El Paso has some outstanding bands who work hard to make their dreams of making it big come to life. Throughout history, many bands have come & gone. Some DID make it & are no more, others changed their names, some came & went just like that. Well let's take a look at some local bands that you MIGHT have forgotten about, but we certainly didn't...

The Chamanas:

One of the biggest bands in the pop/rock scene, The Chamanas from Juarez & El Paso really made a name for themselves in 2016, when they were nominated at the Latin Grammys for Best New Artist. While they haven't officially disbanded, it HAS been a while since they've been active; at least since 2018. But we still remember The Chamanas for being a dang good band to represent El Paso in the music scene.

The Royalty:

Another great pop/rock band from El Paso, one that even Reddit was asking "what happened to The Royalty?". Well to (Partially) answer that question...both  Nicole (the lead singer) & Joel (the drummer) got married (not to each other). They even got a spotlight in the Dallas News after they released their full length album "Lovers". Unfortunately I don't see them returning anytime soon but it's nice to reflect on the music they created for us...

Aerial:

The band that Roger Argenis started WAY back in the day. Formed in 2006, both Roger & Omar Monreal founded the alt-progressive rock band that was met with quite a bit of success. In 2007 they were featured in Corruption magazine. They've shared the stage with notable acts such as Fall Out Boy, +44, Paul Wall, Hoobastank. They put out their only EP, Aurora Borealis, in 2012. Roger is still very much active in the music scene; recently he was nominated for his 2ND Grammy...

Zechs Marquise:

Founded by Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, the younger brother of Omar Rodriguez Lopez, the psychedelic rock band Zechs Marquise lasted for a decade: between 2003-2013. They're not CURRENTLY active but some of the members ARE: Marcos Smith went on to play with The Deep Shadows & Marcel is working on his new project, Eureka the Butcher.

Gideon:

It's almost impossible to find any information on the El Paso band Gideon, but what I DO know is that people still have their EP on CD. They only had the one EP & finding a physical copy is hard. But thank the internet gods for Spotify...

X-21/Communion:

A while back, Joanna wrote a story on someone losing their old cassette tape in the 90s of a local band called Communion. Thankfully he found it & discovered not only who played in the band, but other projects the members went to form! So in that sense, I'm putting those projects here as one entry. And thanks to beauty of YouTube, you can find those long lost recordings online...

Infinite In Azimuth:

I remember seeing these guys when I was very active in the scene years ago & they were GREAT. Thankfully I'm not the only person who remembers Infinite in Azimuth; Veronica wrote an article a while back on their old photos taken downtown in front of buildings that are unfortunately not around anymore as well. So if you want to take a trip down metal memory lane, crank it up.

Clarity:

Speaking of hardcore bands, Clarity was one of those bands that if you knew them, you knew them (just ask Papa Joe). He was a huge fan of these guys & he wasn't the only one. One of the members, Eric Romero, was interviewed by Interviews With Chris at the height of their popularity. They haven't been active, at least, since 2013 but we remember Clarity.

Danny & The Counts:

The oldest entry on the list, Danny & the Counts were actually one of the bands that were considered to be a rising star in the 60s. Bobby Fuller was the biggest El Paso artist to come out of the 60s, but we should remember that Danny & the Counts were there too...

The DA:

It's a shame The DA only managed to put out one album before they broke up. According to Borderzine, the dance rock band was quite significant: they were the first band to (unofficially) perform at the Lowbrow Palace back in the early 2010s. Even Mike on KISS FM was digging their music years ago. Some of the members went on to form other bands but The DA has a very special place in El Paso's history.

The Morakestra:

Just like Gideon, there's not much information on The Morakestra. EXCEPT... there is a Facebook interest page on them. And if you go there, you'll discover that the El Paso rock band was formed back in 2000 & their album Witness To Connection was produced Jim Ward & Gabriel Gonzales from Sparta. Hopefully we'll find out more about this band but thankfully you can hear the album in its entirety online.

A Thief Named Time:

A band I actually have personal ties to, both Rafael & Gabriel are great musicians & I've had the pleasure in performing with both of them live at Tricky Falls back in 2016. Their post-hardcore sound got the attention of UTEP's The Prospector & our very own Dubba G.

Honorable Mention (Avindale):

While the band is actually still making music under a new name, Petty Humans, but tons of people remember Avindale doing COUNTLESS shows & representing El Paso in a great light.

I KNOW there are many more bands that aren't around anymore but that's why we preserve the history & their accomplishments. And that's why we must look at the bands active TODAY & see what THEY can accomplish in the future.

You Had to Be There: El Paso Edition

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