Miami's garage-rock savants Jacuzzi Boys have been a fixture on the local scene for some time, disappearing to tour before popping up again in our neck of the woods every few months. We haven't heard much from the trio lately, but that's because the band has been busy toiling away on its fourth album, Ping Pong, set for release October 21. It was recorded in Los Angeles last year over the course of four months while singer/guitarist Gabriel Alcala, drummer Diego Monasteri, and bassist Danny Gonzales listened to a lot of the Breeders' 1993 album, Last Splash.
"This one is kind of more of a rocking record — more stripped down, with less overdubs. It has kind of more of a live sound except for a few songs that use the studio element to make it more freaked out and weirder," Alcala says in a postlunch lull. He says the album got its name from the band's new favorite hobby. "Where we recorded, there was a Ping-Pong table. We constantly — every time we took a break — we'd go play Ping-Pong. It's also a metaphor for the highs and lows of stuff — the party and the hangover — if that makes sense."
"This one is kind of more of a rocking record."
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Before Jacuzzi Boys take off on an intense monthlong North American tour, Alcala sat down with New Times and dissected some of his favorite new tunes that fans can expect to hear at Kreepy Tiki this Friday and Gramps this Tuesday, before the album's release next month.
"Boys Like Blood": "I wrote most of it. The song comes from something Danny would say as a kid. He would say to his mom: 'Girls like love, and boys like blood.' I kind of liked that. The lyrics are playful, with some dark imagery. There's a fun vibe to it about someone having a good time while someone is bleeding out."
"Easy Motion": "I made an animated video for this one. I'm trying to wrap it up before the tour so we release it before we leave. I really dig this song. It's short and supercatchy and has a cool, weird Beatles vibe."
"Gamma": "I really dig this too, but we had to work on it a lot. There was a tempo change and a bridge where it slows down and gets really mellow. We had to get the timing right. It was really important to the song. We had to do a lot of takes, and it got more involved since we really had to get everything right.
"Tip of My Tongue — Edge of My Brain": "This is the last song on the album. It starts off floating in the ocean, with airplanes flying over. I really like the imagery of that one."
Jacuzzi Boys with Jellyfish Brothers. 9 p.m. Friday, September 23, at Kreepy Tiki Bar & Lounge, 2608 S. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale; 954-648-8435; kreepytikilounge.com. Admission costs $5.
Jacuzzi Boys. 9 p.m. Tuesday, September 27, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; gramps.com. Admission costs $10.
