Concert preview: Molotov at House of Blues in Dallas on September 28

by Julissa Trevino of But I Just Like Music

With this band, you never know what to expect.

Molotov

Mexico City-based Molotov has been a witty, controversial, and powerful force in the Spanish-language music world (though their lyrics are partly in English) since they formed in 1995. Lyrically, they’re political — calling out the rich and powerful and championing the poor and immigrants — and, on occasion, raunchy, often delving into the topic of sex. And they’re masters of wordplay, to top it all off. Musically, they’re as diverse as a rap-rock band could be; forget what you think you know about bands that blend those two genres. Each of the band members rap and sing, and they’ve done everything from a cover album of pop, new wave, and hip hop songs as well some of the most hard-hitting punk songs you’ve ever heard.

Having been nominated for a Latin Grammy Award four times, Molotov is clearly a success. They’re a success abroad as much as they are in their native Mexico, but they don’t come around to the states too often — an important fact that should not be ignored this week as they make a stop at House of Blues Dallas on Wednesday as part of their Quinceañera tour.

Molotov - “Hit Me”

Video from YouTube user kingarlekin

What’s great about this band is they’re incredibly fun, too, besides just being very good at what they do. In 2007, the band announced a farewell tour, telling their fans they decided to split up. That year, each member began working on solo EPs. It seemed very competitive as they appeared on television calling each other out and asking fans to decide which EP was the best. The following year, they finally came clean that it had all been an elaborate joke. They had never split up and instead had compiled their EPs into an album named Eternamiente – a play on words which basically means “eternally lying.”

If anything is clear about this band, it’s that you never know what to expect. Very exciting, considering they’re (supposedly) working on a new album due out this year.