Payola Desaparecidos

• 1The Left is Right02:25
• 2The Underground Man02:24
• 3City on the Hill03:09
• 4Golden Parachutes02:04
• 5Radicalized02:49
• 6MariKKKopa02:46
• 7Te Amo Camila Vallejo03:39
• 8Ralphy's Cut03:23
• 9Backsell03:14
• 10Slacktivist02:54
• 11Search the Searches02:32
• 1210 Steps Behind02:58
• 13Von Maur Massacre02:27
• 14Anonymous03:44
• Total Runtime40:28

Info for Payola

Thirteen years after dropping their debut album, 2002’s Read Music/Speak Spanish, Nebraskan indie-punk collective Desaparecidos (the name itself being Spanish for “the disappeared ones”) are back with their second effort, Payola. While that first album found the politically-charged band — fronted by Conor Oberst, of Bright Eyes fame — railing chiefly against the mundanity of everyday life in the suburbs, on Payola they’ve expanded the scope of their scorn to a more global level and unearthed plenty to be incensed about.

Six of the record’s 14 tracks were released on a string of 7” singles as the band kicked back into life in 2012 following a lengthy break — including strong numbers MariKKKopa, The Left Is Right and The Underground Man — yet the sound (co-produced by Oberst’s long-term cohort Mike Mogis) remains pretty cohesive across the board, raw and urgent and possessing plenty of organic hooks. But it’s a predominantly lyric-driven affair, and of the new songs the punchy City On The Hill looks at class divides, Golden Parachutes eviscerates the corporate landscape, Radicalized examines the centuries-old but currently-escalating east/west schism whilst Slacktivist is concerned with the quest to take change beyond the internet and into the real world.

Conor Oberst, vocals, guitar
Landon Hedges, bass, vocals
Matt Baum, drums
Denver Dalley, guitar
Ian McElroy, keyboards

Desaparecidos
Formed in 2001 in Omaha, Nebraska, Desaparecidos released one album, Read Music / Speak Spanish in 2002 on Saddle Creek Records. Though the band never "broke up", they did part ways for several years as members Conor Oberst (vocals, guitar), Denver Dalley (guitar), Ian McElroy (keyboards), Landon Hedges (bass / vocals), and Matt Baum (drums) went on to pursue separate ambitions, including Conor Oberst's career with the band Bright Eyes.

In 2010, Desaparecidos played together again at the Concert for Equality in Omaha (an event organized by Oberst to promote the repeal of then-recently enacted measures to prohibit businesses and landlords from hiring or renting to undocumented immigrants in Fremont, Nebraska). The band embarked on a short summer tour in 2012, and self-released several tracks on singles and 7-inches for the next year. Previously released tracks that are featured on the album are "MariKKKopa", "Backsell", "Anonymous", "The Left is Right", "Te Amo Camila Vallejo", and "The Underground Man".

Payola is the follow-up album to the first and only Desaparecidos album, Read Music / Speak Spanish. Influenced by '70s/'80s punk & hardcore like T.S.O.L. and Cro-Mags; early '80s power-pop the Vapors and Tommy Tutone, Payola was co-produced with Mike Mogis (First Aid Kit, Saintseneca, and 'The Fault in our Stars' Score From the Motion Picture with Nate Walcott); and was recorded in several batches over the past few years. On Payola, the band consciously tackled a wide range of political issues at a much broader scale. It has a greater degree of focus and musicality than the first release. Payola is more raw, louder, and angrier. In addition to the 6 previously released tracks, the album also includes 8 new tracks from the band.

This album contains no booklet.