Music

Big Red and Barbacoa
Released: April 06, 2010
Label: Alive Records

01 Whose Heart Are You Breaking
02 
03 I Keep Waiting
04 Hound Dog
05
06 Big Red
07
08 Apples
09 As You Like It
10 Gotta Get Back Home
11 Mama’s Cookin’
12 Barbacoa

Second album by South Texas’ HACIENDA, and like its predecessor Loud Is The Night (Alive 2008), it was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Recorded on the tail-end of a year playing clubs and festivals across North America, Australia and Europe, this new album brings heavier grooves and flavor to the ’60s harmonies sound the band is known for (think the Beach Boys meet the Everly Brothers). The result is a blend of Tex-Mex roots rock, retro-pop and R&B that can only be described as South Texas Soul!

“Hacienda has a particular ego-less way of reviving these timeless sounds, as it they invited you into their living room for a vinyl session of The Beach Boys, The Band, Gram Parsons and some mild hallucinogenics, free and easy and light as a feather.”
- AMERICAN SONGWRITER

“A mix of Beach Boys-esque harmonies, classic Stax Records grooves and a guitar sound that recalls the rootsier side of ’60s pop-rock with its swirling melodies and irresistible swagger.”
- PASTE MAGAZINE

Loud is the Night
Released: September 16, 2008
Label: Alive Records

01 She’s Got A Hold On Me
02 Angela
03 Useless and Tired
04 Another Day
05
06
07
08
09 Sun
10 Degree of Murder
11 Where the Waters Roam
12 Leave it this Way
13 Baby Don’t Go
14 Wishbone

Formed by cousins Abraham Villanueva (piano/vocals) and Dante Schwebel (guitar/vocals), together with Abraham’s brothers Jaime (drums/vocals) and Rene Villanueva (bass/vocals), this Mexican-American quartet blends a raw yet sophisticated style of pop music with harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles and Beach Boys. As fate would have it, a demo of 6 songs landed in the hands of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, and the band’s life was forever changed. Soon after they were opening for The Black Keys in Austin Texas, as well as for Dr. Dog, gaining some much needed exposure. Under Auerbach’s watch, Hacienda would write and arrange more than twenty songs, sending him demos periodically in preparation for their debut album, ultimately recording in Dan’s own studio in Akron, Ohio. In order to keep the integrity of the music, ”Loud Is The Night” was largely captured live in the room with a helping hand from new friends Scott and Frank of Dr. Dog. With them they worked on existing vocal harmonies and created new ones, greatly embellishing the album. The result is a beautiful collection of songs played with integrity and soul to spare, and while the band is aware of its 60′s influences, the music on ”Loud is the Night” is far from derivative, and the finished product is modern pop music performed with genuineness and taste.