The Krayolas

Recent reviews

“Writer-singer Hector Saldaña has an uncanny knack for fresh yet simple melodies, and the Krayolas are equally comfortable with garage rock (‘Missed the Last Train’), flat-out pop (‘If I Can’t Have You’), and delectable Tejano-flavored soufflés (‘Fruteria’) . . . the Krayolas score with another fine, schizophrenic set.”

-- Jeff McCord, Texas Monthly

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"What started out as a highly personal requiem ('Catherine') evolved into an improbable indie-rock sensation."

-- Ben Bowen King, ExploreFaith.org
"The Krayolas are the last great garage band ... while the most obvious influences are the Beatles, Doug Sahm, Bob Dylan and the Kinks, the band also offers shades of Elvis Costello and pre-grunge garage-poppers such as Soul Asylum, the Lemonheads and Replacements."

-- David Glessner, San Antonio Express-News
"San Antonio's Krayolas have easily written their way onto the top shelf of the state's best power pop outfits ... but the real surprise on 'Long Leaf Pine' is 'Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag,' a rare piece of ripped-from-the-headlines commentary on a real event that occurred as part of Mexico's utterly tragic drug war."

-- Richard Guerrero, Corpus Christi Caller-Times
"'Long Leaf Pine (no smack gum)' delivers on the promise of a darker, more mature take on the longtime Krayolas power pop signature sound that once earned them the moniker of the 'Chicano Beatles' ... in short, it rocks the apocalypse."

-- John Phillip Santos, author of "Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation"
"In the Krayolas' playbook, the three most important songwriters in Texas are still Alejandro Escovedo, Doug Sahm and Bob Dylan."

-- Chris Gray, Houston Press
"Suddenly people are calling The Krayolas the Bob Dylans of Latin rock."

-- Chris Gray, Houston Press
"The Krayolas may have hit a nerve with narcocorrido 'Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag' ... another example of the emerging Tex-Mex roots trend known as Americano."

-- Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle
"('Corrido Twelve Heads in a Bag') is stunning; it sounds like a collaboration between John Steinbeck, Isabel Allende and The Beatles."

-- Carl Abernathy, Cahl's Juke Joint
"Tex-Mex Beatles song inspired by Times story."

-- Deborah Bonello, Los Angeles Times
"What are the odds that said reunion would deliver two critically adored CDs – 2008's 'La Conquistadora' and 'Long Leaf Pine (No Smack Gum)' earlier this year – hot South by Southwest showcases, airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio, and a feature on NPR's All Things Considered and convert Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt as fans?"

-- Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle