Hailing from the Los Angeles city of Rosemead, Audio Karate were poised for Warped Tour main stage status in 2004. Straddling the line between pop-punk and melodic rock, the band recorded their sophomore album, Lady Melody, with Descendents/ALL drummer Bill Stevenson producing the sessions, and they were signed to one of the more popular indie labels of the day in Kung Fu. The album kicks all kinds of ass, showcasing Arturo Barrios' angsty vocals and the group's tension-filled arrangements, but Lady Melody didn't do much for Audio Karate on the popularity front.
Either way, the album's opener, "Jesus is Alive and Well (and Living in Mexico)," is a song that I've kept in regular rotation for over a decade now. The closest thing I could compare it to on a sonic level would be a blend of Lifetime, Foo Fighters, and Millencolin. It's a driving track whose rhythmic dynamics are just as infectious as Barrios' vocal hooks.
Audio Karate took some years off, but the members can now be heard in a band called Indian School that you should also check out.
