Bye Sami

Based in Tijuana, Mexico (just south of the Mexican border), Bye Sami is both an emo/punk-pop band and a rock en espaņol band. Bye Sami's songs have the usual emo trademarks--fast tempos, guitar-powered aggression and poppy melodies combined with introspective, confessional lyrics. And musically, Bye Sami (formerly known as Los Alex) is comparable to bands like Green Day, blink-182, NOFX and Fenix TX (among others). But lyrically, there is one major difference between Bye Sami and those English-language outfits: most of Bye Sami's lyrics have been in Spanish. Thus, Bye Sami is part of the rock en espaņol field. (The term rock en espaņol simply refers to rock with Spanish lyrics; rock en espaņol can be anything from ska-punk to rap-metal to grunge.) Bye Sami was formed in Tijuana in 1997, when the band was still called Los Alex. The Latino rockers soon acquired a small following in Mexico as well as in the United States, and it wasn't unusual for a gig in Tijuana or Mexico City to be followed by a gig in Los Angeles or San Diego. In 2001, Los Alex changed their name to Bye Sami and signed with SourPOP Records, a small independent label that is based in L.A. and has a rock en espaņol orientation. It was also in 2001 that Bye Sami recorded their debut album, Otro Dia Mas, which was produced by Mike T (known for his work with Union 13, Choking Victim and Osker). Although Bye Sami had put out an EP back when they were called Los Alex, Otro Dia Mas was their first full-length album. SourPOP released Otro Dia Mas in 2002, when the band's lineup consisted of lead singer Julian Rodriguez, bassist Eugenio "Eui" Dodero, drummer Julio Selva and two guitarists: Ivan Silva and Lino Moreno. Bye Sami planned to start recording their second SourPOP album in 2003. ~ Alex Henderson,...