Punk rock is alive and well in Mexico, but you’d never know it because a lot of the bands don’t get the credit they deserve. Los Chalmers is a punk rock band from North Mexico City. Blending a sound from punk rock’s past and present, the members of Los Chalmers sound like they’ve been fed a steady diet of Ramones and the Beach Boys with a shot of 1980s California surf punk. Their eleven-song LP, Punk Rock Local, is a record of just that.
Opening song “Somos Los Chalmeros” starts as a dark surf instrumental but quickly turns into a song introducing the band and the chaos they are about to bring to your ears. What’s clear from this album is the band’s love for the Ramones. Not just the first three albums before Tommy left, these lean harder into mid-career 1980s Ramones. Songs like “Masacre,” “Piece of the World,” and “Punk Strike Back” would fit nicely next to songs from Subterranean Jungle and Too Tough to Die.
Yet, like the Ramones, the band has a poppy side. “Have Fun” and “Surf Chalmero” lean hard into the Beach Boys and surf music. A lot of these songs have the fingerprints of Brian Wilson and crew, but also include a cover of “Necesito Decírtelo” by Cardenales de Nuevo León. The album strikes a good balance. Make no doubt, this is a fun punk rock album.
Punk Rock Local reminds me of the records you’d make as a kid, and I mean that in the best way. A few people in a room melding their love for a genre or band and playing their hearts out to show respect. The recording quality isn’t great, but that almost feels like by design. If you like punk rock down to its most stripped-down and purest form, check out Punk Rock Local from Los Chalmers