Jacuzzi Boys

By Jacob Sprecher

If challenged to come up with a list of your top three favorite bands from Florida, you’d probably wind up scratching your head just a little bit. Torche, and…Torche, and…. Which isn’t to say that Florida isn’t a fine and lovely place, so much as it is a reality; there just isn’t very much rock ‘n’ roll representation bubbling up and out from those white sandy beaches. But there’s at least one bunch rising out of the kiddy pool and diving headlong into the deep end: Jacuzzi Boys.

A  new member of Hardly Art’s hot-to-trot roster, Miami three-piece Jacuzzi Boys have been spitting garage-pop fire since way back in 2009 when a run of successful 7-inches gave way to their first LP, No Seasons. Even a casual listen to No Seasons leaves little mystery as to why Jacuzzi Boys have since blown up, as their brand of roughshod good-timing fits snugly with the likes of Black Lips and King Kahn & BBQ Show. Their second official full-length, Glazin’, picks up where the previous left off, burning through 10 tracks of irreverence with highlights coming from “Los Angeles,” “Zeppelin” and “Koo Koo With You.” Their live reputation has landed the Boys praise from Iggy Pop, as well as the accepted invitation to record a live show at Jack White’s Third Man Records in Nashville. Jacuzzi Boys’ Danny Rojas and Gabriel Alcala took a bit of time to answer a few questions for Synthesis.

Most pressing matter first and foremost: Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
Danny: Yeah, some homeless dudes showering at the public showers on South Beach.
Gabriel: Yes. Our tour manager every other day

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, could you describe the scene in Miami? Is it a constant struggle against silk-shirted douchebags and nightclub crap? In general, most people simply don’t associate Florida with hip rock ‘n’ roll…perhaps Limp Bizkit is to blame….
Danny: Miami can be kinda tricky at times, there’s pretty much only one place to play and there’s not a ton of bands, but we love it there…and silk shirted douchebags are just part of the landscape!
Gabriel: We love it all. You gotta love the bad with the good.

Does that fact that you’re making waves from sort of an offbeat market give you an extra kick of hometown pride?
Danny: I think people in Miami have gotten really behind us ‘cause of it. And we’re happy to represent Miami; it does confuse people at times, though.

How’s fan response for the new LP thus far? At all different? Par for the course?
Danny: I think it’s been really positive mostly, some folks seem whatever about it, but that’s fine. You can’t please everyone.
Gabriel: Birdie!

While it may seem redundant for Jacuzzi Boys to get labeled a “party band,” I see that as a huge compliment, whether intentional or not by whomever might be saying it. After all, what’s better than a rip-roaring, piss-your-pants kind of party?
Danny: Yeah, we never set out to be that, and it’s by no means a goal of ours, but I guess that means people have a good time listening to/watching us, so that’s cool.

What does the expression “glazin’” mean to you? I could take a dozen guesses, none of which are probably correct.
Danny: Who knows, mine are probably incorrect as well….
Gabriel: They’re all right.

Second most pressing matter: What is your your favorite color and do you ever think of that color when listening to Wilson Phillips?
Gabriel: Peach. Horny.

Do you have a particular affinity for the city of Los Angeles, or did the namesake just seem ripe for the songwriting?
Danny: Nah, the three of us really like it in L.A.; we’ve always had a good time there!
Gabriel: It’s sorta similar to Miami in a weird way….

Was having Iggy Pop pay respect to Jacuzzi Boys in print, and then seeing him front and center at a show, kind of a trip? Are you Stooges fans by chance?
Gabriel: Yeah, I mean, how can you not be a Stooges/Iggy fan? It was a total trip! He was shorter than I envisioned.
Danny: I thought he was pretty tall.

Despite the name being “stupid,” as Iggy says (I don’t agree), I’d be curious to know where exactly it came from.  
Gabriel: It was sort of a joke name that stuck around. Came from an hour of dicking around, shouting names out.

Tags: black lips, florida, Hardly Art, iggy pop, jack white, Jacuzzi Boys, King Kahn & BBQ Show, Miami, nashville, tennessee, Third Man Records