Dios malos.

HAWTHORNE, CA LIES SOMEWHERE between the city and the sea, a culturally diverse suburban sprawl of gangsters, bohemian beach dwellers, working class families, and business people. In 1961, a group of brothers with the last name Wilson put the town on the map with their classic melodies that embodied the care-free spirit of the California lifestyle. Some 40 years later, with feet dangling in the same psych pop waters as the Beach Boys, dios malos are proving that a band can make it from Hawthorne once again.

"When we were growing up it wasn't a hip city with a lot of bands. Kids weren't doing much musically. I didn't even know the Beach Boys lived there until I got out of college. That's how out of touch Hawthorne is with itself," explains singer and guitarist Joel Morales.

It certainly doesn't hurt to he mentioned in the same sentence as such highly regarded cultural icons, but when it comes to dios malos' (always lowercase) moody harmonies, wandering musical arrangements, and pensive vocals, the group was channeling Neil Young's heavier folk songs over beach boy surf anthems on their self-titled 2004 debut on Star Time International.

"It's pretty apparent from the first record that I was smoking a lot of weed and listening to a lot of Neil Young," says a deadpan Morales, who pays homage to the godfather of grunge with a cover of Young's "Birds."

Like Young, dios malos' deceptively simple songs create a sense of emptiness around the melody causing the songs to be both intriguing and undeniable. Layers of piano, keyboards, and samples were added. It makes an otherwise mellow and pleasing song now become unexpected and experimental.

"I like bands that have control over their creative projects, from their artwork to their shirts to their videos. I have no interest in a cookie cutter image. I like bands that experiment. We're not a guitar, drum, bass combo," Morales emphasizes.

The group recorded most of their full length and "Los Arboles" EP (Dim Mak) in everyday sessions at bassist JP Cabellero's basement studio between class and work. It took the better part of the year to finish both records, but dios malos wasn't in a hurry; they had no intention of people actually hearing either. They were making music for themselves.

"The first record was definitely something I planned out with my brother. (Editor's Note: At the time of this interview older brother Kevin was taking a hiatus from the group.) He wrote five songs and I wrote five songs. We didn't have a label so we could do whatever we wanted. We took our time and kept adding layers to the songs," says Morales. "This next record is much more organic. All the arranging is done together as a group. It's more focused and will sound really big and fierce."

The root of this fierceness is a combination of Morales, keyboardist and friend Jimmy Camaro, and Cabellero taking advantage of having played together for three years; a Seattle based producer named Phil Ek known for his work with Modest Mouse and The Shins; and new brit-rock-loving drummer named Jackie Monzon.

"Jackie brings an entirely new dynamic to the group. Besides having a good kick foot, he's really good at taking apart parts and piecing them back together," says Cabellero. Morales adds, "With Jackie we can now make the record sound like a live show, really loud and full."

The group, especially Morales, have high hopes for their new album expected out this September. There is little question of their sophomore release being a hit given Ek's proven track record of helping bands come into full fruition and his recent work on records by heavier aets like Big Business. But for Morales it's more personal. Last year dios were slapped with a cease and desist order by Ronnie James Dio, forcing the group to change their name. Apparently Ronnie thought the kids wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two.

"We're getting the name back after this record. We're gonna make some money, hire a lawyer and get our name back," says a defiant Morales. From the tone of his voice it's hard to know if Morales is flipping me some of his subtle sarcasm, but I believe him. I believe him because of the conviction in his voice when he speaks of his music and band. I believe him because of lyrics like "This sound is mine. It blows my mind."