Dios (Malos)

Hawthorne, CA gave rise to Dios, whose lineup features guitarists and vocalists Kevin and Joel Morales alongside bassist John Paul Caballero, keyboardist Jimmy Cabeza DeVaca, and drummer Jackie Monzon. The same locale that produced the Beach Boys, Emitt Rhodes, and Black Flag also shaped the group’s sound, which draws on the first two acts’ trippy wistfulness and the third’s D.I.Y. aesthetic. Dios came together in 2002 and started tracking material in Caballero’s basement, resulting in the Arboles EP that Dim Mak issued toward the end of 2003. The band kept performing in the meantime, sharing stages with Pinback, the New Amsterdams, and the Polyphonic Spree. NME soon listed Dios among its 50 bands to watch for 2004, just before Star Time Records put out the group’s self-titled full-length debut. During summer 2004 guitarist Ronnie James Dio issued a cease-and-desist order over possible confusion with his own band, Dio, prompting the younger outfit to adopt the name Dios Malos. Under that revised moniker the self-titled debut appeared in fall 2005.