Mario Tarradell

Like most kids who dream of rock 'n' roll stardom, Mexico's pop-punk band Allison got started in a garage. The four guys in their early 20s infiltrated Mexico's underground rock scene, then spread into the States.

The buzz is building. The 2006 self-titled debut CD, released on powerhouse Sony BMG Norte, earned Allison an MTV Latin America award for best new group. Now with their second disc, Memorama, Allison has quickly blended into the mainstream, scoring prime performance slots at Austin's South by Southwest music festival and the recent Vans Warped Tour that came through Dallas.

There's more. This catchy, energetic outfit is also working on promotional campaigns with Paco Rabanne cologne and Jolly Rancher candies.

"We haven't assimilated this yet," says 23-year-old bassist Manolin by phone from Los Angeles. He and his bandmates – Erik, 24, Diego, 20, and Fear, 22 – all use Allison as its stage monikers and surnames for instant name recognition.

Manolin, who's still mastering English, can't believe the propulsive train they've boarded.

"What is happening? We are really getting into the American market," he says. "We are making friends with American bands. We are very anxious to go further with the American people."

Fellow rock enthusiasts have come up to Allison members after stateside shows to tell them they can't understand a word they're singing, but they dig the music anyway. No surprise, really. Allison plays an easily digestible brand of pop-punk. The songs are bursting with energy and enough adolescent angst to keep the kids happy, especially the young Latinos.

"Here in America there is a bunch of Latin people," Manolin says. "They like all these bands like Blink-182. They are really into this rock style, this pop and punk style. And if those songs are in Spanish they can identify more with our songs than with the English songs, even if they know English perfectly. It's not just because of the music. They can be us. We come from Mexico City, from a garage. We are on an international tour, even though we sing in Spanish. They feel pride for us. They feel very proud that a Mexican band reached those goals."

Memorama was recorded in Mexico City but mixed and mastered in New York by studio men who've worked with Panic at the Disco, Paramore and Seven Mary Three. The mainstream push continues: Photographer and visual artist Ralf Strathmann shot the photos for Memorama. Mr. Strathmann has also snapped Perry Farrell, Fall Out Boy and Blink-182.

"We are playing in Argentina, Mexico, France ... all these places," says Manolin, his voice breathless. "And we started in a garage. You take a tennis racket and make like a guitar and look at yourself in the mirror and rock. We are an honest band. We do this because we love it. This is huge."

He pauses, only for a second, to ponder the downside of immediate attention.

"With all these things you can also lose your footing, get an attitude. We've very proud of ourselves because we started this band because of friendship and we have ourselves to help control the ego," he says. "We sign autographs with fans, pose for pictures. If it weren't for all the fans that go to the show, that get the CD, we would be nothing."

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