They Found Beto O'Rourke's First Album, And It's ... Actually Pretty Good

Last week the Texas GOP tried to embarrass U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke by posting a decades-old photo of him in a band. That backfired spectacularly, because O’Rourke looked pretty cool compared with the man he’s campaigning to unseat, Sen. Ted Cruz (R).

Well, get ready to insert the other foot into your mouth, Texas GOP.

We got hold of the first album from Beto O’Rourke’s punk band Foss. And it’s not bad at all. Here are the A and B sides of “The El Paso Pussycats,” recorded on 7-inch vinyl.

Foss bandmate Cedric Bixler-Zavala supplied the digital recording to the Latin subculture site Remezcla. You might recognize his name, because he went on to help form the music groups At the Drive-In and Mars Volta. You can certainly hear elements of the two subsequent groups in Foss.

Bixler-Zavala isn’t just a former bandmate, though; he really stands behind O’Rourke. “I truly believe Beto to be the answer,” the Mars Volta frontman told Remezcla. “He really gives a fuck.”

Texans who also give a ... darn will decide between Cruz and O’Rourke on Nov. 6.