ELPASO: A Punk Story

Spanish writer Villegas debuts in English with a mixed account of the rise and fall of a punk band in the 1980s El Paso, Tex., music scene. High school classmates Daniel and Ricardo bond after attending a Ramones show in 1979. They start their own fanzine and in 1984 launch a band called ELPASO, recruiting brothers DD and Will to play bass and drums. After their first show, guitarist Octavio joins, and Daniel turns his attention to designing the band’s fliers and booking gigs. Known for their “Chicano Punk” style, as Ricardo sings all the lyrics in Spanish, ELPASO gains a following, records two demos, and opens for national acts such as the Descendents. Behind the scenes, however, romantic relationships and growing egos threaten the band’s success. For music fans, it’s a mostly predictable arc, but it builds to a robust conclusion, and the blistering descriptions of live performances are top-notch. Unfortunately, the novel falters when the unnamed narrator fills in his own story of involvement in teenage punk bands in Barcelona, and far too often, female characters are used merely as plot devices. Like most punk, this will appeal to a specific palate. (June)