The Hawks (of Holy Rosary)

“Snakes and Hawks” is not your typical track about a predator seeking out its prey; sure, the song sticks its talons into our brains with its catchy opening synth riff, but it doesn’t sweep us off to an untimely end.
Instead, the six piece San Antonio band sing along to a tune that is all too convincing about being seemingly innocuous. Musically, the song is plain ol’ fun. The Hawks have a straight-out-of-the -garage appeal to them that is apparent in their ability to maintain a high energy track for a little over four minutes (pretty unusual for a punk band). Every member also does vocals, giving it an anthemic aesthetic that makes one feel like they are in the middle of the pit at one of their shows. Its variety of musical breaks is what makes it last through the repetition and progression of the lyrics, from its sing along vocal melodies to the bridge where it breaks down with a sludgy guitar riff and male and female vocals singing back to one another.
What makes this song stray into the pop punk category is its MIDI like synth that pervades the whole track and its seemingly sweet lyrics. Thematically, it’s all about predation, but not in the “Hungry Like A Wolf” kind of way. Rather, it’s about being wily, tricking a person into believing you’re harmless. Its got the nice guy appeal initially but takes a turn when the line “you’ve got snakes, I’ve got hawks” turns into “she’s the snake and I’m the hawk.” By the time the bridge arrives, he’s sneaking into the girl’s bed and the song comes to a catchy close with its last melodic sing along.
Whether or not it dupes us into believing its intention is more sweet than it actually is, it forces you to see through to the end of the prowl. The song is the first track off of the band’s sophomore album What Team Am I On? via Texas is Funny Records July - Audio Femme

San Antonio pop-punk outfit The Hawks (of Holy Rosary) just announced the release of their sophomore album, What Team Am I On?, out July via Texas Is Funny Records,

The band originally started as a two-piece, made up of childhood friends Frank Weysos and Chuck Hernandez, and takes its name from the local academy they attended together. Now with six members, the band creates high-energy, exuberant garage-pop tunes delivered with a cheeky punk attitude.

Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Weysos to talk about one of his favorite records, Dr. Dog’s Easy Beat. This is what he said about it.

What is your favorite album?

Dr. Dog’s Easy Beat. Hands down.

Do you remember when you received or purchased the album?

Chuck, our bass player, gave me the CD back in 2005.

What is your favorite song on the album?

“The World May Never Know.”

What is it about the song that resonates with you?

The tones on that song are amazing. It’s gotten old at this point that everyone says Dr. Dog sounds like The Beatles…but at that point it was like, holy shit.

Have you ever covered a song from the album?

Yeah, The Hawks played “Wake Up” at a friend’s album release party. It was cool cause we printed out the lyrics and put them in envelopes. And at one point we told the audience to open their envelopes and sing along. And they did. And it was awesome.

What is it about the album that makes it stand out against the band’s other output?

Again, it’s the tones. It’s lo-fi, but damn does it hit the spot. It just sounds timeless.

Have you ever given a copy of this record to anyone? What were the circumstances?

I have given out so many copies of that album that it’s just ridiculous.

Which of the records that you’ve performed on is your favorite?

The Hawks new record, What Team Am I On? is by far my favorite record to have been involved with. It’s my best work to date.

What is your favorite song on the album and why?

I’d say “Snakes and Hawks”. We wrote the song together and everyone sings and plays on it. I also, think it’s the best sounding track on the album. - Ghettoblaster Magazine

The Hawks (Of Holy Rosary), a San Antonio-based pop/punk outfit, release sophomore album What Team Am I On? on July 22 via Texas Is Funny Records. Originally starting as a two-piece, the band has expanded, and this track, the first off the new LP, offers a heaping helping of cheery punk melodies and catchy gang vocals. Download “Snakes And Hawks” below. - Magnet Magazine

Sunday, June 15, San Antonio-based indie band The Hawks (of Holy Rosary) will be performing a headlining concert at Spider House Ballroom. This show is their last of a short tour that included a string of dates supporting Dr. Dog. Austin-based indie-pop band Burgess Meredith will follow and Slomo Drags open the show.

Founded by bassist Chuck Hernandez and guitarist Frank Weysos, the no-wave/indie-pop sextet features three-part harmonies backed by beautifully layered pop music and a joyous punk rock spirit. Their vintage sound is reminiscent of modern groups like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals or even a bit like fellow San-Anto indie rockers Hacienda. In fact, it was with Hacienda where I first saw the band perform live a few years ago at Stubb’s. I bring that up because their bio claims that they “never play the same show twice.” That may be true for me at least as they will perform new material from their second full-length album, What Team Am I On?, out July 22 via Texas Is Funny Records. - Red River Noise

It’s extremely rare for a musical group to be given the opportunity to open for one of their most beloved bands. It’s even more rare that the opening band hasn’t even released their second album.

For group leader Frank Weysos, this chance of a lifetime will be happening tomorrow night, as his band, The Hawks (of Holy Rosary) — an alternative-rock outfit branched in San Antonio — open for Dr. Dog at the Blue Note.

Having been together long enough to have released a single LP, the Hawks depend on their high-energy spirits the second they hit the stage. Weysos, a self-described comedian on stage, sees performing as a chance to take the sound they’ve developed and feed it to the masses, while always having a great time in the process. MOVE was able to chat with Weysos in preparation for tomorrow’s show, discussing their history, style and once in a lifetime opportunity.

MOVE: How did growing up in San Antonio influence the sound your band has?

Frank Weysos: The thing about San Antonio is anything goes in that town. I think that’s what allowed us to form a sound that had a little bit of everything. You don’t have to be in a particular genre for people to start showing to your concerts there.

M: Where would you say your band falls under, genre wise?

FW: I have no idea. These days, it’s kind of sad, everybody ends up getting clumped together under the tag of “indie rock.” We’ve definitely got an alternative-rock sound though.

M: Who are some of the band’s biggest influences?

FW: Actually, the band has never really discussed a sound they wanted to specifically target. Our drummer has always been a punk kind of guy; our bassist has a surf-rock kind of influence. As a band we all love nearly everything that came out of the 90s flow of alternative music.

M: What’s it like going on tour and opening for a band like Dr. Dog?

FW: For me personally, it’s literally a dream come true. I saw them at SXSW probably eight times. I think I’ve seen them forty-eight times. And everybody else in the band loves them. The fact that we get to support a successful band in the first place is awesome, but because it’s Dr. Dog, it’s absolutely incredible.
M: What does your band wish to achieve while performing live?

FW: We just want people to get people excited. (Bassist Chuck Hernandez) and I are stand-up comedians. Having seen the amount of shows I’ve seen in my life, I know my band talks a lot more than the average group. We want to create a comfortable environment where everybody feels like they’re our friends. We never want to give off a sense of pretentiousness.

M: How does your upcoming album compare to your debut album?

FW: Honestly, it just sounds better. Ultimately, the goal should always be what you’re doing now should be better than what you’re doing in the past. The earlier recordings would be done in our bedrooms, so we always heard a difference between the studio and the live sound. This upcoming album definitely a lot closer to our live shows. - Move Magazine

The opening band, The Hawks of Holy Rosary, doesn’t play a long set, but they use their time wisely, filling up the short period of time with intricate jams and at times, surprisingly delicate harmonies. - Jams Plus

Today we're spending Seven Questions In Heaven with The Hawks (Of Holy Rosary) singer/guitarist Frank Weysos:

Describe your music for our readers who may not be familiar with you.
The sound is straightforward. It's fast. And the focus is always on the melody and hook. It's gotta be easy and it's gotta be fun. Live, we're a party band for sure. We all come in singin' and we all come in dancin'. The rest is history.

Who are your musical influences and idols?
The band never decided on a specific style. Whatever happens, happens. But there are certain bands we all love like Weezer and The Pixies, and I think that shows up in the songs.

What was the first album, cassette, or CD you bought with your own money?
When I was eight years old, I bought two tapes at a place called Sound Warehouse. I got Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted and Metallica's And Justice For All. I got my swag from Ice Cube for sure but Metallica scared the shit out of me and that intrigued me.



What was the strangest gig you've ever played?
One time we played at The Alamodome, which holds like 70,000 people, to a crowd of two hundred people. It was hilarious... just infinite black out there. It was like playing in outer space.

What's the first thing you look for when you hit a new town?
Buffets and dangerous women. Preferably at the same place.

If they named an ice cream flavor after you, what would be the name and why?
Hard Rock-y Road. For all the obvious reasons.

Final question: You're the opening act of a music festival. You can get any five artists, living or dead, to perform on the bill with you. Which five do you choose and what song do you all perform as the final jam?
I'd love to play "We All Belong" with all the members of Dr. Dog. That'd cool. - Culture Brats

Named after a school they once attended, San Antonio's The Hawks (Of Holy Rosary) crafts tunes that make you wanna sing along, partly because every member of the band contributes vocals.

Today I'm happy to premiere a song that makes me smile, Snakes and Hawks. Singer/guitarist Frank Weysos had this to say about its origins:

The song was written in the moments after a band called Floating Action left (our) home. We'd had a great show the night before and a great homemade breakfast that morning. After we said our goodbyes, Chuck (Hernandez, bassist/singer) and I sat down with a guitar and xylophone, and just let the song write itself. - USA TODAY

Earlier this summer, The Hawks (of Holy Rosary) set out on a short tour with Dr. Dog. We couldn’t quite fit into their suitcases, but they did give us a glimpse into life on the road with a video diary of their experiences. Check out the band’s video in the player above. - Paste Magazine