Club FonoGRAMMYS - Best Alternative Song

Los nominados al #grammylatino @astrosonidoespa 🌈🌈🌈🌈

A photo posted by JAVIERA 🌹 (@javieramena) on Sep 25, 2015 at 3:39pm PDT

Finally, after years of twisting Carlos's arm, Club Fonograma presents it's First Annual Latin Grammy coverage! Join a few of the crew as we give our thoughts on various categories. And, if you're catching this early, hang around our Twitter account during showtime as Andrew Casillas provides real-time analysis of presenters' hairstyles and identifies which performers sweat more than Patrick Ewing. So without further ado, let's kick off the 2015 Club FonoGRAMMYS!

Category 1: Best Alternative Song

Famasloop — "Allí Estás"

Astro — "Caribbean"

Natalia Lafourcade — "Hasta la Raíz"

El Cuarteto de Nos — "No Llora"

Javiera Mena — "Otra Era"

Zé Garcia: The Alt Record of the Year category shows the expanding spectrum of the Academy's considerations. On the (as expected) terrible end, we have Venezuela's Famasloop with "Allí Estás." Clearly, we can think of dozens of recordings more deserving than what sounds like background music for a Comcast commercial.  El Cuarteto de Nos is not as terrible as the Febreeze pop of "Allí Estás" but "No Llora" is still pretty annoying. Visually, "No Llora" channels the work of Kraft Mac & Cheese commercials complete with cute (read: obnoxious) child. The "Gloria Estefan-but-on-acid" bros of Astro also land a nomination with the pretty cool "Caribbean," but clearly one of our girls is taking home that prize and it's probably the recording industry's darling, Natalia Lafourcade. Yes, "Hasta La Raiz" is clearly one of the finest recordings of the last year, a song whose poetry and strings measure up to the word "epic." But it's going up against "Otra Era," one of the best songs of this young century. "Otra Era," our pick for 2014's best song, would probably land the top stop in a Club Fonograma mid-decade's best list. And why shouldn't it? "Otra Era" is sublime. It contemplates empires--a time-space pop gem composed of an ulterior reggaeton beat, the urge of a disco house piano, and a final climax that sounds like a doomsday siren. Mena's vocals get pitch shifted into a malformed future in the song's final moments and the effects are both terrifying and exhilarating. The transcendent quality of "Otra Era" has the ability to drive a perceptive listener to tears- a recording to match a beautiful & tragic existential crisis.

Andrew Casillas: I legit lol'd at your comment that "Allí Estás" sounding like a Comcast ad. I mean, you can't be mad at El Cuarteto de Nos sneaking in here--I mean, there are way worse dinosaur bands getting Latin Grammy nods. By the way, when did "Caribbean" become Astro's breakthrough? DID NO ONE LISTEN TO "DIMENSIÓN SUPREMA?!" That song's got bars, son. So yeah, it comes down to the CF darlings Natalia and Javiera. I think we can agree that "Otra Era's" mere presence is a legitimate win for the 21st century Chilean pop monolith. And it's certainly the most innovative song in the category. But I'm not 100% certain that "Hasta la Raiz" isn't the better song. I may prefer "Otra Era" as a whole, but Natalia Lafourcade's spent an entire career working her craft to make something as instant and delicate as "Hasta la Raiz." And let's take a minute to understand how difficult it probably was to craft something like that. Is it her best song? No. But is it something worth giving an award to? Damn right.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Javiera Mena, "Otra Era"
WHO WILL WIN: Natalia Lafourcade, "Hasta la Raíz"

Astro - Chicos de la Luz

Chicos de la Luz, Astro
Nacional Records, Chile
Rating: 85
by Sam Rodgers

Sometimes the evolution of artists is noticeably fed by their influences: genre hopping from album to album or song to song. Other times, an artist 'matures' into their own recognizable sound: auteurs which are invariably marked by a sound that listeners had either rejected or accepted wholeheartedly from the outset. So while Astro's debut EP contained heavy distorted guitars, as on the hit "Maestro Distorsión," and used electronic sound effects sparingly amongst the otherwise four piece standard, it was Andrés Nusser's distinct vocals and knack for unpredictable, but catchy, melodies that elevated the band from their peers. And so this separation continued with Astro - their first LP - which was loaded with ideas, and songs keeping within the traditional 3-4 minute pop limit. 2011's Astro shimmered with more keys, and honored 8-bit aesthetics, folding it into a straight-faced rock set, delivering lines about plastic bunny ears, gods of the forest, and animals heading down to the mangroves. The track, "Pepa" is the best example of Nusser's mythology, one that could be an allegory for drugs, but could also just be the trip, such is the rush of color and imagery he shares in his hallucinogenic state (further explored in the soundscapes he wove on his individual EP, Karakoram-Mekong. Astro are never morose, only ponderous. There's always an element of sheer joy lifting each track - these narcotics are all natural - pure escapism.

Finally, after four years and an interim single, "Hawaii," Astro return with their second LP, Chicos de la Luz, shifting their sound further away from their beginnings, while remaining undeniably Astro: Nusser's mystic lore permeating the ten tracks. It's their most electronic album. It's sparser and more confident: their debut crashed down on the listener, who then had to spin out the components on repeated listens. On Chicos de la Luz there is a disarming simplicity. Nusser and band show restraint, which suggests that the band have created an album that can be reinterpreted on the road, perhaps a reaction to four years of seemingly constant touring of an album and a half of songs.

Chicos de la Luz begins with "Uno" with an extended opening groove reminiscent of Jamiroquai's pop-disco and Neon Indian's indie-electro, before heading into the tropicana vibe that singles "Hawaii" and "Caribbean" relished. When Nusser's vocals finally come, they're as mellow as a bass line. The track builds around his ruminations on loneliness and anxiety, before changing gears halfway, turning up the ecstatic Astro demand to find oneness: we all contain multitudes, our way forward, of letting go, is big bang-esque.

The majority of tracks on Chicos de la Luz trade on this gear change approach, though it doesn't feel as contrived as it would in lesser hands. There is real skill in Nusser and Co's soundtracking of each multiplayer game. The mood change complements the mood before it, and no track seems out of place - there's a through-line to the album, cloaked as mischievously in psychedelic ramblings as their first LP, with melodies that only get more fun the more one revisits them. This is most pronounced on latest single, "Druida", which is as heady as Astro's "Colombo" - with a guaranteed spring in step in every spin.

There isn't much, if any, filler on the album. "Warrior" and "Rico" are perhaps the casualties of the rest being a little more imaginative, though the former has a memorable lumbering nature, and the latter, while barely there, is brief. In fact, the average length of track sits around the five minute mark, which makes the album flow better than if the band were trying to make every song a potential single.

Final track, "Kafka" could be Astro's answer to those comparisons with Animal Collective (which are lazy), inasmuch Nusser simply asks for a house and family a la "My Girls", but sonically, Astro place more importance on the narrative of the song, rather than the elliptical nature of the Baltimore band's work. But herein lies Astro's ability to create songs that are lyrically both earnest and throwaway, meaning everything to the protagonist and yet mean nothing in particular for the casual listener: like an episode of Adventure Time for a child - happy to be captivated by the color and drama without understanding any subtext. And like that cartoon, Astro aren't cynical - they manage to sound euphoric without being disposable pop-of-the-moment, nor trite. Theirs is a signature that will be interesting to follow as they explore new lands of bliss.

Club Fonograma's Top 12 Must-See Acts at Primavera Sound 2014

Primavera Sound is the most important musical event of the year in Spain and maybe Europe. Held in Barcelona, it hosts more than 200 live acts in 4 days, but it also spreads along the city for more than a week with its programme of concerts in clubs, bars and public places such as parks. This years headliners include Pixies, Arcade Fire, The National and brazilian legend Caetano Veloso among others. As for the iberoamerican acts, which we will be covering, this is our Top 12 in no particular order. Glòria, will be live tweeting from @de_risio and Pierre Lestruhaut will also be there (@pedrito_les). You can also follow us on Instagram (@gloriaguso / @prrlesmac).

Univers
Pitchfork Stage, Saturday May 31 17:400

Only a year and a half after the release of their first EP, La Pedregada (Famèlic Records, 2012), Univers are one of the spanish bands with more international ressonance of the moment. Their first LP L’estat natural (2014) has been critically acclaimed, they have toured the country presenting it and now they play in the Pitchfork stage of Spain’s most important music festival. This show is the opportunity to see how Univers works in a big stage, but also to unveil Barcelona’s musical scene connections between bands, as I am sure a lot of those musicians will be in the audience. - Glòria Guirao-Soro

Lasers
Vice Stage, Thursday May 29 03:000

Barcelona based electro trio Lasers will close the Vice stage with their Chicago Sound inspired rhythms. They are well-known for their very danceable sets for fans of the more disco-like tracks of their last album Exchange Levels (2013) but also for the more poppy chill wave of Juno (2011). - Glòria Guirao-Soro

Astro
Vice Stage, Friday May 30 18:40 & Ray-Ban Unplugged, Friday May 30 23:30

At this point we’re wondering if there's actually any big festival Astro haven’t played yet. A sky-rocketed ascension, which started when they turned heads with their underground hit “Maestro Distorsión” and culminated in their almost universally beloved debut LP, has made the Chilean band a fixture in many summer festivals these last few years. If there’s any indication that their great eponymous album is still holding up more than two years after its release, the fact that they're playing Primavera Sound again after being there in 2012 should be enough. - Pierre Lestruhaut

Boogarins
Vice Stage, Saturday May 31 19:35 & Ciutadella, Sunday June 01 16:00

Heirs of the sound of bands such as Os Mutantes but with a psychedelic touch, Brazilian duo Boogarins visit Spain for the first time and will present there their own version of tropical fuzz-rock music. Friends since school times, they come from Goiânia, far from Brazil’s cultural centres, and have developed a very pecualiar mixture of influences that is not to be described as exotic nor as revivalist. Their debut LP, As Plantas Que Curan, is a journey to the sixties with a contemporary soundtrack based on fuzz and sound effects that makes it an atemporal ensemble. - Glòria Guirao-Soro















Juana Molina
BARTS, Sunday June 01 21:50

Duh. I mean, if there’s any Latin act (besides Cateano Veloso) that really needs no introduction, it’s Juana Molina. She could have retired after Un día, and still be one of the hottest acts in the festival, yet with the release of her excellent Wed 21, her output has been reinvigorated, and her live set will certainly be overflowing with crowd favorites and deep cuts. She’ll have the benefit of playing a more intimate show at a local club, for what is very likely to be a haunting performance from the master of horror. - Pierre Lestruhaut

Él Mató A Un Policía Motorizado 
ATP Stage, Wednesday May 28 17:55, La Seca - Espai Brossa, Thursday May 29 15:15 & La Botiga, Saturday May 31 12:30

If you’re looking for shout-along indie rock anthems to sing until your lungs are completely exhausted and your vocal chords are suppressed, Argentine indie darlings El Mató A Un Policía Motorizado are your ideal act for this edition. Granted, Primavera Sound is not devoid of indie rock grandeur, but El Mató has the advantage of 1) playing a free concert, and 2) singing indie rock en tu idioma. So there’s really no excuse to not go shout "Jenny, algún dia Jenny," "Nuevos discos, nuevas drogas" and "Más o menos bien" at any of the three fixtures the Argentines will be playing in this edition of Primavera Sound. - Pierre Lestruhaut

SVPER
Vice Stage, Thursday May 29 21:45

The band formerly known as Pegasvs have been blog favorites ever since their debut album cemented them as one of the most melodically accomplished acts in the brand of progressive pop music. They’ll have some heavyweights playing at the same time (Neutral Milk Hotel, St. Vincent, and Future Islands) but if you’re not a diehard fan of any of those anglo past or future legends, SVPER’s grandiose and forward-thinking pop is a must-see, even more so with the possibilities of them playing unreleased tracks. - Pierre Lestruhaut

El Último Vecino
Vice Stage, Thursday May 29 18:25 & Ray-Ban Unplugged, Thursday May 29 23:30

Cut Copy have serious competition for best synthpop revivalists playing at Primavera Sound this year. The band led by Gerard Alegre Doria made some serious noise last year in the Spaniard underground with their eponymous album (which we kinda slept on, to be honest). With a knack for instant 80s-reminiscent pop hits, this is the one local act we’re trusting will be inducing the biggest collective dancing among festival goers this year. - Pierre Lestruhaut

Beach Beach
La [2] de Apolo, Wednesday May 28 21:30

Having announced the release of their second LP in september, the Mallorca born, Barcelona based quartet just unveiled one of the tracks in The Sea (La Castanya, 2014). “Just like before” can only be described as an instant hit, it evocates the Sarah Records decade but does not forget the 90s influence of the bands last record (Tasteless Peace, 2012) and predicts a great new album. Beach Beach will be playing on wednesday in La [2] de Apolo as part of their label’s showcase, among Me & The Bees (presenting their newest album Mundo Fatal) and Aries, who released her second LP Mermelada Dorada earlier this year. - Glòria Guirao-Soro

Sangre
Sony Club PS14 Stage, Saturday May 31 18:300

There is more than one band called Sangre in Spain, but here we are talking about the girl band from Madrid that released their first EP, Sangre es Amor, in July 2013. Characteristic of Sangre are a low tone of voice and simpe melodies that recall garage pop bands from the 90s. They will be playing on saturday in the Sony Club PS14 stage, in the festival site, as part of the collaboration between Está Pasando blog and the brand, promoting young spanish bands such as Juventud Juché, Lost Fills, Ohios, Perro, Lost Fills or Los Ganglios. - Glòria Guirao-Soro

Oso Leone
Pitchfork Stage, Friday May 30 01:40

It’s not so obvious that folk and dub can be mixed, but that is exactly what Oso Leone have been doing in their last two records. Based in Barcelona, this group of artists and musicians is another of the Mallorca bands playing this year at Primavera Sound, along with Lost Fills and the already mentioned Beach Beach. The result of Oso Leone’s experimentations is a hazy ambient sound, we could say that it is even quite hipnotic, which seems clearer when they use visual effects in their live sets. - Glòria Guirao-Soro

Chicha Libre
Sala Apolo, Tuesday May 27 20:50

Who would have thought that the most Latin-folk inspired music in the festival would actually end up being played by a Brooklyn act? But you still gotta give it to the Primavera Sound curators for giving cumbia a slot in this year’s festival. Brooklyn-based group Chicha Libre have been doing a fine work in revitalizing chicha, the brand of Peruvian cumbia that brought together Latin folk rhythms with psychedelic and surf rock, and their 2012 release Canibalismo was the kind of non-stop dancing party that’s likely to translate seamlessly into a riveting live set. - Pierre Lestruhaut
 

Vive Latino 2012: Day Two

by Claire Frisbie

Saturday was the day to attend Vive Latino 2012—some of the most buzzed about acts of the past year were performing, Café Tacvba was headlining, tickets were sold out, and the sun was shining. We had our day mapped out to the minute.

Columpio Asesino were already on the main stage, and I regret to report they were a bit underwhelming, but to no fault of their own, really. Their set was solid, but their music is too dark for blinding sunlight, methinks. The rather lethargic crowd did rise to the occasion, however, when they played “Toro,” cheering raucously when guitarist Cristina shouted—riffing on the song’s lyrics—, “Para que ir a Berlin si podemos estar aqui con ustedes en el Vive Latino?” (“Why go to Berlin if we can be here with you at Vive Latino?”). Seriously.

Next we dashed over to the Carpa Intolerante for Perrosky, who were the revelation of the day for me. It’s incredible the layers of garage rock, blues, and rockabilly the brothers Gomez are able to generate between just the two (2!) of them—it was as if Elvis had been somehow reincarnated in these two skinny Chilean dudes. Raw and refreshingly devoid of synthesizers and other gadgets, Perrosky rocked my world with a drum set, guitar, harmonica, and maraca.

Keeping things retro, we returned to Escenario Indio Verde for Vive veterans and música surf faves Lost Acapulco. The crowd had at least doubled if not tripled in size, and everyone was bopping, moshing, and doing the twist to hits like “Olvidemos El Romance” and “Frenesick.” I genuinely appreciate their whole shtick: the luchador masks, vintage visuals of shimmying vedettes, and misogynistic-but-we’ll-let-it-slide-this-time rapport between songs, but it kind of got redundant. We were just about ready to move on when the band started in on a cover of Los Saicos’ “Demolición,” which was easily the highlight of their set for me, even if no one else seemed to know the song.

Photo by Marlon Bishop

Then it was Astro time. We power walked over to the palm tree-flanked Carpa DanUp aka la Carpa del Yogurt aka la Carpa Tropical. I couldn’t have imagined a better setting to see Astro for the first time. The four guys burst onto the stage making monkey noises and launched into “Mono Tropical,” looking like hipster Trader Joe’s employees/Miami Vice extras in loud patterned shirts, skinny jeans, and sunglasses. There were some sound issues, but their energy was totally infectious, and man, what a show! Singer Andrés’s voice is absolutely incredible (and really is that high!), and keyboard player Nicolás had the lanky dude hip shake down. To the delight of the audience, they proclaimed DF their favorite place to play, and added, “En Chile nos quieren, pero acá mucho más!” (“In Chile they love us, but here [they love us] much more!”) And how. Astro was one of the bands I was most pumped to see at Vive, but part of me had been worried that their music might not translate to the outdoor stage. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Can someone please book a Panda Bear/Tanlines/Astro U.S. tour ASAP? Thanks.

Next up was one of my main motivations for coming to Vive this year: Juan Cirerol. Chicali’s bad boy troubadour has me completely enthralled, but I can conclude with absolute objectivity that he kicked some serious ass. I mean, he was trending on Twitter during the show and, if that doesn’t justify one’s badassness, I don’t know what does. Cirerol is a beast on the guitar, his singing style is so raw and earnest. He powered through “El Perro” and “La Banqueta,” and it was hard to believe that all this ruckus was coming from just one man. His stage presence is phenomenal, doused with booze and burps, his signature scrunched brow, the occasional air-split (that would be a jump and attempted split in the air—yep, he did that!), and norteño swagger for days. The overflowing Carpa Intolerante yelped and sang along with genuine fervor and joined in for a massive sing-along to “Se Vale Soñar” (extra cheers when he wailed “todos borrachos y locos”) and “La Chola,” which closed out his set. Todo más que fine, Juanito.

Cirerol’s set left me craving a stiff drink, so we breezed past the main stage (Camilo Lara aka Instituto Mexicano del Sonido in a kilt and colorful man-tights mashing up “Alocatel” and “Hey Mickey” with the guys from Calexico as his backup band), to re-fuel with sandwiches and dranks. Then it was back to the yogurt tent.

Carla Morrison. Oh my GAWD, Carla Morrison. It was truly an impressive thing to see the thousands and thousands of fans who came to see her at Vive: teenage girls with tears streaming down their faces, families with young children, embracing couples. By the time she cooed “tu me enchinas la piel” my entire body had been covered in goosebumps for, like, ever. It was refreshing to see her with a full band—her usually sparse accompaniment translates beautifully to more complex instrumentation. In the days leading up to Vive, she’d reached out to fans via social media to bring handkerchiefs to her show, and perhaps the most powerful moment of her set came when everyone waved them in the air and danced along to her latest single, “Hasta La Piel.” Next year, to the main stage!

Then there was an audience switch-up: out with the angsty teenagers, in with the fashiony hipsters. The screen to the right of the stage glowed “MENA” and chants of “Javiera, Javiera” began. I wasn’t sure what to expect given the conflicting Festival Nrmal and SXSW reviews on this blog, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I should also let it be known that I am not a diehard Javiera Mena fan (gasp!), and while I thought she sounded better than on her albums, my friends actually thought otherwise. Javiera: so polarizing! As in the case of Carla, the support of a full band (Jose and Rai from Dapuntobeat, plus a female keytarist/backup singer) worked to her benefit. Real drums added a lot to tracks like “Primera Estrella” and “Hasta La Verdad,” and the keytarist helped pick up some slack on Javiera’s sometimes weak vocals. What do you think?:

Meanwhile, la Carpa Intolerante was channeling Colombia as Monareta powered an electro-cumbia dance party. I’d like to point out that there was a dude on stage who played the cowbell with sincere concentration for the duration of their set. I can respect that. We joined the dancers and cheered in agreement as frontman Andrés shouted “Que viva la Carpa Intolerante!” Amen!

Then it was Tacvba time. I think the official headcount for Saturday was 70,000, and pretty much everyone who wasn’t moshing to Hocico over at Indio Blanco was figuring out the best spot to see Mexico’s most important band from. As we all waited for them to come on stage, anticipation growing, spotlights shot straight up from the center of the stadium, and out came a stage from behind the soundboard, Tacvbos on top.

Photo by Natalie Espinosa

As Ruben, Meme, Quique, and Joselo rose from the crowds, chants of “papa-ra-papa eo eo,” queued them up for their first song. They'd been on hiatus for the past few years, and they really brought out all the hits at this show. There was no waiting around through mediocre Sino tracks for your favorites tonight. After “El Baile y el Salón” came “Eres,” followed by a reggae/dub version of “Como te extraño.” The sound was horrible, but we didn’t care! Then came one of the coolest moments of the night. Instead of singing hits by Maldita Vecindad, Aterciopelados, and Caifanes in their standard “Popurock” medley, Café Tacvba proceeded to cover Nortec Collective, Hello Seahorse!, IMS, Porter, Carla Morrison, Quiero Club, Plastilina Mosh, Kinky, Dapuntobeat, Enjambre, and Zoé. I don’t know what was more moving: the fact that these giants of Mexican music were paying tribute to the next generation that they helped establish, or the fact that everyone in the audience seemed to know the words to the songs by these comparably smaller artists.

Post-popurock, the band ran (and Rubén, still on his cane, hobbled) through the audience to the stage. Unfortunately I can’t really tell you how the rest of their performance was because, with almost 70K people singing along at the top of their lungs, I could barely hear a thing actually coming from the stage, and honestly I didn’t mind. My inner repressed sociologist couldn’t help but stop and think how bizarre and cultish this all was, and wonder why we found it so enjoyable. But I quickly snapped out of it and joined all my new friends in screaming the lyrics to “Las Flores.” Better than therapy, I’m telling you!

Photo by Natalie Espinosa

Photo by Natalie Espinosa

You can peep the full setlist here, but it is worth noting that despite his injury, Rubén pulled through and joined the rest of the guys in the “Dejate Caer” dance (easily one of their best songs live). Oh, and they did perform one new song, “Charro Negro,” which honestly sounded pretty dull to me.

After wishing us, our parents, our uncles, grandparents, friends, etc. peace and water (seriously!), Café Tacvba bid us adieu with “El Puñal y el Corazón.” “Ya no puedo más…..” Oh what a day!

SXSW Entry #4: Kali Mutsa, Alex Anwandter, Astro, Natalia Lafourcade

Thursday night’s array of SXSW showcases felt like being transplanted into a real-life Fonogramaticos. And that’s not even including shows from Il Abanico, Juan Cirerol, Bam Bam, and Neon Indian, which we were unable to catch due to conflicts. But what we did see…oh man.

Kicking off the night at the bottle service maven Buca Lounge was Kali Mutsa. After fervently applying her makeup in the ladies restroom (according to Gio’s girlfriend), she and her band came out like bohemian gypsies who were really trying to get picked for Let’s Make a Deal. The show was a bit subdued at first, which is weird considering the band was clad with just a mic, accordion, clarinet, and fiddle (and barefoot, nonetheless!). But Mutsa made the best of the small crowd, crouching every verse with dead-eyed stares and flippant histrionics. In between songs, she pleaded with the crowd to dance while taking swigs of beer as if it were contraband. Despite all this, and the fact she spoke 4-5 languages during the entire set, the crowd was pleasantly surprised. I’m now convinced that Kali Mutsa is alien genius like Abed from Community.

After a brief Jimmy Johns break (free smells!), we made our way to Alex Anwandter’s set at the “Latino hotspot” Maggie Mae’s. Anwandter was in peak form, with his mid-'90s Morrissey close-cut and satin jacket. But he also knew what his people wanted to hear. Pick your favorite song from Rebeldes. He played it. Anwandter milked the favorable crowd for everything it was worth, as he even went into the crowd to dance with the audience at various points. For the Anwandter-worshipping fans in attendance, it was a gig from heaven, and for everyone else, a rocking set.

After these two barn-burning shows, it was inevitable that Astro would disappoint for the mere fact that it was…a rock concert. Dudes with guitars on stage playing their hits. Not that people weren’t feeling “Manglares” and “Ciervos,” but it just didn’t hit over the head like Mutsa and Anwandter did. There was a bit of catharsis with “Maestro Distorsion” as the closing number, but overall it was merely solid. I did appreciate how everyone in Astro has the exact same haircut, though.

Closing the night back at Buca Lounge was Natalia Lafourcade. Ditching the (literal) bells and whistles, Lafourcade played an acoustic set armed with a piano, guitar, and vocal loops. Her charisma was in full force, connecting with her legion of devotees by playfully asking for free drinks and taking song requests even as the show crept into the 2 am hour. The setlist itself was a mix of her favorite Hu Hu Hu tracks (“Azul” will NEVER get old) and random oldies, such as “En El 2000” and “O Pato” (!), and the crowd hung on her every word. It appears that Lafourcade seems fairly comfortable in her role as a sort of torchbearer for Mexican indie, and one can hope that her upcoming covers album will reflect this. In a sense, this kind of set was the perfect palette cleanser for an epic (and very loud) night of music.

Video: Protistas - "Granada"

In their latest video, “Granada,” Protistas reaffirms their status as the continent’s most militant rock band. Their 2010 debut, Nortinas War, had the infrastructure of an inner-war mayhem and, judging from this first single, the Chilean band is looking to expand the belligerent imagery to broader ground. “Granada” is ballistic – provoking in its themes and restrained in its emotions. Shot in a silvery black, directors Matias Rojas Valencia and band vocalist Alvaro Solar framed a fable of conflict and journey. The clip and the song approach tragedy with the same wounding romanticism that made “Incendio en mi Corazon” such an anthem a few seasons ago. “Granada” is the first single off Protistas’ forthcoming sophomore album, Las Cruces (Sello Cazador), produced by Astro’s Andres Nusser. The single, along with another track from the album, can be downloaded through the band’s website.

Karakoram-Mekong - Mekong

Mekong, Karakoram-Mekong
Independiente, Chile
Rating: 77
by Pierre Lestruhaut

Sometimes it just seems that everyone on the Internet likes Astro. Seriously. It's understandable when tracks like “Maestro Distorsión” or “Ciervos” have all the pop exuberance and irresistible hooks that you’d expect from an immediately striking and spin-all-you-can hit single that easily spreads among young listeners. And, last year, Astro just couldn’t stop dropping those kind of tracks, the ones that have all the melodic urgency of a one-hit wonder or an underground pop gem like Phedre’s recent “In Decay,” while also displaying enough extroversion for arena rawk grandeur and showing off lots of muscle to fill in their sophomore effort with great deep cuts and compelling hooks everywhere.

Which is why it’s hard to situate this thing—frontman Andrés Nusser’s new solo project intriguingly named after an Asian river and a mountain—alongside Astro’s two previous releases, just as it was hard and frustrating enough for music writers to find any rightful and satisfying link between “Maestro Distorsión” and “Ciervos.” Mekong is, like Astro, unabashedly catchy, exulting, and lyrically naive, but just as it gleefully surrenders to pop music’s leaning toward providing instant pleasure, it also eludes its very own classifications such as “chorus” and “bridge.” Like Furland’s “Faladó Falá,” it happens to do an admirable work at blending electronic and folk while making it all sound so natural and effortless, with Nusser dropping layer upon layer of sound and somehow finding room to fit intimate acoustic guitar progressions alongside Kevin Barnes’ style pitch-shifting vocals and all of the technological psych swirl of an Animal Collective track.

Karakoram-Mekong is certainly not likely to disappoint any Astro fans (or at least any Astro fans), since it’s here giving us four considerably well crafted songs that would have been a very interesting starting point for an eventually well accomplished Astro follow-up. Even though musicians alternating between solo projects and regular band releases is very common practice these days, some people might initially be scratching their heads at the idea of this solo project and its less-than-fussy release. Yet, we would guess Andrés Nusser just seems to be the kind of person that’s not able to fulfill all of his creative ambitions by simply playing in one band. I would even go as far as saying that Mekong is the most inventive work Nusser has been involved in so far. Perhaps it’s not long enough to be as accomplished as Astro, but it certainly does a good job of summarizing everything his band has done well so far, and hopefully points the way for his band's future.

♫♫♫ "Mekong" | Download EP

Astro - Astro

Astro, Astro
Discos Río Bueno, Chile
Rating: 84
by Carlos Reyes

Crowds of deer running towards the golden sun, armadillos used as cannon ammunition, legged snakes with flashes on their heads, and watermelon tree branches growing out of the human body are only a handful of the fantasy cards that comprise something Astro has come to describe as “La Super Felicidad.” The self-titled, first full-length album by Chilean pop excursionists Astro is a liquefied, never-restraining plate of polyrhythmics. Designers of one of the most universally beloved indie hits to come out of South America in years (“Maestro Distorsión”), Astro is also the protagonist of one of the most divisive young careers in our Iberoamerican pop landscape.

Having the melodically belligerent Le Disc De Astrou under their pair of full-spread wings, the lurching of Astro is just what’s needed for fans and retractors to sort things out. Colossally imaginative on every track and contentiously militant with its resources, Astro is beyond what’s suggested; it’s earnest. It might not be the mind missile-booster that is Bam Bam’s Futura Via, but it’s very similar to the experience of consuming peyote in the way it manages to extend its psychoactive charms straight from the fertile soil and up high to your subconscious. First long-winded single “Ciervos” simulates the spacing, elevation, and movement of a post-industrial world where the variables of a natural environment and a human-built environment are still struggling to find order. And just like that, frontman Andres Nusser and his Astro clan make it really clear that they’ll use every technique they know (even if they turn out excessive) to force you to puke all logical narratives and all your city demons. Only through this kind of cathartic command is the band able to provoke its listeners to make room for new forms of subsistence, and that’s already more stimulating than anything schemed in your outdoor weekend.

Despite the chronic use of repetition and the daring expenditure of the vernacular, Astro is not an easy band to follow. Sure, it’s easy to develop an abrupt fondness to something as the Ruben Blades-would-totally-approve “Colombo,” but in the process of memorizing the lyrics, the ride can turn awkward very easily. This is where Astro’s subjective flaws are most evident, in their unmeasured tendencies to validate pop exuberance with even broader lyrical framework. Thankfully, they got enough tokens in this album to override the uncomfortable margins (and those interludes really help). Where Astro really shines is in the fold of introspection. The way “Manglares” is conceived and carried out is visceral, almost poetic. This track invigorates junks of synth drops and turns them into stirringly unique bites that together make for an inevitable, yet seductive decomposition.

Amongst the many chirpy passages in Astro, one track stands above the rest. The chaotic, cherry-overdosed “Pepa” does something really weird; it presents its synths in angst instead of washing them out. Because of its intensity and its placement nearly at the end of the album, this piece plays like Astro’s last shot to provide themselves with some well-deserved hubris. Many things are set clear in Astro, starting with the acknowledgement of the album as the band’s very first chance at achieving melodic medley (because although it’s hard to single out any song from the lo-fi, passive half of the album, those moments are certainly there, and they are awesome). Astro is multifarious in its arsenal, defeatist at times, but above all, it strikes for grandiosity, and we don’t get a lot of that around these parts.

♫♫ "Colombo" | Download Album | Facebook

Video + MP3: Astro - "Ciervos"

Following last year’s luminous debut, Le Disc de Astrou, the sensationally trippy Chilean songcrafters, Astro, return to amaze us with their joyous brand new single “Ciervos,” from the group’s first proper full-length, which is set to be released in the next months. One of the main references when speaking about Astro’s music has been MGMT and, while the similarities between both bands are kind of obvious, their songs certainly aren’t. If “Ciervos” is a hint about the album’s sound, Astro doesn't seem to be interested in exploring experimental waters within their second release. Instead they focus on reinforcing their already trademark gleaming compositions into a more stylish approach nuanced by pristine vocals.



The video for the track (directed by Oscar Wakeman) shows the band members as a sort of adoring deer tribe in a daydream environment where these mammals predominate. They wear animal skulls on their heads, run through the hills, ride horses, and enjoy themselves on small islands, while spraying their bodies with paint in an uplifting ritualistic celebration. It’s outstanding the scouting that was done for this clip; the beautiful scenarios, exquisite photography, and lovely shots of deer descending downhill work perfectly with the song. "Ciervos" is now available for free download below.

♫♫♫ "Ciervos"

MP3: Astro - "Pepa" + "Pacifico-Atlantico" (Los Espiritus Cover)

Astro’s “Maestro Distorsion” was without a doubt, one of the indie hits of 2010, particularly in Mexico, where it ended up on several publications’ #1 spot as Song of the Year. On Christmas day, Astro unveiled one of their most peculiar songs yet, “Pepa”, a rare recording for Radio Horizonte (as explicitly embossed at the beginning of the song). They claim to have found what they call, "la super felicidad."

The song is quite a ride; immediately grabbing with those increasing synths and walking chords, later becoming somewhat hypnotic, as the song progresses into a state of drug-induced dream. In the song, a guy is transformed into a tree, or a forest, something like that.

Astro always succeeds with songs derived from the subconscious, most impressively, they manage to transform them into uplifting generational jams. Who knew true happiness could be found with a cherry’s overdose? Reminds me of that great Neil Patrick Harris-meets-Unicorn sequence in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.

As a bonus track, we’re also including an MP3 link to Astro’s awesome cover of Los Espiritus’ “Pacifico-Atlantico”, Club Fonograma’s #3 song of 2010 from Nostros Los Rockers.

♫♫♫ "Pepa"
♫♫♫ "Pacifico-Atlantico" (Los Espiritus Cover)

Astro - "Le Golden Ballon" (Le Freak Acoustic Version)

“Le Golden Ballon” is without a doubt, Astro’s most fuming track in their celebrated debut Le Disc Do Astro. We found this Le Freak acoustic version by Astro the other day (via Gudnois), and we must say we like it better than the original. I raved the song’s “increasing vocal voltage and melodrama”, what a nice way to romanticize the popping of balloons. “Pintar todos los globos color oro, llenarlos de peces exoticos eroticos, soltarlos para que vuelen, dejarlos que vayan lejos, y reventarlos de lejos a escopetazos.” Astro will performing at Vive Latino on Sunday 25 @ Escenario Azul.

♫♫♫ "Le Golden Gallon" (Le Freak Acoustic Version)
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Le Disc De Astrou, Astro

LE DISC DE ASTROU, ASTRO
Wash Dishes, Chile
By Carlos Reyes
Rating: 82

Astro arrives to Chile’s awesome scene as the new divisive kids on the block. When I say divisive, think of it in its most literal understanding; the love and hate generated by Astro’s galactic-induced songs speak for themselves and reaffirm the band as one of the most arousing and provocative revelations. When we first encountered the band Astro was the luminous project of Octavio Cavieres and Andres Nusser, two young guys driving a spaceship, a couple of months later and they found themselves recruiting two other pilots, a sign of success. “Maestro Distorsion” (a hit on the rise) brought them attention right quick; Le Disc De Astrou hopes to find its place and ground.

Much of Chile’s acclaimed acts got to be recognized for their elaborate approach of the music form; particularly, for understanding they can describe what form is while practicing it. This music vein has resisted flashy avant-garde productions with the exception of its urban acts, whose breaking of the form happens in an as-we-go manner, meaning within the songs themselves. Astro just jumps to it, arranging its musical landscape rather than aspiring to create one. Many see such choice as an easy or lazy handling of the picture, I’m just not a follower of the whole ‘know the rule first and then break it’, but even if I cared about Astro’s understanding of music I’d be very thrilled about these songs. Because when iTunes pops up, the window is in itself, a world of possibilities. Originality becomes second nature and therefore not so relevant, the songs are.

Artistry arrives with personal touch, with that layer of vision that’s in any case, unique. Yes, Astro sounds much like MGMT, Empire of the Sun, maybe even Passion Pit, but what an impressive and ambitious accomplishment. These songs feel like scanned sheets of music thrown into sonic space, pretentious pays off only when one shoots for glory. Just listen to “Raifilter” or “Ea Dem” and feel their massive appeal, they’re a blast and it’s a real treat that they’re so accessible. It’s however that apparent effortless flashy outlook what allows the band to be credible. I’ve spent much of this review shielding their songs but it’s hard not to embrace them, especially when one sees all the genres negotiated here at such close proximity.

While the songs are straightforward and easy to handle, it’s not a bad idea to play by its dynamics. All these pieces follow narrative, if you try to consume them on their abstract you’ll drown. Recognize its choices, like “Hongo Atomic” being thrown into gaudy land and surviving its own tricks, while “Le Golden Ballon” increasing vocal voltage and melodrama (for a purpose). “Maestro Distorsion” is the catchiest out of the bunch, it’s self-explosive and many of us will think of Juan Son’s vocals right away. The most inspired moment of the album lands with “Mono Tropical”, a mystic and baroque track so mesmerizing in and out of its monkey-alienistic creatures. Expect a hit or two from this, and if it’s not your cup of tea, at least recognize its access as a virtue, that’s enough to float on.

♫♫♫ "Mono Tropical"
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