MP3: Emilio José - "Febreiro"



Compared to popular consensus, Emilio José has always treated “Febreiro” as the core-single of his masterpiece Chorando Aprendese. The song is somewhat catchy and one of the album’s highlights, but for an artist whose Best of the Decade list consisted mainly of full-blown pop hits by Britney Spears and Daddy Yankee, his attachment to the song seems to stand on personal ground. It’s either that, or that he might have a different concept of pop music, which would actually make a lot of sense. Now that I reflect upon it, I feel like when I was a kid (and didn't know much English), I used to mumble to many Britney songs, now I find myself doing the same while singing Emilio's anthems in Galician.

The pop Olympian has reconditioned “Febreiro”, and like many directors’ cuts, it gets much deeper into the author’s intent. He gets rid of the opening & inner monologues, to create a high-concept linear song. It’s not the spectacularly promising 15-minute version many of us were salivating for, but it’s the perfect way to give February a closure.



♫♫♫ "Febreiro"

Dadalú - Período

Periodo, Dadalú

Michita Rex, Chile

Rating: 73

by Pierre Lestruhaut


Before listening to Dadalú’s debut album Período, there weren’t many clues as to what to expect from it, but almost everyone agreed it was bound to be special (even if out-of-control). For better or for worst, Daniela Saldias is the kind of individual that can easily jump from style to style, from one genre to the next; in the past, her eclectic spectrum has seen the light of ska, indie rock, rap, electropop, and even stand-up comedy.


After several years of anticipation, and working on other projects (most notably Coléctivo Etéreo), in 2010 the world had its first taste of Dadalú’s solo career, in the form of the absolute killer single "Gracias." A knockout single that in just 3 minutes, proved that Dadalú was succesfully developing a style of her own, far from her work in the past. You could feel an incredible shifting pace in her flow, a stream of consciousness in her rhyming, & the use of jazzy playful melodies to surround her lyrical virtue. And in an extremely uncharasteric fashion for either hip-hop or pop music, Dadalú appeared to be singing to gratitude, as it was said earlier in Club Fonograma: “reuniting her skills and sharp style to put on a modern (and very personal) template of appreciation.”


But now in her debut album Período, she manages to display her palette of influences way beyond the soulful orchestration of the outstanding single. Infectious synth lines, heavy jazzy strings, and dance-pop appeal predominate throughout the album. The idea of condensing such an eclectic array of sounds into one album is compelling, and risky. Yet Dadalú's seldom succeeds at it. For instance her attempts at writing dance-pop anthems works very well in the case of “Brilla”, even if she’s far from the appeal and elegance of the chilean dance-pop juggernauts of 2010 that were Mena and Dënver. But there's also much room for improvement in the composition department; while the nu-jazzy pieces shine, the more ska-ish pieces feel a bit like unnecessary wild fillers (far from the grandiose debut single).



On the other hand, lyrically speaking, with a name like Período, one could expect a bit of female pathology to be pulling the album’s strings. Its first half is indeed driven by the thematics of failure and frustration, like the humorous post-adolescent cry of facing the complications of the real world in “Se necesita vendedora”. And at the same time she loses herself with exhausting rants of confusion and complication - that from a male perspective - I can only guess are probably related to “those days”. But Dadalú succeeds a lot better later on in her joyful portraits of finding your better half in “Brilla” and “Te quiero tanto”. In this last one she refinds the orchestration style of “Gracias”, but now uses it at the service of beautiful pop balladry, weaving the excitement of her declaration of love around the soulful brass melodies that blend in perfectly with her teenage and innocent voice.



An extremely difficult album to categorize, Período ends up being more like Dadalú condensating most of her influences in a 10-track-30-minute record format, than trying to settle on one particular genre or idea. Even if all of her attemps at diversifying this record aren’t as rewarding as we might have expected, it’s still a very compelling concept, and a solid debut in the solo career of a talented singer/rapper/comedian/songwriter with an already considerable body of work.




Featured: Bam Bam - "Ragatrón"


Feature: Bam Bam - "Ragatrón"
Arts & Crafts Mexico

Bam Bam is perhaps, the most lauded and best critically-perceived band hailing from the Nene Records catalog. It was once Monterrey’s best-kept secret, but the band is on its way to conquer a broader audience now that they’re signed under Arts & Crafts (Mexico). Early in 2008, the band released its first self-titled record, which we described as “a consequence of pop music’s transcoding into scattered rock, one that breathes youth and exhales a virtuous shrewd of instrumental & lyrical skill.” This was the moment we recognized the Bam Bam as one of Mexico’s true new great bands. Bam Bam’s landscape-defying rock surprised us and moved us. It also came to reaffirm our skepticism towards other crowd-pleasing Mexican bands (Zoe, Bengala, etc), who despite making honest efforts, were simply not very stimulating.

“Ragatrón” is the leading single off their new record Futura Vía, produced by Bam Bam’s Mou & Martin Thulin. It only takes a second into the song to feel you’re being lifted to a higher ground; it’s a whimsical dance-battle among light, instruments, and electronic swarms. The soundscape in “Ragatrón” is as packed as our galaxy, yet it gravitates with ease among the gas dust, cosmic rays, and all that stellar matter surrounding intergalactic space. And you get to this setting just with the instrumental core. The lyrics narrate a beautiful story; ‘Ragatron’ seems to be the name of a very kind galactic creature/force who invites a ‘lost dreamer’ into a life-changing journey. The time-jumping adventure makes him experience space, glimpse the great extinction (of Dinasours? Humans?), and tells him he is not lost: “no estas perdido, eres lo que falta en la ecuación.”

Video: Bedroom - "Els Nens Soldat"


Ever since Emilio Jose’s Chorando Aprendese became an obsession (and our favorite album of 2009), we’ve kept a close eye on a handful of Spaniard bands that don’t necessarily sing in Spanish (or in English). From the same label that introduced us Emilio Jose, comes another ‘Bedroom’, another interesting band singing in Catalan. Their new album El Fum Blanc is a bit too mellow in its topics, and it’s quite difficult to catch up for those of us who can only grasp a few words because of the language barrier. But images help tremendously, and so they do in this gorgeous clip for “Els Nens Soldat”, where a group of kids take on an adventure at the forest, in the very best of Where the Wild Things Are… but without the cute monsters.

via La Pagina de la Nadadora

MP3: ... al cruzar la calle - "Asuntos Internos"



Linda Sjöquist is an up-and-coming artist from Maracaibo (Venezuela) who performs under the name ‘…al cruzar la calle.’ Although she claims to be just an adolescent dreamer with too much time on her hands and an out-of-tune guitar, her song “Asuntos Internos” says she’s a whole lot more. This song is not even two minutes long, but feels like a colossal response to the eternal dilemma of “what a girl wants.” She’s the owner of a very delicate tiny voice and works with a very limited chest of instruments, but melody-wise, she’s not the least intimidated. It may be a tiny song, but as the FBI-sounding title “Asuntos Internos” suggests, this is giant at heart. She wants someone to kiss, someone to hug, someone who can read her Julio Cortazar poems, and of course, someone to bring her coffee to her bed every morning. Is that too much to ask?


Video: El Columpio Asesino - "Toro"


As ridiculous as it may sound, people who wear dark glasses at night might be the coolest people on earth. El Columpio Asesino’s first single “Toro”, off their new album Diamantes is already a contender for rock song of the year. Video director Virgili Jubero gets inspired by Robert Zemeckis’ Romancing the Stone and Tony Scott’s The Hunger to deliver what’s bound to become the most astounding video you’ll get to see this month, or the next couple of months. If the song already had a gangster-vibe to it, this video romanticizes that vibe in the bodies of two young lovers walking and driving through Paris and Normandie. These bad-ass kids make the day become the night just by walking by; you feel the attraction between them and their surrounding, their dark coats and golden accessories make them shine, and hide some pain as well.

Los Niños Estelares - Tragedias y Esperanzas En Tiempos de Internet

Tragedias y Esperanzas En Tiempos de Internet,
Los Niños Estelares
Independiente, Puerto Rico
Rating: 68

By Carlos Reyes


There are bands that can’t go unnoticed, and then there’s Los Niños Estelares. When we were first introduced to the band, we couldn’t help to think they had escaped from a zoo, or some kind of mental facility (for former intellectuals). In an effort to figure out what was in front of us, we described them as “a Tropical fusion between Calle 13, Tosh.0 and Flight of the Concords.” Many months have passed by us, and we’re still clueless. Any sort of unclassifiable art merits recognition, but when such art allows itself to be appreciated without coming to terms with any genre tags, things tend to get very interesting.

Tragedias y Esperanzas En Tiempos de Internet is the duo’s third release, and their very first short-length. When first approaching this album two things come to mind. First, a critique on their aesthetic disproportion as they’re the owners of one of the worst album covers we’ve seen recently. Second, is my personal agony to try to figure out if these guys are geeks, douchebags, or misunderstood geniuses. It's not particularly bad news, but this new album does very little to resolve my dilemmas. However, this doesn’t change the fact that I’m beginning to appreciate Los Niños Estelares as way more than your average rebels-without-cause, and more as a form of entertainment.

The five tracks on this quirky, genre-defying EP are chapters of social distraction and national destruction. Without falling into the realm of over-sentimentalist ‘theme music’, the EP’s opening track “Cuando Va A Caer La Bomba” tackles on the issue of a new Puerto Rican generation unwilling to compromise their lives to a form of totalitarian government. The 60-day student strike at the University of Puerto Rico resulted in the most significant movement powered by young adults on the island.

As they so explicitly point out, they see poverty as a form of slavery, and eventually have a hard time backing up their humorous argument. Throughout the album they do get very romantic about new media, and that’s where the album’s biggest strengths are (but nowhere near Capullo’s Informatica Romantica Para Avanzados). The rest of the tracks are fun for the most part, “Pari Bus” is particularly charming: who wouldn’t want to become a Party Bus. Also interesting, is their skuzzy cover of “Tatooine” by Jeremy Messersmith, which seems so out there. I won’t give myself another chance to define Los Niños Estelares because certainly, I don’t know. Tragedias y Esperanzas is full of ideas, some are bright, others are more like bad habits… yet again, the duo already knew that.



Video: Joe Crepúsculo - "Tus Cosas Buenas"


Considering CANADA (Spain’s great music video inc) went outside its medium to release the new album by Joe Crepúsculo, we knew we could expect a promising video to go along with such catchy song. In Nuevo Ritmo, the Barcelona pop visionary is exploring the sounds of America (in all of its fragments). The clip directed by Manolo Vasquez starts out with some impressive blaxpoitation titles, and goes on to having Joel Iriarte exploring the hills on a donkey alongside pal Sergio Perez. We were eagerly expecting Wendy Sulca spoof, but we forgive them only because of the cool ponchos. The pair of loopy guys found some gorgeous ladies on the hill, a big twist to The Hills Have Eyes (indeed, more like Charlie Angels).

Remate - Superluv: Por Lo Que Tiene de Romántico

Superluv: Por Lo Que Tiene de Romántico
Remate
Recordings From The Other Side, Spain

Rating: 48

by Andrew Casillas
This will likely go down as one of the shorter reviews in Club Fonograma history, but there’s not really much you can discuss when talking about wallpaper. Now, that’s not a 100% slam on Remate, whose music doesn’t exactly offend the senses. But Superluv, their latest record, comes across as some lo-fi survey of modern indie, without ever giving you the sense of what Remate sounds like.

There are certainly a handful of nice little songs here—“Laurie Allen,” “Gigante,” closer “Estampidas de Caballos”—but the album as a whole plays like the rural cousin of about 1,000 other bands. Fits of chillwave gloss, twee-pop voice cracks, jangly rhythm guitars, faux-European balladry, that hard-to-articulate thing that Triángulo de Amor Bizarro does where they play really loud and abrasively and your blood rushes into your cranium super fast, and other indie signifiers abound across 14 short tracks. It’s important to distinguish that nothing Remate does is really wrong, but there’s little to show that this is more than you could get from a random search on the Hype Machine.

One of our lovely commenters on the site once asked why we review less-than-stellar records. There are plenty of reasons why when the artist is of some renown, but what about in the case of a little-known artist like Remate? Even though this may sound mean, it’s because there are plenty of other little-known artists in the Club Fonograma realm who you should pay great attention to and we love to keep plugging, but when someone makes something that seemingly fits into the fold and doesn’t show its hand in any way, the least we could do is educate and inform. Now let’s go wash out our mouths with that Sonic Youth EP…



Video: Kanaku & El Tigre - "Caracoles"


Peruvian newcomers Kanaku & El Tigre seem to be on their way to become one of this year’s indie-folk standouts. They might just have the right amount of tools, skill, and passion to internationalize their music as some of their fellow compatriots have (Francois Peglau, Resplandor, Turbopotamos). Officially a duo comprised by Bruno Bellatin & Nico Saba, the band makes full-panorama songs with a wide range of instrumental assembly. “Caracoles” is the band’s new great video, and the leading track off their self-titled debut. The clip directed by Mike Stornfelt features a splendid art direction as a group of friends reunite for a meal. And well, one of the friends involved seems annoyed, actually, she's having a little too much fun drinking. She goes on a riot. What follows is a nest of dark humor in the best of British sitcoms (with some blood involved).

Via El Amarill0

MP3: Yellow Yesterday - "Y Es Así"



Yellow Yesterday is the one-man band by Mexico City’s Andres Ibarra Rios, who just unveiled his sophomore EP #2, the follow up to his charming self-titled debut. We liked the first album well enough, but upon first listen, #2 is far more interesting. This time around, he leaves the winter-trip out of the picture; instead, he finds the warmth of sunlight, the complexity of instruments, and the comfort of the Spanish language. This transition is clearly noticeable in “Y Es Así”, a new adaptation of “Choices”, the great highlight from his previous album. The translation is unobtrusive to the catchy melody and production-wise, everything sounds very clean. A clever change of an environment.



#2 is now available for free download over at Bandcamp.





♫♫♫ "Y Es Asi"

Poliedro - La Manifestación





La Manifestación, Poliedro

Independiente, Chile
Rating: 80 ★★★★

by Carlos Reyes


The great sound designers of our time (Raúl Locatelli, Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr, Catriel Vildosola, Guido Bernblum) are ambitious strikers of atmosphere and subsonic corners. Not only do they construct sound storyboards to parallel images, they embrace the 4 walls of cinema, transcribing the power of sound as much as the power of silence as a way to manifest their presence in sound mixing, the score, and the dialogue. In a way, these sound explorers and stylists are great cynics too; you think they’re harmless creative guys who rarely get the credit they deserve, when in reality, they’re embedding themselves into the cinematic soundscape.



The kick-ass album cover of La Manifestación makes the idea of the auteur-technician a reality. If you’re ever at an arthouse and you realize the sound isn’t as crystal-clear as most Hollywood films, realize that burning-sound has an idea behind it. As far as breakthrough albums go, Poliedro’s La Manifestación is the embodiment of those grainy brave ideas comprising a truly great first album. Working with the most stripped-down tools of the lo-fi methods, this new Chilean one-man act has crafted a rainbow-hued EP built from all the corners of sonic complexity. And he does that, through atmospheric lens. Despite all the songs featuring vocals, not one track goes beyond the 16-character word count.



Album opener “Trasladación” is the deciding track on the album; it’s so essential it’s the minute you decide if the entire album goes to the recycle bin or to your pile of 'transcendental potentials.' The track is like a panorama of sounds waking up to the sunlight, just a little more chilled than some of its contemporaries. Jean-Stephane Beriot’s said, “it’s like Devendra Banhart passed out on layers”, while Andrew Casillas points is “like Algodon Egipcio, but veiled in more mystery.” Poliedro takes every piece to a sort of limbo, pushing every piece to its elemental core, and eventually, using those elements in march-like parades. His commanding skills are so insightful; the occasional claps in "Telepth" are like great hugs, and it's hard not to think of "Sweet Home Parade" as a sister redemption song to James Blake's "Limit To Your Love."



The creative intentions and overall execution of four little songs are enough to put Poliedro on the map, and no one can deny his aesthetics and overall art direction could break him into universal appeal. The album’s title suggests the idea of a manifestation; a sign of existence, spiritual appearance, or the materialization of a revelation. Poliedro’s auteur approach to the premise is essential to the album’s triumphant results. If you’ve been connecting the word auteur, with the word artsy throughout this review, you’re probably on the right track. This is no crowd-pleaser by any means; the box champion on that album cover will have as many supporters as detractors.





Como Asesinar Felipes Release U.S. Debut + UFO Fanmade Clip


Colores y Cadaveres is the third record by Chilean jazzy-hip hop act Como Asesinar Felipes. It was quietly released in Chile last December, and we’ve had the hardest time trying to get a hold of it. Unlike any of the new releases in that country, the CAF fans hold a deep romanticism towards the band; in a way to maintain the band in the cult-stream, they secretly keep those album links to themselves. So the news that the band has been signed by San Francisco-based label Koolarrow comes as great news for the rest of us, especially now that they're confirmed to perform at Lollapalooza Chile. The label (founded by Faith No More’s Billy Gould) will release the new album soon; in the meantime, they’re distributing their splendid 2009 record Un Disparo Al Centro, out next week (digitally-only). Here is a fanmade clip for the title track, featuring footage from Gerry Anderson’s UFO.

MP3: Vírgenes Violadoras - "Calles de Fuego Azul"


If the band’s name Vírgenes Violadoras isn’t enough to grab your attention, maybe a sexy illustration of a voluptuous nun will. Either way, you’re up for a very good treat, but you already know anything tastes better when there’s sin involved. Virgenes Violadoras is a new name to many of us, but it’s actually one of Ecuador’s most celebrated indie acts. They’re releasing a new album named Lado V later this year and have unveiled a track for free download. The first seconds of “Calles de Fuego Azul” outlined a very steady track, but something that you would expect from a band in the 90s. We found straightforward rock’s simplicity complicated, but if you got it, you got it. They don’t make good principal-rock songs like this anymore. In an age where we’re bombarded with fuzzy & lo-fi rock, the elemental is refreshing.

Download the song for the exchange of an email address at Bandcamp.


Video: Joe Volume & The Shot o'Clock - "Oh Lord!"


We’ve never heard a full album by Joe Volume, but in our IndieAlt bubble, it’s almost impossible to dismiss his weekly controversies. Yes, trouble seems to find him and he’s probably contributing to it. These personality traits however, don’t change the fact he is a rock stallion. Video editor turned director Mauricio Coy directs Joe Volume’s very first video “Oh Lord!”, the promotional single from his latest record The Shameless. The band’s fuzzy and frenzy punk is the soundtrack to a morbid and unsteady sequence. It’s midnight and a camera spots a creature behind a tree, it’s a girl – she runs-, let’s chase it. If you were to take my word-by-word description you could easily dismiss the clip as another punishing sexist clip, but if you’re a follower of the genre, you probably know ‘The Chase’ could go beyond that. Here they make things a bit more interesting by desexualizing the clip, and placing religious accessory on the girl (he goes for the cross, not her body), who knows, perhaps she’s in need of an exorcism and they’re just trying to help.

MP3: DeMentira feat. Fakuta - "Día y Hora"


Chilean beatmakers DJ Vaskular and DJ DeMentira have launched the new electronic netlabel Discos Pegaos, promising great new music with the nostalgia of old-school Hip Hop. De Mentira’s Chimpance EP is one of the label’s first releases. If you’re a fan of the pop structure, this album will be a hard shell to break into; if in the other hand, you get along with high-tech layers, you might just find yourself swimming all along. There is however, a great track that would appeal to both cases, the whirling “Dia y Hora”, featuring Fakuta.

When listening to this song, I can’t help but imagine a corner in Santiago with all the guys and the girls dressing bomber jackets, C&J Clark shoes, and Jheri Curls. Ok, before you put me on the spot for stereotyping the 80s sportswear & Hip Hop culture, I have to say all that style also reminds me of my Greek Mythology 100-level courses, and that’s major swag.

Video: La Bien Querida - "Hoy"


The anticipation leading towards La Bien Querida's first album Romancero (Elefant/Nacional) was a true phenomenon, one of those weird moments where music fans and journalists practice a form of voyeurism. Since its release, Romancero has flourished into a pop masterpiece; its follower Fiesta will see the commercial light next month and although she doesn't need to prove her hype anymore, everyone is afraid she might have raised the bar a bit too high with her debut. "Hoy" is the album's first single and it doesn't disappoint. Melodically, it's nowhere near the catchy "De Momento Abril" or "9.6", but she's reinforcing the wall of sound through a ghostly experience. Music director Luis Cervero hits a homerun once again, with a fantasy/sci-fi video as pretty as Ana's dog sweater. Also, make sure you stick around for the jam session.

Varios Artistas - CUU Desde El Espacio

CUU Desde El Espacio, Varios Artistas

CUU Desde El Espacio, Mexico

Rating: 69

By Carlos Reyes



Chihuahua is the largest and most violent state of the Mexico; it’s not a big surprise to find out most of its bands process such imagery through the most reddish, psychedelic, and neo-folkloric senses. CUU Desde El Espacio is Chihuahua’s most distinguished music collective, also the home of some of Mexico’s weirdest and most alienating music. The label is primarily ran by Andres Murilllo, better known by CF readers as Sr. Amable; he has collaborated in four Fonogramaticos, including a wonderful cover for Mr. Racoon’s “Pussygrama” in Nosotros Los Rockers.



CUU Desde El Espacio is the name of the label’s very first sampler, but it’s so meticulously constructed, it could be called a compilation. A total of 18 bands were summoned, and while the result may not translate into the most easy album to digest, it’s a terrific example of music as a lifestyle, and as a brotherhood. Almost every band on the album pushes the boundaries of the psychedelic, some succeed, and others not so much. It’s remarkable to find a compilation where Sr. Amable is the most accessible act in the bunch; his track “Nel Pastel” is submissive to its melody without subordinating the power of the elemental. Other highlights include Gay Duo’s ultra-progressive “Justin Our Favorite Dancer”, Manati’s psychotic “iPunk”, and the self-defining “Gorgeous” by El Gil. About half of the album is terribly alienating and too lo-fi to resonate with the common ear. There are probably many theme layers to this compilation that can only be understood by the bands themselves, and maybe the residents of Chihuahua. If anything, this album’s community demographic succeeds in sorting out a method to find escapism through a creative & secretive alliance.



New Single: Los Macuanos - "Ritmo de Amor"



Los Macuanos are still cooking what will become their debut LP, but that doesn’t stop them from performing at this year’s SXSW. The band that was originally comprised by Moises Horta and Moises Lopez, and they’ve added new member Reuben Torres as they’re reinforcing their highly stylized ruidoson. They’ve released a couple of songs on our compilations, but “Ritmo de Amor” is officially, their first single-release. We’ve been listening to this track for a while now, but the finished product is a stunner; it’s a paradise of catchiness, a weird Mexican definition of what ‘rhythm of love’ would sound like. The trio has kept the ghostly aesthetic on this one, sounding more nostalgic than ever.



Two analog mediums come to mind when listening to this song: AM Radio and ‘El Canal de las Estrellas.’ It’s as if they were transmitting rituals through a dusty antenna, from Tijuana to the world. The song’s intro is an extract from the infamous Catalina Creel, if you’re a Telenovela fan you’ll know her, if you aren’t, just know she is one of the most evil characters the world has ever seen, she even has an eye patch. The single has been released through Coco Bass, along with some spectacular remixes by Sheeqo Beat, Pedro Infame, Collateral Soundtrack, among others.





♫♫♫ "Ritmo de Amor"

Video: Yo! Linares - "Cocktail"


Regardless of their formless noise, Yo! Linares’s debut is one of our most anticipated rock albums this year. A few months ago we reinstated our love towards the band via Twitter, sharing their anthem “Unos Amigos, Unos Vatos, Unos Güeyes”; the infectious title is so appealing, our followers from other countries replied with their own slant (“Unos panas, unos shamos, unos cholos…”), but as usual, 140-character rule killed the word-chain. The band is looking for that level of circular response on their new single “Cocktail”, which they’ve just made available for open download. The rock-maze and spiral noise are back, as well as the exciting in-group roars that usually come up near the end of their songs. This is the most psychedelic release Happy-Fi has released in years, the song is a blast, and bonus points for the teleporting video.

Download "Cocktail" HERE.

MP3: La Valiente Muchachada - "La misma mierda que todos acá"



A collective sacrifice as means of artistic expression sounds like a reasonable option during one’s youth; it speaks of bravery, and civil responsibility. Buenos Aires-based emerging band La Valiente Muchachada is making poignant responses to such “brave youth” in the form of songs, and they’re not as uplifting as your probation worker/academic advisor would want them to be.


“La Misma Mierda Que Todos Aca” is a social misfit and also, a deliciously cynical redemption. The song’s combusting entrance is like the tragic aftermath of a violent protest, where good intentions quickly cross to the other line. In the song, the kids respond in a politically-correct manner, but also ask for excuse themselves for “being as shit as everybody else.” La Valiente Muchachada is barely growing into its talents, but definitely add them to the list of exciting new bands redefining Argentinean rock this year.




Ricky Martin - Música + Alma + Sexo

Música + Alma + Sexo, Ricky Martin
Sony U.S. Latin, Puerto Rico
Rating: 48
by Blanca Méndez


Ricky Martin seems genuinely happy and at peace with the world these days, and I’m glad. I just wish he hadn’t gone all Zen life coach on us. We don’t need any more pop stars telling us to not be afraid to fly, especially not on an album titled Musica + Alma + Sexo. I miss the Vuelve-crossover era Ricky Martin who was a dynamic performer that could redeem even the most ridiculous of songs (see: “Shake Your Bon-Bon”) with sheer showmanship. This new Ricky Martin, though he may be fulfilled, is a straight up yawn.

For a few seconds, “Tu y Yo” sounds promising. The soft reverb and slow-burning vocals in the beginning hint at the possibility of a thoughtful morning after serenade, but the song ends up becoming a power ballad and ruining a moment on the album that could have been great. The yearning trumpet at the end is the icing on the overkill cake. The latest single to be released, “The Best Thing About Me Is You,” (featuring Joss Stone, for some reason) sends out some serious round the campfire Kumbaya vibes, with laughable lyrics and an equally laughable celebrate humanity-type video to accompany it.

Of the more upbeat songs, not one is a surefire club hit or devoid of some sort of “empowering” message. Album opener “Mas” features some clumsy, almost gimmicky Spanglish that leads into a chorus that is a lackluster attempt to recapture the magic of “The Cup of Life,” and “Shine” is a pretty standard dance track. Despite its mediocrity, “Shine” managed to worm its way into my heart solely on the strength of its star imagery. The album also includes two versions of “Frio.” The second, featuring Wisin y Yandel, I could have done without. The addition of the duo is superfluous and makes an otherwise sultry song a bit off-putting. Their brash and abrasive verse, while it isn’t particularly offensive outside of the fact that it’s lyrically and musically awful, still feels vulgar next to Martin’s smooth vocals. Also troubling about this song is that it is a love song to a woman. This album, that's all about preaching tolerance, was Martin's opportunity to step outside of the heteronormative framework, and it’s disappointing that he didn’t do that.

The album’s standout track is definitely “Te Busco y Te Alcanzo.” It doesn’t stand out for being particularly better than the rest, but for being really, really creepy. I never considered the line between love and infatuation to be a fine one, but it seems like in the realm of music, the border between these two concepts is hazy. Just think back to Blondie’s “One Way or Another” or Bee Gees’ “Nights on Broadway,” (that Bee Gees reference was strictly for my mother) and tell me those songs aren’t scary. Martin follows in these sinister footsteps with “Te Busco y Te Alcanzo,” telling the object of his desire “te quiero en mis brazos, sentirte temblando” and “te escondes de mi, pero al fin no te vas a salvar.” If someone writes you a love song like this, they will probably end up killing you.

Aside from that bizarre track, the album feels like a hippie beginner’s guide. Peace and love and all that good stuff that doesn’t really make for good music. But you can’t help but feel that Martin’s new free spirit image is completely sincere. He truly believes that he can “shine brighter than a rain of falling stars,” and I have to give him props for committing to what he believes in. That still doesn’t change the fact that Musica + Alma + Sexo should probably be repackaged in audio book format and sold in the self-help section at Barnes & Noble.

Festival Nrmal: Las Robertas, Juan Cirerol, Chikita Violenta, and a bunch of Club Fonograma favorites

Festival Nrmal was one of the two fests that had every indie blog buzzing about the city of Monterrey last year. The much more hyped about MtyMX is apparently getting redesigned in some way or another. But we heard nothing but positive feedback from the Nrmal 2010 attendees, and the two-stage fest is going on the right direction. They’ve unveiled an exciting lineup for this year, to take place on March 12.

There are far less international acts performing this year, but they’ve done an excellent job recruiting some of Mexico’s most exciting new bands. Among the most exciting names in the bunch are the appearances of Juan Cirerol y Martin del Prado Jr., Hypnomango and Piyama Party. Also, Costa Rica’s Las Robertas will be doing a double-shift as they’re also set to perform at SXSW.

The fest has made a great mixtape featuring 18 of the bands performing, download it HERE. Click on the poster to see the full lineup (She's a Tease, Chikita Violenta, Bam Bam, Los Amparito, and a whole lot of ClubFonograma favorites).

Featured: Campo - "1987" (Roundabouts)



Campo – “1987” (Roundabouts)

Independiente, Uruguay



My iTunes has about a dozen songs titled “1987” and I really like them all, it might be because that was the year I was born. I’ve never done a thorough research on this particular year, but I know Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Player” was the zeitgeist. Uruguayan ‘newcomers’ Campo were also inspired by it, and have made it the first taste of many great things to come for the new band by Juan Campodonico. Campo made our Bands to Watch list for two things; first, Campodonico’s stamp of quality, and second, because we’re deeply in love with “1987” (Roundabouts).



Campo defines its sound as “subtropical music” and they get it right; “1987” sounds like Gorillaz doing a Cuban bolero. This is an all-around song that gets into your skin quickly. It takes me back to middle school, where an afternoon of skating, discoball, and your first love seemed like true paradise. “1987” is a consequence of the new global pop tradition, where extreme corners find themselves through subtle fusion. This track slides so easily you get the impression your listening to funk music, but you if you dig deep into it, it’s actually a very dark and depressing track looking for some light: “I’m hearing that sound, you’re getting much closer, my eyes are shut.”



This version of “1987” (Roundabouts) is still a demo and won’t be included on the actual album. For the production of Campo’s debut (out later this year), Campodonico teamed up with his Bajofondo partner Gustavo Santaolalla (you know him), and Joe Chiccarelli, (who has worked with The Strokes, The Shins & The White Stripes). The final version of “1987” will be in Spanish and it will feature Jorge Drexler.

Video: Armoniacida - "Amor Caribe"


Armoniacida is the moniker of Mexican beatmaker Leon Bonilla. His music pool techniques can easily be confused with those of Los Amparito or Mexican Institute of Sound, and also to the scratchy and obtrusive methods of Girl Talk and Panda Bear. Tropic-All (Mexico’s nu-folkloric netlabel) will be releasing his EP tentatively titled Amor, Palmeras y Glitch. The EP’s leading track “Amor Caribe” has a nice self-made video that utilizes the ‘mirror’ effect exceptionally. The Guadalajara-based act is looking for harmony, and he finds it through audiovisual texture. If you’re eyeballs aren’t too delicate and you enjoy the great visual goodies of Dan Deacon or De Janeiros, this cinematic pastiche is definitely for you.

MP3: Arcángel feat. Daddy Yankee - "Panamiur" (Official Remix)



If you haven’t figured it out by now, if there’s anyone in Reggaeton we really care about is Arcángel. Many still question our fixation with the rising star, but musically, it’s pretty simple to us. Once in a while, he puts out incredible singles; the kind that makes us hopeful for the genre, and the kind that refresh Latin Pop mainstream radio. He released his flawed but transitory Optimus A.R.C.A. mixtape last November, promising to come back this year with an album superior to his excellent La Maravilla. Honestly, we’re not anticipating it as much as The Carter IV, but the fact he realizes he has not given his best work lately is a good sign.



In the meantime, he has started 2011 magnificently, giving us an optimized version of “Panamiur”, the best Reggaeton single in many months. Arcángel and Daddy Yankee are becoming regular collaborators and this remix is burning hot. Both, guys are still sexists, (“Si estas enferma, baby tengo tu cure”) and that’s still a bit irritating (but never as irritating as “Danza Kuduro”). Musically, it doesn’t step away from any of the genre’s elements, but the execution and over-the-top lyricism are enough to discard this as just a guilty pleasure.






♫♫♫ "Panamiur"

MP3 + Video: Los Migues - "A Vos No Te Importa Nadie" + "Amarillo" (Coldplay Cover)



We knew a lot of people would find Los Migues’ “A Vos No Te Importa Nadie” enchanting, especially you dog owners; apparently, everyone who has downloaded Juventud Bruta is in love with the song, even the people we suspected to hate it. The song is so sticky it can easily be compared to Papa Topo’s “Oso Panda”, which now probably has more detractors than admirers. What has made this song pass its novelty phase is its close-to-the-heart warmth; we should’ve realized you love your pets as much as we love ours.



“A Vos No Te Importa Nadie” tells the story of a highly energetic dog that has to stay tied up for his misconduct. This touching story is accompanied by an equally sad composition, comprised by lo-fi riffs, claps, and some depressing (but catchy) strings. The dog’s name is “Ranchito” and if you’ve been following our compilations, you might realize that same dog was also mentioned on our ninth compilation El Silencio No Nos Matara. To make the story short, Los Migues is the exact same band as La Ola Que Queria Ser Chau; they even sound almost exactly the same. Yes, it’s confusing and it doesn’t make much sense to work under two different names, but we got to realize these kids are still playing around. Actually, Migue, the mastermind behind both bands plays in a few other bands, but let’s not make a food chain out of it.



Los Migues made our Top 10 as one of our Bands to Watch this year, but their future is uncertain. These Argentinean youngsters have realized that is much easier to keep just a single profile, and they’re putting every ounce of energy into La Ola Que Queria Ser Chau (good call). So while we might not hear anything new from Los Migues in a while, you can download more than 50 songs on their MySpace, most of them are disposable demos, but there are a few homeruns in the bunch, including this charming Spanish language cover of Coldplay’s “Yellow”, oh yes…. “y esta todo amarillo.”




Jessy Bulbo - Telememe

Telememe, Jessy Bulbo
Independiente, Mexico

Rating: 83

by Jean-Stephane Beriot


A few years ago during the MySpace golden age, a hot punk girl showed her panties to the world, as you would assume, she got herself a few millions of profile views. But once you actually send her a friend request, she would respond back with an automatic message celebrating the new friendship with an excerpt from Timbiriche’s “Somos Amigos.” This is the kind of personality switch that makes Jessy Bulbo such an interesting character in Latin Rock, many have not realized it yet, but nowadays, she is Latin Rock’s most talented lady. In 1998 Julieta Venegas and Ely Guerra appeared on TIME magazine’s cover as the publication announced the surfacing of the ‘Era of the Rockera’, if TIME was to recreate the cover today, Bulbo should be leading the pack.

Jessy Bulbo won our hearts since her very first album; the production of Saga Mama (2007) was almost damaging to the human ear, but was still a treasure. Taras Bulba (2009) was just something else; an uncontrollable and alarming vindication of what rock&roll is all about. No Jessy Bulbo fan desires for her to sound mature, but she has found the concept of roundness on her new album Telememe, and if you’ve ever imagine rock music in the form of cylinders and round corners, this record makes the concept a reality. But don’t worry; none of the songs in the album are set on templates, she’s still carries the girl-next-door quality in her unpolished persona, and in her composition.

The album’s opener “Permanentemente” rolls just by reading the title, and it’s astonishing to see just how cleverly the whole band picks up melody through great step-by-step sequencing. If for whatever reason you’re still not convinced about the polished sound, the concept of roundness or her improvement as a storyteller, take a careful listen to “Jaslo Casvie 1” and “Jaslo Casvie 2”, which are essentially the same piece but with a different cookie cutter. The self-defining track has a great cycling wordplay that hides the words “viejas locas” with the much more sophisticated-sounding ‘Jaslo Casvie.’

First single “La Cruda Moral” showcases her status as a crowd-pleasing artist, who can also deliver guilty personal songs. This is a sort of homage to Mexican urban storyteller Chava Flores, and that’s beyond challenging. Yes, she’s known for her eclectic music taste and for adapting well to just about any genre (ok, except for that Tego Calderon cover), but story-wise, she isn’t the brightest narrator out there. The true advancement between Taras Bulba and Telememe is the straightforward narrative. In “Belzebu” she stops singing for a bit to instead, tell the story through a very touching monologue, and that, along with “Flores y Frutos”, is the real nakedness on the album.

Telememe is a round record, perhaps the first Jessy Bulbo that actually feels complete. The album cover outlines the album’s roundness, and as it suggests, she seems to have found a sense of absolute freedom (as you can see, she’s comfortable enough to get naked on it). She once again, teamed up with Martin Thulin to produce one of the year’s best rock records (and our first ‘Destacado’ tag of the year). Some may argue she has subordinated the punk elements that predominated her last records, but she has rather, evolved them into something just a little more polished (something Steve Jobs would know about). Not too many people are discovering her music through MySpace anymore, she's rather getting 'flagged' on Facebook for her nakedness... adjusting to the times.



Video: Maifersoni - "Nómade"



Maifersoni’s form-defying debut Telar Deslizante is one of the albums that set the tone of the Michita Rex catalogue last year. Chilean electronic guru Enrique Elgueta is a craftsman of all sorts and has the receptivity of a videomaker. It’s not a huge surprise to see his name on the video credits of “Nómade”, which is also his most accessible track yet. The elements of South American folklore Maifersoni embeds into his music is remarkable, and even if you’re unaware of them, the lyrics will get you there. The video’s blurry editing and colorful transcoding capture the track’s beauty (I’ve always imagined it as the collapsing sound of an old train). While “Nomade” combusts in texture and sonic tissue, the visual confounded elements & the animation come in, adding up to a South American folkloric experience, a truly visual ecstasy.


Prietto Viaja Al Cosmos Con Mariano Covers Leonard Cohen - "Hey, esa no es forma de decir adiós"


Hopefully you haven’t forgotten about Prietto Viaja Al Cosmos Con Mariano, one of our favorite Argentinean bands whose groundbreaking 2008 self-titled debut is still haunting us. The duo’s ghostly nostalgia in “AV Corrientes”, gave the song the tag of an instant classic; it was perhaps the most internationalized (within the indie boundaries) Argentinean rock song of the past decade. The band still has more fans in Mexico than anywhere else, and they’re hoping to make a comeback with a double album to be released later this year. Because of Prietto’s dusty and down-to-earth habits, a double disc doesn’t seem like a great idea, but the four tracks they’ve unveiled on bandcamp have us drooling for more.

We’re especially enchanted with “Hey, esa no es forma de decir adiós”, where they seem to have achieved a signature sound. The song is of course, a Spanish language cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye.” Many still question the lazy vocals and the new fans often ask if there’s a language barrier with the singer and the content, there isn’t, it’s just a peculiar vocal styling (that we happen to find timid, but calming).

Video: Matias Aguayo - "Ritmo Juarez"


Matias Aguayo has yet to announce any details of his next album, so it’s a good thing he keeps juicing up his excellent 2009 record Ay Ay Ay. Aguayo, who still resides in Buenos Aires and Paris, has maintained himself pretty occupied doing workshop for his Comeme collective. The label has not fully exploded its talent (which it has plenty of), but it’s already earning a privileged spot as one of Latin American ultimate sources for minimal & techno. Under the scope of video director Julia Kasprzak (who also directed Rebolledo’s “Guerrero”), Aguayo dances to “Ritmo Juarez”, one of his album’s most infectious songs. The background has plenty of color (all drawings by Aguayo himself), and shows an army of Matias Aguayos coordinating moves with his exciting tribal vocals.

Quiero Club - "Qué hacer en caso de oír voces"


While the guys from Quiero Club craft their much-anticipated third LP, they’re doing a fine job staying on the cream of the crop through the release of ‘freeload’ single releases. They put out two of the best pop singles of 2010 (“Musica” & “Las Propiedades del Cobre”) and they’ve just released their latest single, “Qué hacer en caso de oír voces.” The release includes remixes by Cesar Gudino, DaPuntoBeat, Disco Ruido, Inide Union and NSM PSM.

The Monterrey band has found itself a new home, Mexico City, nowadays, seems like one of the only relatively Narco-free zones of the country. But the Quiero Club’s sensibilities don’t seem to have been altered by the change of scenery, this new track is a comforting celebration for those moments where the simple, and extraordinary, get a bit too overwhelming to handle.

“QHECDOV” is obscure on in its title, the music in it is confronting and ultimately, as uplifting as Quiero Club’s picture-ready symmetrical formation. They’ve always shown commitment to anthem-striking songs, and this new baby is one of them. The eclecticism and melodic richness of the song showcase a band that realizes and embraces music possibilities. It’s not as immediately catchy as the previous singles, but it’s easily one of the best songs you’ll hear this month, and the next few months. Download HERE.









Video: Single - "Fotos"


“Fotos” is the second promotional single out of Monologo Interior, the latest record from Spain’s most glamorous duo Single, comprised by Teresa Iturrioz and Ibon Errazkin. We’ve always described Tere as an enchanting dame, and this new clip directed by Miguel Gutierrez comes to reaffirm such description. We get to see her shine on a few dozen dresses (and some eccentric hairstyles), and seriously, you could actually pause the video at any frame and hang the still directly into your wall. No award show had this caliber of textile sophistication or posture, and the video’s flashy conduct parallels the flapping of a photo album, beautiful.

Disco Ruido - Sistema Solar


Sistema Solar, Disco Ruido
EMI, Mexico
Rating: 79
by Carlos Reyes


Two years ago Disco Ruido broke a few bandwidth accounts (ours included) with their viral-hit “Mrs. Love”; a catchy track that sampled The Beatles’ “You Know My Name,” and a slice of pop-heaven you would never expect to come from a Mexican band. Ever since, the lines between the hype and the actual qualities of the band have been questioned, mostly because of the lack of material (although their remixes have been a knockout after another). While a great single was enough to reveal the aura of talent (and was strong enough to get them to perform at Vive Latino), the arrival of an actual album would be the ultimate arbitrator for this Mexico City quintet. After a distribution deal with EMI, and a top-notch production by DR's own Julián Placencia, their much-anticipated debut LP Sistema Solar has finally seen the light, and at least half of it is quite stunning.

Sistema Solar coats its concept with a delirious preoccupation to strike at the dancefloor, but to limit its senses with a ‘dance record’ tag would be an understatement. Even if it has every drop of Mexican-import potential, it wouldn’t be just for its disco overhauls; Sistema Solar has real emotional connection, within its narratives you can feel an understanding of ‘in-between’ feelings and even better, degrees of music detailing. Leading single “Amorfos” is a heartfelt jam so pretty it hurts. Singer Mercedes Nasta has a peculiar voice, equally nasal as Macy Gray’s and as slim as Dolly Parton’s. Here were transported to a sort of intergalactic escape, falling into a black hole doesn’t seem that tragic after all.

Disco Ruido’s crowd-pleasing appeal is clearly seen in the potentially upcoming single “Go Twisters”, the obvious promo track if the album was to break into international proportions (would work great with both, the Gwen Stefani and Robyn crowds). This is an alerting, quick-moving dance track that could easily be the accompanying track to a Wachowski Bros’ car chase. They get melancholic in “Prisma”, which has the structure of a cabaret number, but strangely sounds like a Regional Mexican song. The album’s assembly is said to be centered around the acidic and slow-burning “Sol”, and that would make sense, lyrically, it's the most accomplished track in the record.

The album’s aesthetics and titles outline Sistema Solar as sonic survey of the stars and outer space beauty, but it’s far more anthropological on its actual execution. This servicing contradiction actually hurts the album’s most submissive tracks, particularly on the second half of the album (well, except for the splendid 4-wall defying "Morfeo"). The narrative in the second half is isolating and off-putting, but it’s refreshing to see a band capable of upgrading fundamentals and manipulating sound so audaciously. Considering the band is set to release a video for every song in the track, the conceptual recipe is still missing some ingredients, but the great tracks in Sistema Solar, are jaw dropping and all-revealing, and that’s just might be what we need to start polishing this very promising 2011.

MP3: Matilda Manzana - "Hojarazca"



Is it possible to sound more fragile than jj or Prehistoricos? Apparently, you can, or at least that’s the realization you make when listening to up-and-coming light-folk act Matilda Manzana. This is the solo project of Oscar Rodriguez, a young kid from Mexico City who accurately describes what he’s doing as “a type of sonorous movement”, where he is the dreamer, and the manipulator. Like some of the brassy songs by Atlas Sound or Balún, “Hojarazca” is a timid song, but beneath all that apprehension is love song on its way to finding strength. His music is beautifully delicate and quite naïve, yet Rodriguez’s symphonic abilities and responsiveness carry him from the naïve, to the sublime.



Video: Juan Cirerol - "Toque y Rol"


Juan Cirerol's video for "Toque y Rol" has been out for almost a year now (way before the album), but considering we can't seem to stop listening to his debut Ofrenda a Mictlan, and that this song wraps up our latest compilation Juventud Bruta, it seems like a good spot to finally embed it into our blog. It's only two minutes long, but has to be one of the most charismatic, most revealing, and overall complete tracks we've heard in recent memory. Cirerol's wordplay between rock&roll and 'rolling' smokes set the conditions for a song in-action; here is a multi-dimensional song that literally rolls by itself. The clip directed by 'Txema Novelo' glimpses into the lives of two lovers from the province taking on the monster of Mexico City. Taking a break for a smoke has never been as beautiful.

New Dënver, Piyama Party & Balún in Plásticos y Etéreos



Spain’s Revista Plastica put out a stellar 10-track compilation last week, it’s titled Plásticos y Etéreos and is up for free download via Bandcamp. The virtual magazine focuses its content on the music made in Latin America and Spain. The comp features some very well known faces (Balún, Dënver, Los Negretes) and most exciting, a handful of bands completely unknown to us. Particularly the apparently newcomers Pegasvs, whose “La Melodia del Afilador” gets you straight to the bone. It carries what we would now call ‘the new great Spaniard rock flair’, a sort of left-field progression of rock&roll, almost satanically conceived by bands like Triangulo de Amor Bizarro and El Columpio Asesino.

But the real high point on the album arrives at the end of the compilation, with Piyama Party delivering one of the best songs in their career. “Bandas de Chicas” could be a picture of the times, embracing the reawakening of all-girl bands (Aias, Las Robertas, Ruido Rosa), but it’s a lot more. The composition of the music is frenetically rhythmic and revelatory, while the lyrics speak of the physicality of rock&roll & the sexiness of the guitar, and how everything seems to upgrade to a new level of seduction when it’s the girls rocking the stage.

Video: Afrodita - "Flores Para Ti" + ACLM Winners



Aside from managing Club Fonograma, I also have some administrative duties with the ACLM (La Asociación de Críticos en Línea de México), a selective group of film critics, bloggers, scholars & cinephiles that every year, celebrates Mexican cinema. The Academy Awards are fooling you, Biutiful was not the best Mexican film of 2010, actually, I'm not convinced it's a good film at all. But as always, we recognize every democratic organization for what it's worth (and it's a matter of taste after all). Out of the 44 Mexican commercial releases, the ACLM highlights Michael Rowe's first film Año Bisiesto, as the year's authentic cinematic treasure.
"La soledad consumidora y acompañante de una mujer en crisis, es el despampanante debut de Michael Crowe. Sexualmente violento, enternecedor al mas no poder, el retrato intimista de una vida que en su caída, empieza a retoñar." (Carlos Reyes, Dossier Cinéphiles Cine-Files 2010)
The film produced by Machete Producciones & IMCINE, also took the recognitions for Directing, Debut Film, Actress (Monica del Carmen), Sound and Original Song. This last prize is particularly exciting as it went to Club Fonograma-favorite Afrodita, who battled out the category with the likes of Julieta Venegas (Abel), Hello Seahorse!'s LoBlondo (Hidalgo) and Pare de Sufrir w/ Ruben Albarran (Los Ultimos Heroes de la Peninsula). Previous winners in this category include Emmanuel del Real, Chetes, and Devendra Banhart.


Full list of winners, HERE.



ACLM Winners - Best Film
2007: Stellet Licht (Carlos Reygadas)
2008: Parpados Azules (Ernesto Contreras)
2009: Intimidades de Shakespeare y Victor Hugo (Yulene Olaizola)
2010: Año Bisiesto (Michael Rowe)


ACLM Best Mexican Films of 2010
01. Año Bisiesto (Michael Rowe)
02. El Infierno (Luis Estrada)
03. Norteado (Rigoberto Perezcano)
04. Rabia (Sebastian Cordero)
05. Abel (Diego Luna)
06. Biutiful (Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu)
07. Vaho (Alejandro Gerber)
08. Chicogrande (Felipe Cazals)
09. Las Buenas Hierbas (Maria Novaro)
10. Somos Lo Que Hay (Jorge Michel Grau)


ACLM Best International Films of 2010 (by Mexican release date)
01. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, Austria)
02. Hunger (Steven MQueen, UK)
03. The Social Network (David Fincher, USA)
04. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow, USA)
05. A Serious Man (Coen Bros. USA)
06. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard, France)
07. La Teta Asustada (Claudia Llosa, Peru)
08. El Secreto de Sus Ojos (Juan Jose Campanella, Argentina)
09. The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo (Niels Arden Oplev)
10. Inception (Christopher Nolan)