The Groans

On a rather warm October day in Anaheim California (and that's being quite modest), the Noisy Cavern crew stood on the brink of heat exhaustion as Rancho Cucamonga’s "The Groans" fired things up with a fast-paced, supercharged session for episode 2.

The newest rendition of “The Groans” is comprised of members Louie Hernandez (guitar), Annie Padilla (bass), Alyssa Mecozzy (drums), and Steven Jimenez (guitar). While line-up changes seem to bring fears relating to a lack of cohesiveness and frustrations with chemistry, this did not appear to be the case with the young group. It was undeniably evident from the energy and excitement shown throughout the few hours the group spent at The Cave Sound Studios that they all seem to have a genuine love for each other and their music.

The Groans do not subscribe themselves to any one specific musical style, but it is apparent that their sound encompasses similarities to Riot Grrl and Empowerment Punk, which is surely where their inspirations lay. The group is also an active staple within their local community. They attempt to address issues in the lime light through their outspoken personalities and their performing in benefit shows.

Episode 2 of Season 3 had The Groans perform tracks off of their EP, Rest in Peace, which was released earlier this year on January 17. The show kicked off with an instrumental intro titled Tarantino (no blood and no gore of course), followed by Dance With You (a sparkly power-pop tune with an uncanny Weezer like vibe) and Effy Baby (not sure if credit should be given to the beautiful and mysterious SKINS character, Elizabeth Stonemen, as the inspiration behind this track). They followed the interview with two more songs, one previously unreleased track titled Skin – which starts off with an alt-rock indie style of scraping guitar melodies and some steady rhythmic drumming (think Lazy Eye) then gradually builds its tension as Annie evokes her Riot Grrl with some trademark shouts. The Groans ended their fun set with a feministic oriented track full of emotionally energetic lyrics titled Man Eater.

This group are a busy bunch, and bandmate Louie Hernandez seems to be the one to keep the mates in order; scheduling gigs throughout Southern California. The Groans have a strong presence on Instagram and have plenty of shows coming up. Make sure to check out their music and catch them at a live event – the group radiates good energy!

Full episode on our SOUNDCLOUD.