Call it contemporary marriage therapy: Oakland’s Totimoshi, a rock/metal band fronted by Bakersfield-bred guitarist Tony Aguilar and his half-Cuban wife Meg Castellanos, has a unique melodic and abrasive sound that’s super-heavy but not necessarily angry. Aguilar sings a little like Bowie, only darker. Castellanos, whose love affair with rock ‘n’ roll started as a preteen when she saw Bad Brains live, can dance flamenco in addition to rockin’ the bass. Don Voss, the no-double-kick drummer of their dreams, was on hand in time to back up the bands latest CD, ¿Mysterioso? The trio — named for a word Aguilar’s Mexican grandma coined to describe speaking English — has toured all over the country, most recently with another local band, Theory of Ruin. The musicians also recently made a trip to find their roquero roots in Cuba, where the band was featured on Sabarock, one of Havana’s only rock radio shows. Totimoshi’s big fantasy: a record deal with Mike Patton’s Alameda label, Ipecac. Catch them live on May 17 with raunch-metal band Nigel Peppercock and Seattle’s edu-core group Blood Hag at the 40th Street Warehouse. Where? None of your damn business!
Readers’ Pick for Best Rock Band: The Matches
