December 13
In the Summer of 1997, when guitar player Oscar Rodriguez asked singer Aaron Scott to start a band just 10 minutes after meeting, neither of them had any idea they were initiating what would become of the most respected bands in the Northeastern DIY hardcore/punk scene. They joined up with bassist Carly Guarino (owner of Crap Records) and drummer Jaime Villamarin (ex-I Farm) to form De La Hoya in the heart of New York City. In their first year, De La Hoya recorded a popular demo that led to their debut release, a raw but riveting 6-song EP titled "Has No Credibility." The EP was initially a joint release between Crap Records and Creep Records, then later re-released by RokLok RecordsIn the late months of 1998, the band purchased an $800 death trap on wheels, piled in their equipment and boxes of "Has No Credibility," and embarked on their first tour. From an unheated art gallery in upstate New York to a seemingly impassable blizzard in Chicago, De La Hoya endured the cruel winter elements with a determination that would be the hallmark of their career.De La Hoya toured the Eastern Seaboard heavily throughout the next year and a half, building a strong northeastern fan base and creating anticipation for their first full-length record. Following a Summer 2000 national tour that featured new bassist Chad Kurland (ex-Bugout), De La Hoya and Red Leader Records (Strike Anywhere, Marathon) released "DANCE! Techno Mega-Mix Vol. 42," a concise sonic assault on the eardrums and lyrical challenge to the mind. Just like "Has No Credibility,.. the full-length offered fast music and lyrical story-songs. Whether pondering the potential of a quarter in Reno, the yearning for childhood, or the worth of involvement in political movements, Scott's lyrics added a personal (yet cerebral) dimension to Rodriguez' scintillating guitar work. The thoughtful wit and the lightning riffs of the DANCE! record (captured on tape by NYCHC legend Don Fury) proved what De La Hoya fans already knew; radical politics are easily danced to, if given the right soundtrack. De La Hoya spent the bulk of 2001 playing shows and enduring rhythm section line-up changes. While this period featured many excellent musicians..drummers Gunnar Olsen (The Exit), Emmett Menke (ex-Spark Lights the Friction) and Brian Buccellato (ex-El Secondhand), and bassists Al Fair (Nakatomi Plaza), Anthony Amaral (ex-Temperance, What Feeds the Fire) and Jake Stults (ex-Dreams Forever Drowning), De La Hoya's difficulty in maintaining its lineup would lead to the band's demise at the end of that year. Rodriguez and Scott, however, would not allow circumstance to keep them from making the best record of De La Hoya's career, and with the help of Olsen and Fair, they did just that. Released by Rodriguez.. own label, BD Records, "Wipe the Slate Clean...Now Let's Begin" is a four-song masterpiece and indisputably the band's finest musical moment. Recorded by good friend Buccellato at Chumbuckets Studio and produced by De La Hoya, "Wipe the Slate Clean" was not only the result of 4 years of musical growth, but also the offspring of sweat and passion. The band released this farewell EP at their final shows in April, 2002.
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