"New York-based Pistolera writes great Mexamerican songs, and it has at least two other aces up its sleeve besides that: one, the accordion of Maria Elena, which is crisp as iced lettuce, and, two, the singing of Sandra Velasquez, who has a distinctive voice.."-PopMatters
"Pistolera asoma la cabeza a una nueva trayectoria en la que pisa firmamente." – Rolling Stone Mexico
"Not so much an ethnic record as an international record, it's a wild trip south of the border to a desert being chased by urban sprawl. A must for the open eared looking for killer, new kicks."–Midwest Record
"Esta banda sigue demostrando que la simplicidad y el talento conforman siempre una formula de éxito.–AlterExa
"Not only is this a great listen, this album ought to be mandatory in Spanish classes in American schools. Velasquez's crystalline, subtly nuanced vocals are easy to understand, the tunes are fun to sing along to – and her lyrics pack a wallop. No doubt you'll be seeing this on a lot of "best albums of the year" lists by the end of 2011."-Lucid Culture
"El Desierto y La Ciudad is an evocative and gorgeous record that will play with your emotions and grip your heart."– First Coast News
"Pistolera frontwoman Sandra Velasquez has not given herself an easy assignment: write searching, often politically conscious lyrics in Spanish with traditional Latin music instrumentation (such as jarana, accordion and tuba) for a diverse audience...the results are often glorious and galvanizing ("Guerra," a translation of Bob Marley's "War," couldn't be more relevant). The musicianship is superb here, and it's a pleasure to listen to a whole museum of brass, bongos, congas, caxixi, maracas and pandereta incorporated beautifully into a sound that doesn't fit neatly into any genre."-Billboard (review of "En Este Camino")
"Pistolera melds the sass of indie rock with traditional Latin sounds to create compelling pop melodies, all of it sung entirely in Spanish." -Billboard Magazine
"...a foot-stomping sound that's one part ranchera and one part indie-pop."
-The New Yorker
"Listening to Pistolera's self-released debut, "Siempre Hay Salida" ("There's Always a Way Out"), or watching lead singer and guitarist Sandra Lilia Velásquez stamp out a beat in her boots to bandmate Maria Elena's accordion melodies, you inevitably feel as though you've landed in the heart of Mexico. The blend of soulful ranchera, peppy cumbia, and Spanish lyrics evokes a feeling that's distinctly south of the border, yet not too far south." -The Boston Globe