Meet Rex!
Balancing light and shadow with sex appeal and a solid rock & roll heart, Rex can either seduce you with a darkly beautiful synth groove or bang your head against the wall with a metallic roar. Recalling the Gothic lushness of Siouxsie & the Banshees, the sultry melancholy and guitar-fueled punch of Evanescence, and the quirky New Wave pop of Missing Persons, Rex offer a whisper and a scream in the same satin-smooth package.
In 2005, front woman Rex released a self-titled solo debut EP produced by Grammy winning producer, Joe Chiccarelli (Frank Zappa, Elton John) that would eventually morph into the full-length band effort, 2007’s Act Natural, They’re Watching mixed by Geza X (Dead Kennedys, Black Flag). Initially compared to angst-ridden female singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette, Rex’s creative evolution embraced a more varied approach on Act Natural, They’re Watching. While her songwriting continued her exploration of personal relationships and self-doubts, Act Natural, They’re Watching broadened Rex’s musical scope, incorporating influences that are rooted in black-clad mid-’80s alternative (Concrete Blonde, the Cure) and Euro-flavored dance rock (Soft Cell, Depeche Mode). However, the guitars still scraped the wall paint with big, sharp-clawed riffs.
Rex began playing music at the age of four, beginning with keyboards and eventually the guitar. Her father played the piano while her grandfather was an opera singer; both were a tremendous influence on Rex, a native of Texas. Rex began playing music at the age of four, beginning with keyboards and eventually the guitar. Her father played the piano while her grandfather was an opera singer; both were a tremendous influence on Rex, a native of Texas. Originally a solo act, producing a self-titled CD in 2005, Rex is now actually a band also consisting of drummer Diego De La Rosa; keyboardist Ernie Lee (who has worked on films composed by Danny Elfman such as Spider-Man 2 and Men In Black 2); guitarist Abhinav Malik; and bassist Diederich Castro. Rex formed the band after previously working with producers and engineers such as Randy Barlow (Gloria Estefan, Shakira); Dennis Nieves (Celia Cruz, Thalia); Benny Facconne (Sting, Barbara Streisand); and Jason Wormer (Rickie Lee Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Upon the release of Act Natural, They’re Watching, critics worldwide began to praise the record, viewing it as a potent alternative in a cutting-edge music scene dominated by emo and pop-punk. "Combining the flamboyant rush of glam with the kinky thrills of New Wave, Rex produce a postcard of paradise from a lost, much-missed world," raved Adam Harrington from the U.K.-based Whisperin & Hollerin. Another British critic, Barry Andrews of Review Centre, described Rex as a "tattered china doll with the voice of an angel, a mix of hard-rock fisticuffs and sensual longing." Kyrby Raine from Shotgun Reviews said Rex is "sexy and utterly charming." The critically acclaimed songwriter/composer, George S. Clinton applauds Rex’s music and states, “ I hear a lot of music. Rarely something comes along that makes me want to really listen. That’s what happened when I heard Rex. Beyond the obvious musical talent and extreme creativity that the group possesses is a real sense of theater that seems so lacking in most of today’s bands. They are what Bertold Brecht, Kurt Weill, and Lotte Lenya would have been had they lived today and had a band. I’ve seen enough to know the real deal when I see it. Rex is the real deal.â€
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