When you've got a 6-member band that includes 3 brothers of Mexican-Guatemalan descent, one expects to hear Latin influences within their music. What one doesn't expect to hear is a fusion of Latin rhythms, grinding rock, contemporary hip-hop and bouncy funk blended this smoothly and artfully. Harder-edged and grittier than their previous offering,"Beautiful Life", Vallejo's newest release "Into the New" parlays a skillfully-adept meshing of multiple musical styles into a fresh and unique CD chock full of ear candy. Sweet!

Differentiating themselves from other contemporary bands plagued by the formula disease, Vallejo offers more than your typical - and boring - "verse, chorus, guitar solo, chorus" musical fare; "Into the New" is their best example of this yet, keeping the listener's ears on edge with tempo changeups, smooth segues between styles, and cross-pollination of genres. Like hearing "peanut butter", "bananas" and "bread", the uniniated might think "rock", "Latin" and "hip-hop" tastes rather odd; but this CD's compilation is definitely a tasty combination for the ear palate. Delicious!

The lead song "Into the New" energetically kickstarts the CD and prepares you for the upbeat, rock-your-soul experience that's to come. This band is tight in all the right places, especially when they're throwing down an attitude, as in "Over You". When you've got something to say, do it rock-n-rap style: loud, hard, in-your-face, and sounding too good to ignore. Similarly, "Modern Day Slave" shows that while Vallejo may have Hispanic roots, they're still American gen-X boys living, breathing, and embracing today's musical culture. Gettin' some advice from the one Don Juan, Vallejo pairs up with fellow Austinite and homey MC Overlord, whose own brand of smooth hip-hop raises the rebel quotient of this bump and grind rock anthem. Kickin'!

On the groovier side, "Someway" transitions from a light, latin-rock vibe to grinding rock guitars and back again seamlessly and gracefully, while "I Go On" is an absolutely perfect blend of bouncy rock tinged with soulful funk and mild salsa that makes one feel like they're cruising down a long highway on a sunny day in a drop-top convertible: shades on, hair flying, and feeling *good*. James Brown good. Hay!

With a perceptible nod to their roots, "La Familia" serves up the Latino funk, habanero-style. Hispanic rap? Think peanut butter and bananas. This spicy cancion definitely keeps it real. And speaking of keeping it real, "El Matador" weaves a striking blend of old-world Spain with new-world metal in a rich instrumental that would do Santana proud. Ole!

A kick-a$$ live show and cross-generational appeal is what helps makes a group successful, and Vallejo has those two ingredients goin' on. Frontman A.J. Vallejo's gigawatt energy, combined with the rest of the band's enthusiasm and frolicsome performance style, can rouse a crowd and bring down the house - sometimes literally. From gen-X-ers, to 30-somethings, to 5- and 12-year-olds who know all the words to their songs, I've witnessed first-hand the ageless appeal this band has with its listeners - a very strong sign this band has the potential of getting some serious national radio attention and making it to the top; let's hope the suits and marketing guys at Sony and Crescent Moon do the right things to make sure a band as musically talented and deserving as Vallejo gets there. Word!

Recommended: Yes