Slake Your Thirst for New Local Music with Topo Chica

Topo Chica, the refreshingly-named lo-fi, dream-punk outfit from San Antonio, is up to something. The chica-powered five-piece, which you might have caught gigging around the St. Mary's Strip (and elsewhere) for a little over a year now, has dropped two rad singles over the past few months: "Leonardo" and "Sweaters."

Featuring veteran members of several other awesome (and markedly different) San Anto bands (Spokesmodel, Dreamland, Ellis Redon, Groupo Frackaso), Topo Chica boasts a shimmeringly diaphanous, laid back punk sound. Like a hazily-recalled soundtrack to your dreams, the band's music submerges a poppy garage-punk sound into a syrupy well of blissfully-stoned, damn-near hypnagogic grunge. In other words: this shit's highly-recommended for fans of Vivian Girls, early Best Coast, Blouse, and Hinds.

Vocalist Briana Magnon told the Current that Topo Chica's style took shape organically, despite the widely-varied musical backgrounds of the band's members. "We've never intentionally gone for a certain sound," she explained via email, "but people have taken to labeling us as Dream Punk, and it's sort of stuck."

Topo Chica's infectious and easy going sound, however, wasn't a total accident. It has a lot to do with the members' attitude toward the whole ordeal of being a band. "I don't think any one thing inspired what Topo Chica is—we just wanted to have fun and play music," Magnon responded when asked for the band's biggest influences.

When you can create music as cool and effortless sounding as Topo Chica in your spare time, I reckon it's best to be your own damn role model anyhow.

While Topo Chica's members—Magnon, Briana Lozano (keys), Kalyn Bragg (bass), Rita Zarate (guitar), and Sylvia Swine (drums)—all keep pretty busy with their day jobs and their other musical commitments, that hasn't stopped them from pressing ahead with writing and recording new music.

We think you'll agree with us when we say that, based on the first two official singles from Topo Chica (listen below), this is certainly a band to keep up with.

The group has confirmed that these two singles are but a taste of what's to come. At the moment, with a full, eight-song EP written and recorded, the band is weighing release options and tentatively looking to drop something in the next few months. Upcoming chances to see Topo Chica live:

Topo Chica, Dirt Lip
9 p.m. Sat. Aug. 19, at The Mix, 2423 N. St. Mary's St. themixsa.com.

The Shivas, Leather Girls, Topo Chica
$7.00, 7:00pm, Sun, Sept 3, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, (210) 262-8653, brickatbluestar.com.