Friday, July 2, 2010

Fictitious Band Spotlight: THE EASTELLETTES: MEXICAN BEYONCES OR QUEER DESTINY'S CHILD?


Maria Octavia doesn't really like Beyoncé that much. Victoria Rosalva and Manuela Gutierrez on the other hand can't get enough of her. Though the members of The Eastellettes have been dubbed the Mexican Beyoncés, Maria doesn't see much of herself in the Grammy Award winner.


"I guess I can respect her whole independent woman bit," Maria says over iced coffee and glazed twists at a local East Los Angeles coffee shop. "But I'd say we're more of a queer version of Destiny's Child."


An outspoken lesbian, Maria hopes that the ideals and sexuality she so furiously pens in their lyrics gives  The Eastellettes their unique sound and image. Le Tigre-meets-The-Ronettes perhaps?
The Eastellettes' self-titled debut EP




"We definitely started out with a 60s girl band sound," adds Victoria. "But as much as Maria will like to say that we're a feminist version of The Supremes, we took a lot of Beyoncé's stage presence to make it our own. You see these soldier booty shorts (she pulls out a pair from her huge Guess purse)? They're like the ones Destiny's Child wore in their Rollingstone Magazine cover."


One can understand why they are being called the Mexican Beyoncés. With suggestive dip-it-low moves during their shows, these women don't seem to fit the normal indie body type.


"We have big chichis and huge butts just like Beyoncé," says Manuela. "We've played the Echoplex and Spaceland where these skinny little bitches come up to us and say 'Like oh my God, I wish I had your body.' And I'm all thinking in my head, 'Of course you wish.' Then I thank them for coming to our show."