El Quatro - Displacement - 12''Vinyl - RSD2023

For nearly thirty years El Quatro has been the premier purveyor of a gear grinding, nitrous injected, high octane brand of Iggy & The Stooges-inspired garage rock, known to fans as “rot-n-roll.” Drawing on apocryphal Americana, urban and suburban legend, tabloid news, and a dubious longing for the heyday of Detroit muscle, El Quatro represents a musical chapbook chronicling an empire in decline…with guitars. Forged in the fallout days of DC hardcore and hailing from Arlington VA El Quatro cut their teeth at the infamous O’Carroll’s in Arlington. The legendary shows gave rise to the Buzzkiller Sessions and the cassette-only release of the same name remains a sought after recording by fans. Throughout their career they have played extensively in the DC area under the mantra of “anytime, anywhere,” sharing the stage with bands as diverse as Esmerelda, The Pietasters, and History Repeated.

In the ‘90s and beyond they were a regular at Iota Club and Cafe in Arlington, which resulted in their magnum opus Live at Iota, recorded via a mobile twenty-four-track by Doug Derryberry and mixed by Mike Harvey at Actiondale Studio.

Recently they have been contributors to the Crooked Beat Record Store Day releases Recutting the Crap Vol I & II, and Songs from the Astral Plane, Vol I: A Tribute to Jonathan Richman, and they recorded seven original songs at the legendary Inner Ear in Arlington VA, one of the last bands to have worked there before Don Zientarra closed that space in October 2021..

The band has had various line-up changes over the years but the songwriting nucleus of Brad Wynn (guitar,) and Joel Lind (vocals,) remains constant. Completing the band is the rhythm section of Jim McNab (bass,) and Eric Kreinar (drums.) Together this constitutes the longest running and most faithful line up. Stylistically drawing from the hard and heavy bands of their adolescence and distilled in alembic of the modern world, El Quatro is the dirt under your nails, it is the perpetual beltway snarl, it is unrequited love….it is the world of broken dreams made whole again by loud, unforgiving rock-n-roll. It is truth.

Hand-numbered EP is limited to 400 worldwide.
NOTE: This title is being released by Crooked Beat Records, a record store and label in Alexandria VA, and though it is available for any record store to bring in, will most easily be found in that area.

Side A
Shut You Down
Gearhead
Throwin Tires
Blunt Force Trauma

Side B
Blacktop Annihilator
Ready To Rock
Craptown