There was a period in the 2000s when the DIY moniker meant something. Musicians were recording on whatever damn thing they had lying around, and though for some recording purists the sometimes-ramshackle result was a turnoff, to me it was inspiring. Unchained from high recording costs and expectations, artists experimented with new sounds and approaches. It felt democratizing. Anyone with an idea and drive could produce something amazing – and many did.
During that period, DIY folk was a major player. Artists like Kimya Dawson gained popularity, as did her unabashedly unserious and twee sensibilities. Though not as folky, Tijuana’s surcarilita channel that willingness to be silly and have fun, and it pays off.
surcarilita, “walking online”: Much of surcarilita’s 2023 album “mírala mirando,” features guitar – sometimes crunchy, sometimes acoustic. The closing track “walking online,” flips the script, turning instead to dreamlike puffs of synth that conjure the feeling of floating through an 8-bit landscape. Still, sucarilita’s fabulous twee sensibilities remain, as does the DIY production and singer Ana Cossio’s whispered vocals.
Like what you hear? Check out surcarilita live on Friday, Nov. 22.
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