they do on the wild drug-cartel-carnage ballad, 'Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag,' unless it's on the Woodlawn Lake love letter, 'Chola Song.'"