Label: Rockbeat
Reissued 3/22/2024, Originally released 2017
The Brat was a Chicano punk rock ensemble originating from the barrios of the East Los Angeles, California. Its three core members consisted of lead singer Teresa Covarrubias, lead guitarist Rudy Medina, and alternate lead & rhythm guitar player Sid Medina. From their conception in 1979 to their eventual break-up in 1985, The Brat contributed to the customization and intermeshing of multiple musical and cultural models that culminated in the distinct East Los Angeles, Chicano punk sound. The Brat, a hardworking and politically-conscious band, nurtured the Do-It-Yourself punk scene of East L.A., which was defined by unofficial venues and backyard shows because the wealthier West L.A. circuit controlled the popular market. By the time the famous Club Vex was founded in 1980 - by Los Illegals frontman Willie Herron, who desired an official venue to host East L.A.'s numerous underrated bands, who were mostly Chicano - The Brat had become one of the biggest acts in the area. In late 1980 The Brat was signed to the upstart label of another local punk group, The Plugz' Fatima Records. This collaboration resulted in The Brat's only recorded album, the EP Attitudes, a five-song collection of some of their popular originals featuring Covarrubias' aggressive, yet melodic, punk vocals critiquing social inequality and Rudy Medina's - who was called Rudy Brat - urgent guitar hooks over drums with a reggae feel. The Brat never found breakthrough success and remained an underground East L.A. Chicano act until breaking up in the late '80s. Contains all 5 tracks from the "Attitudes" EP. The other songs were performed and recorded but never released. In the past decade, the Brat have enjoyed a resurgence in attention. The 21-track compilation was released on CD and vinyl in 2017. Due to demand it is now being repressed on limited edition red & blue-swirled vinyl. The band were featured prominently in the documentary film, Chinatown Punk Wars, which debuted on PBS in October 2023.
Track listing:
- Slaughter Of An Ancient Tribe
- Vicious Love
- Swift Moves
- Leave Me Alone
- Starry Night
- Tombstone Blues
- The Wolf
- The Promise
- High School
- Misogyny
- Brain Sparks
- Attitudes
- Corner Of The World
- The Cry
- Indian Ink Tears
- Hard Sometimes
- Believe
- Just Another Day
- Soldier
- It's A Climb
- We Are The One