In The Red labelmates Davila 666, from Puerto Rico and Cheap Time, from Memphis, TN are teaming up for a Fall tour together in September, and each band has a handful of shows on their own as well.
About DaVila 666
DAVILA 666 was formed in the summer of 2005 by Sir Charles Davila (lead vocals, bass) and AJ Davila (bass, vocals). Both had produced beats for Puerto Rico underground rap group CI*FI, in which Sir Charles was also an emcee.
SC decided to end CI*FI and make a rock n’ roll band, so he approached AJ with his idea of making Stooges/Stones inspired punk rock. The two clicked and came up with what would become “Callejon,” the band’s first song and now classic ode to fucking in public.
After recruiting Johnny Otis Davila (lead guitars, back vocals), Miss Sofie Davila (rhythm guitar, back vocals), San Pablo Davila (drums, back vocals) and Panda Davila (tambourine, maracas, back vocals) the Davila’s went on a prolific songwriting and recording binge heavily influenced by Jesus & Mary Chain, Back from the Grave style garage, late 70’s Spanish pop, and Killed by Death style punk.
The band started playing underground punk shows in P. R. at the beginning of 2006 and became noted for their highly energetic, boozy, sex-fueled garage parties. In December of 2006 they released Puñales, Pildoras y otras Formas de Entretenerse, a compilation of most of their early recordings.
GiGi Davila (rhythm guitar, back vocals) began filling in for Miss Sophie in 2007 and eventually became a full-fledged Davila member. That summer SC also organized a 3-week west coast tour with help from an old friend in Seattle, Erin Wood, bass player for punk band The Spits, as well as his buddies Ernie Quintero and The Eye Booking.
During this tour the Davila’s were introduced to Larry Hardy from In The Red Records. Four months later, after listening to a CD from the band, Larry offered to release a full length on ITR. DAVILA 666’s self-titled album was released in late summer 2008.
In 2009, the band released singles on Chicago’s HoZac Records and Atlanta’s Douchemaster Records. They replaced San Pablo with The Latin Snake (drums), began working with longtime rock n’ roll booking agent Peter Davis for Creature Booking, and embarked on a four-month, eighty-show U. S. tour with bands like The Spits, NoBunny, Jacuzzi Boys, Mannequin Men, Reigning Sound, The Homosexuals, Brimstone Howl, Gentleman Jesse, and many more.
In 2010, DAVILA 666 released an EP on Rob’s House Records, singles on Vice Records (split with Detroit’s Dirtbombs), and Norton Records covering “She’s a Rainbow” by The Rolling Stones in Spanish with other Latin bands (Buenos Aires’ Los Peyotes and Fellow P. R. band Los Vigilantes).
Now managed by Vice Music, DAVILA 666 continues to release music and tour around the world, rapidly gaining notoriety as “The World’s Greatest Party Band.” They released their second full-length, Tan Bajo, in Feb. of this year on In The Red.
About Cheap Time
Some people didn’t know what to make of Cheap Time’s self-titled debut album when it was released in 2008. It came as a huge leap from their first 7 inch of the year before, and it didn’t really sound like anything else going at that time. Too glamtastic and bubblegum for the garage purists and too raw for indie rockers.
Their latest album, entitled Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations), proves to take the band to further artistic leaps. Coming two years after the debut, these new songs show the band moving in an interesting direction. Soaking up their influences and spitting out new songs with more complex structures and melodies than guitarist/songwriter Jeffrey Novak has ever shown before. While bassist Stephen Braren adds another element to the songs with his heavily compressed Roy Wood style playing. Plus the addition of new drummer Ryan Sweeney tightens up the bands sound while still keeping things very loose.
The sessions for this album have also become something of legend, when tracking for the album ended abruptly after engineer Mike McHugh suffered a breakdown and kicked the band out of the studio by gun point before they were able to mix anything. Once the tapes were retrieved over a month later, Earle Mankey (Producer of the Quick’s Mondo Deco, and The Runaways’ Queens of Noise ex-Sparks member) was brought in to mix the final album, which turned out to be a perfect match!
Anyone who saw Cheap Time on tour last year opening for Yo La Tengo will be pleased with the way all of these new songs have turned out on record. Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) will surely surprise, divide, and leave fans scratching their heads as to where Cheap Time will go next!
DaVila 666 & Cheap Time
Fri 2-Sep Vancouver, BC Media Club
Sat 3-Sep Portland, OR East End
Tue 6-Sep Reno, NV Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor
Wed 7-Sep Davis, CA Davis Bike Collective
Thu 8-Sep San Francisco, CA Bottom of The Hill
Fri 9-Sep Long Beach, CA Alex’s Bar
Sat 10-Sep San Diego, CA Bar Pink
Sun 11-Sep Los Angeles, CA The Echo
Tue 13-Sep Tucson, AZ Club Congress
DAVILA 666 ONLY
Sun 4-Sep Seattle, WA Bumbershoot
Wed 14-Sep Mexicali, MX Club Monaco
Thu 15-Sep Fullerton, CA The Continental
Fri 16-Sep Ventura, CA Billy O’s
Sat 17-Sep Seaside, CA The Alternative Lounge
Wed 19-Oct Brooklyn, NY CMJ (Knitting Factory)
Thu 20-Oct Cambridge, MA TT The Bear’s
Fri 21-Oct Montreal, QC Casa Del Popolo
Sat 22-Oct Toronto, ON Silver Dollar
Sun 23-Oct Detroit, MI PJ’s Lager House
Mon 24-Oct Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Tue 25-Oct Bloomington, IN The Bishop
Wed 26-Oct Cincinnati, OH The Comet *
Thu 27-Oct Pittsburgh, PA 31st Street Pub *
Fri 28-Oct Baltimore, MD Golden West
Mon 31-Oct Atlanta, GA The EARL *
Wed 2-Nov Nashville, TN TBA
Thu 3-Nov Memphis, TN Hi-Tone Café
Fri 4-Nov New Orleans, LA Siberia
Sat 5-Nov Houston, TX The Mink
Sun 6-Nov Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Festival
Mon 7-Nov Laredo, TX Old No2 Café & Grill
CHEAP TIME ONLY
Thu 25-Aug Bloomington, IN The Bishop
Fri 26-Aug Milwaukee, WI Linneman’s
Sun 28-Aug St. Paul, MN Turf Club
Sun 4-Sep Seattle, WA Funhouse
Wed 14-Sep Phoenix, AZ Yucca Tap Room
Fri 16-Sep Laredo, TX Cold Brew Rock Bar
Sat 17-Sep Austin, TX Red 7