Upground

Eight-piece Latin ska-tos Upground are on the verge of becoming East L.A.'s next big thing, following the footsteps of hometown legends Los Lobos and Chicano roqueros Quetzal. Locally, the former marching band geeks have already opened for synth-rock upstarts The Killers, electronic dance DJs The Chemical Brothers and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.

Formed in 1999, Upground's current lineup has been together since 2003 and consists of keyboardist Chris De Los Santos, saxophonist Eric Carillo, vocalist and guitarist Danny Estrada, vocalist and trumpet player Everado García, bassist Chris "Bolillo" Manjarrez, drummer Adolfo Mercado, Jr., saxophonist Aaron Perez, and trombonist Joseph Quiñonez. Seven of the eight members are alumni of Garfield High School, the alma mater of boxer Oscar De La Hoya, comedian Carlos Mencia and three of Los Lobos: David Hidalgo, Conrad Lozano and Cesar Rosas. With members ranging from 18 to 23 years old, the group earned their big break after cruising to victory in the 2006 Sprint Battle of the Bands, a competition that landed them free shoes and, perhaps, more importantly, free music equipment.

In 2006, the horn-y band released their debut, Feel The Vibe, featuring tracks like Oye Chica, a sunny, laid back reggae-cumbia, and "Skanking Monkeys," upbeat ska-punk punctuated with sharp horn stabs and a shuffling bassline. Upground is often compared to fellow genre-hoppers Ozomatli, and just like their "big brothers", they thrive in a live setting. Their rambunctious onstage antics made them an obvious choice to perform at this year's SXSW alongside Quetzal. Next month, they'll be joining Café Tacuba, Chetes, Panda, Zoé, and Mala Rodríguez at this year's Latin Alternative Music Conference in New York City.