Totimoshi

“Ladron,” by Totimoshi, from Ladron (Volcom Entertainment):

Totimoshi. It sounds Japanese, right? It’s actually a word that bandleader Antonio Aguilar’s mom made up to describe his grandmother’s broken English. Fittingly, the band’s imagery is rife with artifacts from Aguilar’s and his bassist (and wife) Meg Castellanos’ Hispanic heritage. But there’s hardly a trace of that influence in the Bay Area trio’s Melvins-inspired sound. Though the band is conscious of its cultural duality, Totimoshi’s music recalls the dry, pummeling aesthetic of downtown New York art-metal acts such as Barkmarket and Helmet, with some jangle thrown in to decorate the brutality — a sound that’s reflected on recent Totimoshi albums produced by Helmet’s Page Hamilton and Melvins and Big Business producer Toshi Kasai. For this show, a homecoming welcome goes to new Toti drummer, KC’s Chris Fugitt.