FIRST MEXICO, THEN THE U.S.?

Five Pop-Punk Bands Hoping To Reach An American Audience


ALLISON

Label: Sony BMG
Sounds like: Blink-182

Allison's self-titled, power-pop album has sold more than 84,000 physical copies in Mexico but only 1,000 units in the United States since it was released Aug. 1. The label is counting on video channels, radio airplay in Texas and a possible November tour to gain American traction for the Mexico City group.

NOVEL

Label: Univision
Sounds like: Green Day
Univision enters the power-pop fray with Novel, a band from indie Kbaret Music. The major hopes to spread the Monterrey, Mexico, band in its home country before bringing it to the United States in 2007. Novel's album, "Tu Fan," comes out Oct. 3 in Mexico.

PANDA
Label: Warner Music Mexico
Sounds like: Unwritten Law

Monterrey's Panda came to Warner through a licensing deal with indie label Movic. Panda's album, "Para ti con Desprecio," has gone platinum in Mexico (more than 100,000 copies) but has sold just 2,000 units stateside. Warner Music Latina plans to more actively market the album in the United States next year.

MOTEL
Label: Warner Music Mexico
Sounds like: The Get Up Kids
Two of this Mexico City band's members studied music at U.S. colleges. Motel's sunny, driving guitars earned its self-titled album a gold certification in Mexico (more than 50,000 copies) and a Sept. 26 U.S. release date.

ZOÉ
Label: Noiselab/EMI Music Mexico
Sounds like: The Cure Even with a sound influenced by '80s Britpop,
Zoé may have been ahead of its time. EMI signed and then dropped Mexico City's Zoé in the late '90s, only to bring them back for the now gold "Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea," set for an Oct. 3 U.S. release on EMI Televisa.