THE DRAGONS - Cheers To Me

THE DRAGONS Cheers To Me cd 1998
Loaded / I Don't Mind / Fade / In Between And Far Away / Je Suis / Needs / Blackout / Bug / Saturday Nite Up 'N' Downs / Red Fox Room / Tiger Subleties / Campus Avenue / Losing Game / 2nd Afterthought / Back Where We Started.
The Dragons: M. Escovedo: vocals, guitar / K. Horne: lead guitar / S. Rodriguez: bass guitar / J. Lucas: drums.
The Dragons began back in 1991 in San Diego California. Three months later after playing the first of 11 South By Southwest Music Conference Showcases the band released a Vinyl E-P called "X" for a label in Spain called Impossible Records. A year later they followed with a single for Poptone records which put them on the map in San Diego. In 1996 the Dragons Recorded "Painkiller" for Scam-O-Rama records owned by the infamous "InebriaTED" who discovered the band as writer for Flipside Magazine in Los Angeles. Two years later in The Dragons signed a deal with Junk Records from Long Beach with Louie Carus and the "Black Devil" himself and released "Cheers To Me", "R.L.F" and "Kamikaze" in three consecutive years. They followed that with a Japanese Only Release "The Dragons" (If someone have and wants to share it...) and toured Japan (Kenny's Homeland). In 2003 The Dragons signed with Gearhead Records with the "Master Mechanic himself" Mike LaVella and Michelle Haunold and released "Sin Salvation" and then followed that with a remixed and remastered "RockNRoll Kamikaze". The Dragons have toured with The Wildhearts, Guitar Wolf, The Hellacopters, Riverboat Gamblers, B-Movie Rats, Gaza Strippers, The Demons, The Black Halos, The Spitfires, and many more... Shared Bills with The Supersuckers, The Backyard Babies, Rocket From The Crypt, The Muffs, The Zeros... Source
Buy it here !

THE DRAGONS - Pain Killer

THE DRAGONS Pain Killer cd 1996
Sometimes / High / Runaway / Pain Killer / Who Calls My Name / Too much Too Soon / Bad Reputation / Fuck Up / Train / Riser / Confusion / Adios Mexico.
Produced by D. Jass & The Dragons.
The Dragons: M. Escovedo: vocals & guitar / S. Rodriguez: bass & vocals / K. Horne: guitar / J. Lucas: drums.
So Cal punk & rollers the Dragons were fronted by M. Escovedo, the youngest sibling of musicians Alejandro and J. Escovedo. Javier, of L.A. punk legends the Zeros ( and later with Alejandro in the True Believers), bought his teenage kid brother his first guitar on Sunset Strip, paving the way for Mario's rock 'n' roll future.
Mario and Ken Mochikoshi Horne had formerly been in a punk band called M-80's. Toward the end of 1990, the two decided to form a new band, recruiting bassist Steve Rodriquez and drummer James Barczak. In the summer of 1992, the Dragons released a 12-track vinyl LP in Spain on Impossible Records. The following year the group parted ways with Barczak, adding Jarrod Lucas. In 1994, they recorded a four-song 7" for Pop Tones Records, following that in 1996 with their first CD release, "Painkiller", on Scam-O-Rama Records (buy it here!). By the end of 1997, the group had signed with Junk Records, for whom they recorded several LPs, including 1998's "Cheers To Me", 1999's raw, furious "R.L.F. (Rock Like Fuck)" and the 2000 concert set "Live at the Casbah". "Rock N Roll Kamikaze" followed in 2001, and was supported by an even more furious touring schedule that took the band from L.A. and the southwest all the way to Japan. By August 2002, The Dragons were back in the U.S.A., and playing the 1st annual Gearfest in Austin, TX. Gearhead Records, the show's sponsor, was blown away by the band, and signed them soon after. "Sin Salvation", their fiery, redemptive Gearhead debut, appeared in May 2003, and was supported by a tour with labelmates the Riverboat Gamblers. Allmusic

After 13 years and seven (or eight ...it seems that there's an album recorded only for Japan) albums, the band announced it was parting ways in November 2005. Guitarist Horne moved back to his native Japan, and in 2008 joined The Bronx. M. Escovedo has since formed a new band called the Mario Escovedo Xperience (MEX for short) that plays music more akin to Los Lobos and the Texas Tornados. The Dragons have since reformed with guest lead guitarists for a few one-off shows from time to time.Wikipedia
You can read a very good review of "Pain Killer" in Rick Coffee's blog, Rich's R'n'R Rants & Raves !
Thanks to Théo for all coffees made !