Tijuana Mexico's punk scene is a tightly-knit small group consisting of kids whose bands are very different from each other. On any given night, you will find a show containing one or two punk bands, a hardcore band and a psycho billy band. All in the same bill.

Tijuana's Shinjoku Riot is no stranger to this scenario. Their Facebook band page says they play "Positive Pop-Punk with a Message of Hope". They play catchy pop punk with "get back up after you fall down" kind of lyrics. Although they are from Mexico, they sing in English and most of their influences hail from North of the Border.

At first listen, it reminds me of 90s pop punk. Bouncing Souls and Hot Water Music-esque riffs with melodies and lyrics that would brighten up your day or cheer you up if you had a bad one. The first track "Shine A Light" and the last one "Place To Go" are the stronger ones of the herd. What I really like are the lyrics and the guitar harmonies that comfort the listener during these 5 songs. The kickoff track has that East Coast nostalgic vibe, channeling Kid Dynamite with those melodic guitar leads, which embody the feeling that everything will be alright.

"Place To Go" is an anthem about being tired of not fitting in and trying to find your place. I'm sure many kids will relate to this tune and join them in their call to arms "found my place, never going back!" chant. One can't help but shout "Unity!" Overall, it is a decent EP, with catchy songs, good melodies and positive "feel good" lyrics that come straight from the heart and are delivered in that manner. It is not groundbreaking, but definitely fun to listen to especially hanging out with your buddies on a cloudy day.


Solid pop punk with good songs. As mentioned before, not particularly innovative but definitely good at what they do. Worth listening to and download it. Especially if you want to clear up those gray skies and put on a happy face.


Check it out here