Lupe Veléz
Weird Tales

New release from Area Pirata, a label that is now a guarantee for lovers of the rougher '60s sounds and for those nostalgic for the legendary Italian garage-punk scene of the '80s. It is indeed thanks to Area Pirata and the tireless and curious Tiziano Rimonti that we have had the opportunity to listen to the new albums – and also reissues of old works – from No Strange, Sick Rose, Not Moving, and Steeplejack. But Area Pirata is also very active in discovering and promoting new talents. Recently, I have reviewed the talented Lodigiani The Scrubs. Now it's the turn of the Livornesi Lupe Velez who are debuting with a full-length album, Weird Tales, whose title hints at gothic and gloomy atmospheres, as does the refined cover, worthy of a horror film. However, they are not a dark band! On the contrary, Lupe Velez are devoted to the roots of the most classic garage-rock, which was very fashionable even in our peninsula during the '80s. Among the guests, we find a true legend like Dome La Muerte, guru and leader of fundamental bands like CCM and Not Moving, a true living legend representing a piece of Italian rock history. Weird Tales is the culmination of a creative path that saw Lupe Velez gain various live experiences and release an EP – Mystic Man – in 2015. Judging from this album, the impression is that you are dealing with a valid and close-knit group: certainly there's nothing new in what is proposed but the intention is not to be original at all costs. The approach is punk and the style does not disdain '60s melodies as heard in tracks like the opener “It Seems So Real,” the oriental and explosive “Mystic Man,” the booming “Asleep,” the punk-tinged “Banned From The City,” and the power-pop “Oblivion.” Highly recommended to followers and nostalgics of garage-punk! Available on Bandcamp at the following link: https://lupevelez.bandcamp.com/album/weird-tales.