UPGROUND

Upground is an East Los Angeles band that offers a cohesive blend of genres into one distinct sound. Their musical roots and character began in East Los Angeles where the still youthful group, composed of mainly childhood friends, formed a connection. Group members have an assorted taste in music and early on mimicked bands such as: The Beatles, Bob Marley, Los Lobos, The Misfits, Led Zeppelin and Tito Puente, amongst others. Such differing musical influences created an energetic fusion of Reggae, Latin, Ska, Cumbia and Rock.Upground forms its own quintessential style through a distinct sound and lively performances that have catapulted its popularity and reputation.“They definitely have a lot of talent, a lot of energy…they come out and they just want to rock the house,” Ozomatli’s Will “Wil-Dog” Abers commended the group in an interview with SiTV.With an ever increasing following, the young band continues to capture the attention of audiences nationwide and bolster its already extensive résumé, including a signing deal with Peermusic, the largest independent publishing company and a sponsorship deal with national television company SiTV.In spring of 2008, South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) extended a rare second invitation to the group. SXSW selects musical acts from around the world and over 1,400 artists perform in over 60 different venues.Although each individual is influenced by different musicians, together their music progressed into a seamless musical clash that can only be described as “Upground.” Upground is: Aaron Perez, Adolfo Mercado Jr., Anthony Medina, Chris “Bolillo” Manjarrez, Danny Estrada, Eric Carrillo, Everado Garcia and Joseph Quiñones. Sharing a school district and a passion for music, the band came full-circle in high school. Older members began recruiting the younger talented horn players while sharing the auditorium in the high school band. They began practicing in the local garage of drummer Adolfo Mercado Jr. and Upground was born. In 2005, the group added bassist “Bolillo.” Industry professionals are not the only ones acknowledging Upground, L.A. Times music critic Agustin Gurza praised their talent in his review, “They are younger than they sound” by saying, “they combine youthful exuberance with a maturity beyond their years.” Latino University magazine called them the “Must see college band.”Upground has opened for War, The Killers, Los Lobos, Tierra and Ozomatli. Their evolving music is proving successful with invitations stretching from prestigious television companies including Fox News, Univision, Mun2 and Telemundo, to world renowned music events.In 2006, the band reached a milestone by releasing its highly anticipated first full-length CD, “Feel the Vibe” and winning the 2006 Sprint Battle of the Bands, outperforming 400 bands.The group showcased its distinctive sound at the 2007 Latino Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) held in New York with more than 1,250 industry leaders and 30,000 fans.Coming off a successful tour throughout the United States, the year to come is already promising to be nothing less than remarkable. This summer 2008 the band will embark on a new E.P. set to be released early next year. The upcoming single, “The Starting Line,” was engineered by the acclaimed Robert Carranza, who has worked with Jack Johnson, Ricky Martin, The Mars Volta and Bjork.
UPGROUND