Over the past five years, Los Abandoned have carved out a niche in the fertile indie LA rock scene. With their bilingual blend of synth-laden lo-fi rock and feisty Spanglish lyrics, the group explores and articulates the cultural duality of being a Latino in LA. From the “joy” of living in the Valley on the anthemic “Van Nuys (Es Very Nice)” or the “beauty” of fake boobs on the smooth “Nada Mio es Fake,” Los Abandoned tell tales that are at once amusing and truthful.

We’ve all heard the proverbial rags to riches story about a young would-be star who decides to follow his dreams despite all odds and ends up on top of the world. Only this particular tale is truly a sign of the times. A virtual unknown just a few years ago, Aliaune Thiam – better known to the world as Akon –has not only become one of today’s hottest producers and music artists, he is also a full blown digital phenomenon.