Hacienda
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas, US
Tags: dj, downtempo, lounge, acid jazz
The buzz surrounding San Antonio’s Hacienda may signal a rebirth of young rock n’ roll with emphasis on the “roll” to the country’s landscape. With brothers Rene Villanueva (bass/vocals), Jaime (drums/vocals) and Abraham Villanueva (keyboards/vocals), this Mexican-American trio blends a raw yet sophisticated style of pop music with harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and Beach Boys.
As fate would have it, a demo of 6 songs landed in the hands of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and the band’s life was forever changed. Soon after they were opening for The Black Keys in Austin Texas, as well as for Dr. Dog, gaining some much needed exposure. Under Auerbach’s watch, Hacienda would write and arrange more than twenty songs, sending him demos periodically in preparation for their debut album, ultimately recording in Dan’s own studio in Akron, Ohio.
Hacienda has released three full-lengths since that time—LOUD IS THE NIGHT, BIG RED & BARBACOA and SHAKEDOWN—to great critical acclaim.
Songs for their newest album were co-written and produced by Dan Auerbach, which was released in 2012 by Collective Sounds in North America and Dine Alone Records in Canada.
The band has toured with Kasabian, City and Colour, The Greenhornes, The Black Keys, Dr. Dog, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Alberta Cross and My Morning Jacket. Hacienda also toured worldwide as Dan Auerbach’s backing band, The Fast Five, for his 2009 solo record Keep It Hid.
202 Followers See all
- Upcoming Events
-
No events at this time.
- Past Events
TheOwlMag on Hacienda
4 months agoHacienda Shakedown [Collective Sounds Records]
The Black Keys like to take on pet projects. Drummer Patrick Carney has helped produce music by Tennis, while frontman Dan Auerbach has worked on albums by Dr. John and Jessica Lea Mayfield. Auerbach’s current band-of-choice is San Antonio-based fourpiece Hacienda. The Texan rockers’ third album definitely contains shades of Brothers, but Shakedown ultimately establishes Hacienda as a unique and solid rock band that’s sure to stick around.
Just like their Ohio-bred mentors, Hacienda is stomping, playful, and lyrically less-than-brilliant. Their music is driven not by feeling, but sheer brawn. Shakedown grooves, thumps, and forcefully burrows its way into your skull. Yet in spite of their innovative and infectious rock compositions, Hacienda rarely departs from lyrical clichés. On “You Just Don’t Know,” the band bemoans the pain of love: “The way I feel about you tortures me inside / Never rest til I get this right.” Luckily, excellent and addictive songwriting overshadows the lyrical shortcomings. Standout tracks include first single “Savage” — a laid-back, funky foot-tapper — and “Let Me Go” — a soulful, old-fashioned rock song. Raw, unpolished, and undeniably catchy, the whole album sounds just about radio-ready. Under Auerbach’s excellent direction, Hacienda have produced a solid effort. Musically heavy but lyrically light, Shakedown is an excellent third album.
more at theowlmag.comPASTE's Best of What's Next on Hacienda
7 months agoDante Schwebel stifles a laugh when asked how... more at pastemagazine.com