November, 2015
| By: KRYSTA AYERS photography by: JOE SUAREZ |
ecade of the Dead Arcade – Don’t be quick to write them off as a heavy metal band because their name and their sound do not coincide. “We were about to play our first show, back in 2013, and we couldn’t play without a name,” Andrew Martinez, guitarists and vocals for the band, starts to tell me. “Our friend, Eric Edwards actually gave the name to us and we didn’t hate it.” Manny, lead guitarist for the band, adds, “I can’t see our band being called anything else.” Formed in Las Cruces in early 2013, the band had interesting beginnings. As with many great bands, the start of something great can be serendipitous. With their album, “Complexities”, out for almost a year now, I sat down with Andrew Martinez, Rick Sifuentes, and Manny Rodriquez over beers to talk about how their band came together, their album and their very unique sound. Meeting over the love of music, the band started out as many others do, “jamming out” together. “We met Rick on Craigslist,” Martinez said. “And not on the guy seeking guy section,” added Rodriquez. From buying gear on Craigslist and being involved in the closeknit musical community in Las Cruces, the members of Decade of the Dead Arcade came together to create something new for listeners in the area. As they stand now, DOTDA is www.thecitymagazineelp.com
composed of five talented musicians; Manny,
as well as bands such as Local Natives, The
lead guitar; Andrew Martinez, vocals and
Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Delta Spirits. For
guitar; Rick Sifuentes, bass; Nik Singleton,
a clearer sense of the music and style they
vocals; and Luke Dumke, drums.
play, their Facebook page and their official website claim the music to be, “lyrically
With five artists coming together to establish
elaborate, and rhythmically contagious…an
a creative sound for the band, many ideas
enthusiastic electric indie rock.” And once
and styles intertwine producing a sound
you get to listen to their album, you’ll bob
that might not easily fit into any one genre.
your head in agreement.
“People have said that we sound like Young the Giant, Vampire Weekend, just a little bit
After their first couple of months of coming
of everything,” said Martinez and Rodriquez.
officially together, DOTDA landed a gig
But their musical influences come from
playing for Warped Tour 2013. Playing in the
everywhere. The three members agreed on
hot summer sun to a larger range of people
The Beatles being a big influence on them,
was exciting and new for the band. And 43