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La Cha-Cha
iViva!
by Nicholas Hubbard
03.09.08
Alternative rock—that distorted, grungy, guitar-driven stuff that showed up in the late eighties/early nineties—is almost twenty years old. I guess that’s about the age when we start to regard it as classic. Once a genre reaches that milestone, new artists who play within it are not mimics, they are revivalists. Enter Spokane, WA’s La Cha-Cha.
Their latest album, iViva!, is about as alt-rock as you can get. It breaks out of that label on occasion, with catchy hand-claps and hip-hop influenced percussion, but never strays far. If you like Blind Melon, you will like this album. Sometimes I say such a thing and it’s not a compliment. This time it’s a compliment—not just ‘cause I like Blind Melon, but because iViva! is as (forgive me) vivacious as that band was.
Things revived in its thirteen tracks:
*heavily distorted power chords
*lead guitar solos of the Mike McCready lineage
*sustained vowels a la Anthony Kiedis
La Cha Cha, short for Larren (Wolford) Chad (Kauppi) and Chad (Wiser), burst out of your stereo with the insistent “Talk Zero.” It’s a great way to start an album that is consistent in style and varied in tempo. “Into the Blood” and “Put it Down” are two of the more subdued songs and I appreciate them for that; on each the trio is able to engender some of that pain that a good bend of the guitar string delivers. iViva! has a nice bipolar feel to it, in the subtle way most of our lives do. It ends with the quiet of “Circle of Lines,” to match the pounding that began the album. - The Wig Fits All Heads (www.thewigfitsallheads.com)
Discography
We've put out two independent LPs.
Sounds from the Suburbs, 2005, 12 songs, 46 minutes and ¡VIVA!, 2007, 13 songs, 41 minutes.
Our latest album is in regular rotation on KYRS Thin Air Radio in Spokane WA.
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Bio
I know what you're thinking: "With a name like "La Cha-Cha" you guys must play Cuban music. Where's yer horn section?" Well my friend, though we do enjoy the Cuban entertainment, we are a rock band. Not just rock mind you, but Indie-pop-jazz-alt-rock-electronica. Allow me to expand.
La Cha-Cha formed in the autumn of 2004 from the writing of Larren Wolford (vocals, guitar, programming), Chad Kauppi (guitar, vocals) and Marty (the drum machine). The three had written a few tunes and decided it was time to get a real live drummer. Chad had been in a band called Dub Sac with a childhood friend of his named Chad Wiser (thats not a typo, they're both named Chad) and we decided to recruit him. Hence, the name of the band: Larren, Chad and Chad. We practiced up and had ourselves a show at a local club and we've been performing in the area ever since.
However, due to circumstances involving a little baby, Wiser had to leave the band. We scrambled to find a new drummer and found Travis Hurley. Travis has played in several bands here in Spokane and his talent is a welcome addition. Not only did we find a new drummer but also another musician, you might remember him as our original bassist. His name is Travis Goulding (thats not a typo, they're both named Travis). He will be playing bass, keys, and guitar.
All of us have been playing music in various projects since the early 90s, and we all have different musical tastes. That's why I describe our music as Indie-pop-jazz-alt-rock-electronica. Consider our influences for instance: Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Pavement and Death Cab for Cutie (Indie); Weezer, Pearl Jam, Flaming Lips and Ween (Alternative); Wilco, The Beatles, Neil Young and Radiohead (Rock); Postal Service, Ratatat, Rjd2 and hip hop in general (Electronica).
Four years together have produced two full-length albums entitled, "Sounds From the Suburbs" and "¡VIVA!". We have been featured in the Spokesman-Review's "7" weekend paper, the Pacific Northwest Inlander, the Finger and the Sandpoint Reader. We have also been featured on KZZU 92.9 FM, KYRS Thin Air Radio 92.3 FM, KHTQ 94.5 FM as well as KPND 95.3 FM in Sandpoint. La Cha-Cha is currently performing around Spokane and the Pacific Northwest region. Come see a show!
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