Showing posts with label carla morrison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carla morrison. Show all posts
Video: Carla Morrison - "Un Beso"
Going through our blog receipts, the last time Carla Morrison was mentioned around these parts was 2012. It was in that year that writer #PincheAndrew declared Déjenme Llorar a “disappointingly straightforward” record. Too tame for a double take, it seemed inevitable that she would disappear from our radar. Still, that shouldn’t suggest we were ever completely through with her.
Newest single “Un beso” is an exciting step forward. A change of scenery that delves into the dark corners that inspire longing and confusion and also make for some pretty great material. “Yo te voy a robar, te voy a secuestrar, yo te voy a robar un beso.” Damn. We really are a long way from “Compartir” now. Once presented in only the most stripped-down package (a guitar, her voice), Carla now requires reinforcements by way of horns and clattering drums. This kind of sensual, atmospheric turn also brings to mind highlights from Lana Del Rey’s Ultraviolence, which in 2015 hopefully counts as a compliment.
Then there’s the video. A leftover treatment from an unknown 90’s alternative band. Carla and a partner flail around against black and white while quick zooms add to the drama. The results really just give the visual an automatic expiration date. And yet, if anything, it will also serve to highlight the song’s own strength. Like Carla’s best work, it never requires a showy or slick presentation, just an honest listen.
Mariel Mariel - Foto Pa Ti
Pan Dulce Productions /
Cosmica Records, Chile
Rating: 67
by Carlos Reyes
The first time Mariel Mariel contacted us she introduced herself as “Mariel, la chilena chilanga.” The title fits her well. She’s become a distinguished musician for Mexico’s cream of the crop indie acts (particularly as part of the band that accompanies Carla Morrison) and has slowly, but determinedly, pushed inward her solo project. Although she has yet to massively breakthrough in the same way her peers or compatriots have, Mariel Mariel has built a bit of a cool underdog status (something that has allowed her to venture from one genre to another). Mariel’s latest EP Foto Pa Ti is a significant departure from the disco diva and melodic chanteuse paths she’s surveyed in her two first references, No Me Despierten! and La Musica Es Buena. And it’s an abrupt, head-scratching (yet smart) reconstruction. Her crossing over to urban pop opens a query on credibility, posture, and appropriation, all of which seem to be confronted (to some degree) in her new EP, the very entertaining Foto Pa Ti.
There’s no denying this new phase of Mariel Mariel is in need of articulation. “Foto Pa Ti” (and its accompanying lyric video) screams Rita Indiana in both sound and aesthetics (who could ever forget that video for “El Blu del Ping Pong”?). But stripped down from its tropical frenzy, “Foto Pa Ti” is still admirable in structure and its tailored wittiness (besides, EPs are meant to be vessels for confessing the references upfront). Songs like the seductive “Noche Noche” and catchy first single “Tirame Un Beso” reveal a lyrical imagery that is sensual and populist, but it’s missing that tragic resonance that recent mantra mavericks (Leidi Li, Valentina Fel) have delivered to us. Foto Pa Ti (produced by Latin Grammy winner Sonido Landon) also includes a collaboration with the EP’s executive producer Carla Morrison (under her Pan Dulce Productions imprint) and a quite amusing maximalist cover for Juan Cirerol’s narcotically poetic “Toque y Rol.” It will take Mariel a proper full-length album to aptly resolve the eyebrow-raising query, but the potential for something big (and geographically significant) is certainly there.
Fonocast #13: Cheers!
Fonocast #13: Cheers!
by Blanca Méndez and Souad Martin-Saoudi
- Pernett - "Esta Noche"
- Jr. Ranks ft. Mach & Daddy - "Agua y Guaro"
- Kid Sister ft. Nina Sky - "Look Out Weekend"
- 3Ball MTY - "Tipsy"
- Las Kellies - "Scotch Whiskey"
- Selma Oxor - "Jungle Juice"
- Las Ardillas - "Cancion de Luz"
- Juan Cirerol - "Se Vale Soñar"
- Wendy Sulca - "Cerveza Cerveza"
- Los Tigres del Norte - "La Mesa del Rincón"
- Carla Morrison - "Tragos Amargos"
- Gloria Trevi - "Fue ese tequila"
- Jessy Bulbo - "La Cruda Moral"
Video + MP3: Natalia Lafourcade & Various Artists - "Un Derecho de Nacimiento"
It’s been crazy in Mexico ever since the electoral campaigns began. Sick of manipulated information and biased content generated by Latin America’s largest television network, Televisa, which has manifested an evident tendency towards presidential candidate, PRI’s Enrique Peña Nieto, the movement #YoSoy132, led mostly by young people and students, has grown into a consolidated cause over the whole Mexican republic, demanding impartiality in information and condemning the imposition of a presidential figure by corporate media.
Aware of this alarming climate, many Mexican musicians (#MúsicosConYoSoy132) have joined the movement. Brilliant composer Natalia Lafourcade has been a strong supporter. On May 9th, through her Twitter account, the songstress announced her followers she would write a song “asking for positive things in the country” and invited them to contribute ideas. One month later, “Un Derecho de Nacimiento” was born. Originally premiered at a #YoSoy132 concert on June 16th at Distrito Federal’s main square, this first take had Lafourcade hypnotically looping her vocal melodies into a raw, conscience-awakening, awe-inspiring chant. The final version, featuring some of our favorite artists (Carla Morrison, Juan Manuel Torreblanca, Marian Ruzzi, Vicente Gayo, among others) is more conventional without losing any ounce of impact that the first live recording transmitted. In fact, hearing all these figures collaborate together in such a uniting manifesto, results in something hopeful and deeply touching, despite what certain outspoken bands may think about the authenticity of their endorsment.
Today is the elections day, and “Un Derecho de Nacimiento” came in the perfect time, resounding as an awakening anthem for this transcendental date. Myself, being a Mexican, living in this beautiful country and having the chance to vote today, feel profoundly moved by this hymn and, with all my heart, expect the change our beloved country deserves, finally arrives. Today’s citizen's participation is decisive for Mexico’s course. And, as the song’s chorus affirms, “Yo no nací sin causa/Yo no nací sin fe.” Let’s make our voice count. It’s truly a birth right.
Carla Morrison - Dejénme Llorar
Cosmica Records, México
Rating: 71
by Andrew Casillas
Carla Morrison has something to say. And when she does, time usually stands still. Atmospheric pressure quells, and the resulting space makes nary a sound, give or take the flicker of an insect. It’s a very brief period, less than a measure of a second. But when Ms. Morrison finally utters a word, the retroactive effect reverberates through the ensuing three and a half minutes of aural beauty.
The preceding paragraph was an exercise in time-honored critical hyperbole. But to a devoted sect of the listening public, Carla Morrison really does change the world every time she utters a word. This group, largely but not exclusive female, reacts to her depiction of the world with the allegiance of a Community tumblr admin. And with good cause—Morrison’s music speaks to the romantic optimist we’d all like to be, yet grounds itself in the stark realism that similar pop stars deliberately avoid. Her characters have loved and been burned by love. They’ve imbibed to celebrate, and drunk themselves to shame. They want to share everything inside with the world, but the world isn’t always ready or wanting. And Morrison dresses it up in bright, deep colors—always centered by her voice. Her sweet, gorgeous, every(wo)man voice.
After years of struggling to make a place in the Latin music scene, she hit pay dirt with her debut album, Mientras Tú Dormías…, a pitch-perfect record for the transformative soul. Tearing the shackles of precociousness frequently levied against female indie pop singers, Morrison showed that shiny pocket symphonies could co-exist with straightforward, down-to-earth, ideas reserved for more spiritual or folk works.
This grand sense of pitch-perfect newness doomed her new album, Dejénme Llorar, from the start. But, even then, the end result is disappointingly straightforward. As a whole, the album frequently purrs when it should roar and plods along without payoff far too often. Not to say it’s boring, which would imply that Morrison sought to rapture her attention. This is obviously a more brooding and meditative work, one that rewards its most attentive listeners. It’s akin to following up Pet Sounds with Blue. Just compare the deliberate upright bass slapping that opens Dejénme Llorar with the instant drumming of “Compartir.” Not the natural move, but one that deserves praise for bold thinking. And, indeed, Morrison’s voice remains in top form, emoting without resorting to empty histrionics. But there’s the still the matter of overall execution; the key word being “overall.”
For one, the thematic unity of the songs is nearly non-existent. For an album titled Dejénme Llorar, there are very few tearful ballads or songs about flamed-out love. If that’s reading too far into the title, then where’s the connection? Mientras Tú Dormías… was a rumination on love across the entire spectrum: highs, lows, long-term, fleeting, etc. What connects the songs on Dejénme Llorar appears to be that these are Carla Morrison’s latest songs, packaged together on one LP. Which is fine. But, in that case, we need to address how there is a lot of filler on this record.
There are certainly a handful of songs that will sound great on a Greatest Hits package. The jazz-influenced “Me Encanta” and its deceptively buoyant percussion; the jaunty, gorgeously melodic “No Quise Mirar;” the '50s slow dance/burner “Eres Tú;” the precision swing of “Hasta la Piel;” and “Tu Orgullo,” which is the closest this album gets to Mientras in spirit and sound. All of those are very good, if not great, songs. But there are still nine songs remaining, ten if you count the hidden track. These remaining songs either fail to engage the listener or indulge in MOR cadence. If this weren’t following up such a grand, unique debut, then this sort of thing would be forgiven, we’d post our three-star review and move on. But with Carla Morrison…
Really, that’s the issue. This is Carla Morrison’s second album. And it’s not as good as her first one. Where the debut was short, sweet, and full-bodied (seriously, try to find a song you could cut without compromising the whole thing), this album is full of clutter. Very pleasant clutter, but even a koi pond can get crowded. Maybe we’ll realize in a few years that Dejénme Llorar was the set-up for a truly groundbreaking smash. No one denies Carla Morrison’s talent and potential, and she’s still one of the most dynamic young talents in pop music. But there’s only so much time when the world stops to hear you speak.
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.
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!
Stream: Carla Morrison - Jugando En Serio
Following her outstanding and star-maker album, Mientras Tu Dormias, Carla Morrison continues to prove she’s one of the hardest working ladies in the biz. The Tecatense sensation just released Jugando En Serio, a five-track EP of self-revisions that pretty much seals her position as Mexico’s new sweetheart. Carla’s recent documentary, Dolores a Colores, showed the artist driving her pickup truck around Tecate looking for a bubble machine; that's the kind of warmth you’ll find in this acoustic set. She extracted two tracks from each of her two albums and attached the “new” song “Pan Dulce” (of course, if you’ve been following her, you’ll know that song traces back to her Babaluca years). The EP is out now and streaming in its entirety via Bandcamp.
Album opener “Yo Sigo Aqui” disarms the original bundled powerhouse edit, and transitions it into an even sweeter jam. Crowd-lauded singles “Compartir” and “Lagrimas” get a similar treatment, and Morrison really goes from heart-on-her-sleeve greatness to twinkle-toed harmonies. The addition of the accordion in "Compartir" is simply phenomenal. This is definitely a more condensed production at the hands of Los Rhodes’ frontman Alejandro Jimenez, who really polishes the tiptoe quality in the novelty of her voice and heart-wrenching whispers. Jugando En Serio is still goofier than its title suggests. It’s weird to say, but in its methods, this is punkier than anything she has ever released. But it's not the best impromptu recording of her career, I’m still holding on to the demos she recorded by herself using Audacity and GarageBand, still Carla Morrison’s melodic opium. Morrison is currently prepping her third album, to be produced by her occasional band members Andres Landon and Juan Manuel Torreblanca.
SXSW Entry #4: Carla Morrison--La Entrevista!
Here's the first of Club Fonograma's set of SXSW interviews. I want to thank the lovely Carla Morrison and her people with getting this set up and their friendliness. Carla in particular was a bit of a marvel in person, and even though she considers some of my reviews long-winded and too negative (if there is anyone else who feels this way, the line forms around the corner behind the shady-looking drugstore), it was a pleasure to meet and talk with her.
Andrew Casillas: How does it feel to be you right now? You are in an interesting middle space: not completely obscure, and you haven’t quite broken through, but you’ve received plenty of accolades from all the right media types.
Carla Morrison: I’m excited to be here, but I don’t really think about it too much. I mean, it feels different to be living from this, and it feels good to travel and do stuff I like and wake up late and be in some places that I never really expected to be. It’s weird and it’s fun pero I don’t put too much thought into “wow, look where I’m at right now!”
AC: You’ve worked with plenty of musicians who have already been in this game for a long time, and who have achieved a wide variety of success. Have you received any advice from them that have provided some sense of enlightenment as you’ve been going these past few years?
CM: The only thing I’ve been told is not to sign with a label, but I already had done that. It was nice to know, though, because it reassured what I was thinking about and it made me feel [more comfortable] with how I was approaching everything. I think what I’ve learned about this business is more about how time passes by and not to think “oh I should have/should not have done that.” I think it’s more important to just go with the flow.
AC: You’ve obviously fluent in two languages, and come from an area of the world where you can access English and Spanish language music pretty easily; how did you really make the choice that you were going to sing in Spanish, and would you be open to singing in a different language?
CM: I think that when I was younger I used to like more music in English than in Spanish, because when you grow up in Tecate or on the border, we get a lot of influence from the U.S. I liked the lyrics more—how easy it was to say “sad” or “I love you,” and you can play with words a bit better. I also like how my voice sounds in English, but when I started experiencing different emotions because of maturity and [the subsequent] evolution of your spirit and your soul, I realized that the English language couldn’t translate that. I also picked Spanish because I’m more comfortable with it because it’s my first language, [but there’s also] the romance language aspect of it; you can say so many things you’re feeling with so many different words that [will likely] break you to pieces. You have all of this variety with castellano, and it’s more precious and more of a challenge. To me it’s not like “I’m gonna sing in English so I can have a [bigger audience].” No, that doesn’t matter to me. I hate the line of thinking of “well I’m gonna sing in English and Spanish so I can have two [sets of audiences].” Are you doing it for yourself and the comfort of your soul or are you doing it for the money? If you’re getting into this business, you kind of have to know that you’re probably gonna be poor for life but I’d rather be [financially] poor than poor of my soul. For me it was a quick decision, maybe it’s not for somebody else.
AC: Perhaps my personal favorite songs of yours are your cover songs. What’s your process for picking a song to cover? Do you just pick songs you really love and feel you can do something different with, or do you pick the song and then find a way to make them distinctive to yourself?
CM: Well, [when I’m choosing songs to cover], I choose songs that give me “emotional earthquakes.” There are songs that you like and you’ll always sing to yourself or at a concert, but there are songs in your life that you listen to and say “Wow.” Like, the lyric could have nothing to do with me but there’s something about that song that makes me go crazy inside. So the songs that make me feel that sort of emotion that I can’t feel with all other songs, those are the ones that I cover. And I try to make them mine because I feel like that’s the way it should be. Every time you cover a song, you can’t do it the same because then it’s not you. Whenever I cover a song I don’t think about it too much and say “OK I’m gonna do this and that so it sounds different.” No, I just put my soul into it, and work with my heart rather than my head. When you make music you shouldn’t think too much about it because then you fall into a pretentious trap.
AC: Your sound has really evolved from just you and a guitar, made on the cheap, to having a band, accolades, well-produced records, etc. What’s the next step for you?
CM: I’m not a person who thinks too much about the future, but I do know that I want to do my next album myself at home. I want to go back to basics. I don’t really think about the “formula” that everybody follows. “OK, I had a great CD, now I have to outdo that CD,” no I don’t think that’s true. I think that’s bullshit. I’m thinking I have some songs for a new CD and it’s pretty much back to basics, but they’re not gonna be exactly like Aprendiendo a Aprender but at the same time it’s not gonna be like Mientras..., it’s gonna be in the middle. I want it to be in the middle because that’s the way I want it, and I do what I want.
SXSW Entry #3: NACO showcase--Carla Morrison and She's a Tease
So I ordered mussles and fries--oh, I'm sorry, frites, for dinner. That sentence seems obviously apropos of nothing significant whatsoever, but here's my point: mussles is the perfect food to inadvertently savor. By that I mean, put 20 mussles in front of me, and it's gonna take 40 minutes to really finish them. MOSTLY because you have to eat them all proper-like or risk making a mess all over the table and your fellow dining companions.
The point is, I missed Carla Morrison's first song tonight because I was carefully opening and eating mussles (in onion and cho
The point is, I missed Carla Morrison's first song tonight because I was carefully opening and eating mussles (in onion and chorizo broth!). Thankfully, Carla played another 35 minutes or so for a pretty hyped and well-attended showcase. People were even screaming frantically for her (or at least that's what Blanca told me). And Carla gladly played into the crowd's welcome gaze, virtually re-creating complicated tracks like "Yo Sigo Aqui" and "Compartir" with just her and a drummer (and some nice vibraphone software on her Macbook). I'd say more, but we've got an interview coming up with Carla a little bit later, so we'll save some surprises for that...
Following Ms. Morrison were the super funky and AWESOMELY outfitted She's a Tease. After some initial trouble with their instruments, they kicked it into high gear, showing off the kind of energy and wild abandon that's made them one of the biggest Latin buzz bands of the past 12 months. On a side note, I spent about 15 minutes going back and forth about whether to include a picture of one of the band members' crotches (a shout-out to their well-known album cover), but decidedly against it because...well now I don't know why I did it.
A Mexican Take Away Show
La Blogotheque shot a handful of episodes for their ‘A Take Away Show’ series in Mexico last year, needless to say La Blogotheque has rarely been as colorful. The French collective had unveiled individual songs from some of the bands; most notably that great take of “Light of Day” by The Plastics Revolution, joined by a Mariachi at Xochimilco. Apparently, they’ve now released all the episodes (except for the highly rumored Café Tacvba, which might be just that, a rumor). Whoever curated the series lineup forgot about Mexico’s most exciting bands (Maria y Jose, Bam Bam, Quiero Club) but overall, the bands pulled out some amazing performances. Here are our favorites.
Carla Morrison - Mientras tú dormías
Mientras tú dormías, Carla Morrison
Cosmica Records, México
Rating: 90 ★★★★1/2
by Juan Manuel Torreblanca
There’s something perfect about this record. Something terribly familiar without this meaning it’s neither fresh nor original. ‘Cause it is, and boy, how, how powerfully fresh it is! It’s just that (I think) the world is about to listen/see/feel the birth of a new classic. And classics always feel like home. Carla’s voice is spectacular, heavenly, clean, sweet, lovely and electric. But maybe we knew that already. And her knack for crafting round, clever, unpretentious and unabashedly emotional and sincere songs doesn’t come as a surprise either. Yet here it’s just more mature, more acute, more polished… and deeper.
I’m reaching the point where I have to talk about one of the main catalysts for this growth and brilliance. And this would be Natalia Lafourcade’s involvement in the production of this album. Natalia discovered Carla not long ago, through MySpace and various recommendations, and soon feel in love with her talent and her voice. She even invited her to be the opening act for the official presentation of HU HU HU (which has now been released as a CD & DVD too) and also invited Carla to sing with her onstage then, and a couple of other times later. So it happened naturally that Natalia decided she wanted her first real attempt at producing someone else’s music to be this, working with sweet Carla. Carla was thrilled with the idea and they got at it right away. Carla traveled down from Tecate to Mexico City to lock herself twice at Natalia’s home studio where they recorded almost everything assisted by Neto García’s intuitive engineering and opinion (he also mixed it afterwards). Concerning this Carla has told me that the experience was especially delightful because Natalia was a very respectful producer and always told her “this is your record and you decide what goes and what doesn’t”, Morrison also told me this: “Natalia is a genius and I believe that we made a good team together, but she definitely gave so much, so much!”
One can definitely hear Natalia’s touch here, in the huge atmospheres, the desert percussion, the velvety wide spaces, and some of the echoing answers that woodwind instruments and trumpets give to Carla’s melodies. And they both share their love for the nostalgic 50s & 60s doo wop style arrangements. However I want to say it out loud: those who say Carla sounds like Natalia are seriously shortsighted. The difference is as clear to me as sunlight. And this collaboration only made it clearer to me. The first time I heard this recording I couldn’t help it, I had to close my eyes. And it happened: I saw both of them. It was almost like watching the aurora borealis, like watching the northern lights dancing. And they both had their own colors and shapes. I might be crazy, but it does happen to me. When music is truly magical, it makes me see things. "Pajarito del amor" is the perfect example; it’s the duet that just had to happen in this record. The simple acoustic guitar draws the ground for them to dance over perfectly, Carla’s voice appears and it’s like a caress to your hurting heart, and then Natalia’s voice steps in and you feel the space within you grow. Then Carla sings the chorus and Natalia hums around her voice, and it’s like watching twin water fountains dancing, like an embroidery of fireworks, but all subtle and intimate. So moving. It brings tears to my eyes.
I believe that Natalia’s presence in this recording only makes Carla shine brighter and show herself, her spirit in a way that’s purer and more beautiful than ever. That’s all it does. And this speaks tons to me about both artists. I understand better than ever the talent and reach of Carla. And I respect more than ever Natalia’s humble genius. Carla sees Mientras Tú Dormías as an EP but I see it as a short and complete album. Every song has a role to play. "Compartir," the first single, opens the album exposing Carla’s new sound in its entire splendor. It also exposes her passionate poetic contradictions that somehow click with our hearts and with the truth of being in love so well it’s scary.
Como es is surprising in its oxymoronic nature of being a cool f-you song. A song of love-gone-bad that depicts Carla as her (very Mexican) character of the despechada chanteuse. Jealousy and the treason of the ungrateful lover eventually empowers her as it allows her to understand that all the love she has to give is worth more than that. It opens her eyes: “tu acción fue mi bendición, ahora sí están abiertos mis ojos”. And I have to add that I have experienced Carla singing this one live a couple of times and it’s one of those that the crowd just loves to sing OUT LOUD! But, then again, I think that almost all of her songs make her fans go crazy that way! The trumpets near the end give it this drowsy mariachi air that ‘s just lovely.
"Suciedad" is a brokenhearted dark and moody dance of disappointment and frustration with all the dirt that at any given point we can find in ourselves, without the words or power to say them. The contrast of a shattered soul sung with such gorgeousness is one of Carla’s extraordinary strengths. The playful percussion echoes the sense of humour hidden in the lyrics: “me busco una solución, tequila o whisky, algo que me haga aunque sea balbucear”, you’ve got to love her. "Yo Sigo Aquí" is the powerhouse of the album. The first keyboard notes are recognizable Carla Morrison style, in their charming simplicity; but the drums that immediately rush in are unexpected, exciting, sexy and awesome! This could have been the second "Bestia" that many Hello Seahorse fans were expecting for their comeback but this is all Carla in her sweet heart-on-her-sleeve greatness, with a new epic reach that’s very, very welcome!
"Este momento" gives me a church choir feeling, I can almost picture Carla singing it with her guitar to a classroom full of kids, and it’s got this troubadour vibe that makes it perhaps the folksiest of the pack. Yet the wordplay exposes Carla’s deep philosophical and spiritual reflections (in her down-to-earth style) “abrazar al momento con los brazos abiertos, ahí es cuando estás realmente viviendo”. "Tu luz" walzes in as another meditation from a naked heart, but this time the vulnerability is so spiritual and poignant it brings shivers down my spine. The deep, deep bass plays so well against Carla’s voice, and when the piano solo comes in… I don’t know, faith comes back to me again! I believe that (despite the fall of the recording industry) we are truly and really being lifted to a new era of latin music. There’s hope.
"Una salida" bounces entirely on this Doo wop groove, but in such a minimalist arrangement that (honestly) when I first heard it I couldn’t stop myself from laughing! But don’t get me wrong, it is just so full of joy. I know that the lyrics are not happy. But there’s so much joy in the beauty and the melancholy of her craft that my ears and my body felt a shower of happiness upon listening to these songs, and… I just laughed, being tremendously moved. And "Pajarito del Amor" (the last song) I already talked about, but looking at it closer. We will always need songs that help us say “I’m sorry”, that help us say “I still love you”, and ultimately that help us bawl our eyes out when our hearts are full of rain. And this one bids us farewell (for now) just like that. It leaves us wanting more… and it leaves me certain that Carla Morrison has a long and fruitful career ahead of her. She is one of a kind. A true, blessed, star. We’re lucky to have her voice and songs.
And, if you will, let me just say one more thing, something really obvious, to help myself finish this: I had never heard these songs before the first time I did, and it was not long ago. And despite that, they made my heart feel so warm and full and joyous… just like that glass of chocolate milk my mom used to make for me when I was sad.
Video: Carla Morrison - "Compartir"
Featured: Los Amparito feat. Carla Morrison - "Cuatrociénegas"
Featured: Los Amparito feat. Carla Morrison -"Cuatrociénegas"
Fonogramaticos Vol.4 opened with Carla Morrison’s beautiful nana “Valentina” and was followed by Los Amparito’s hit “Por Medio de la Lectura”, seems like their styles really do get along. The new pop sensation and the folk-alternative band have released a new collaboration titled “Cuatrociénegas” as part of Carlos Pesina’s (Los Amparito mastermind) weekly Odio Los Jueves series. It’s raw and flowy, almost lo-fi, yet it’s one of Los Amparito’s most traditional pieces yet. The execution of tiny sonic explosions is phenomenal, especially in the way they counterpart Carla’s angelical vocals.
This is their second song together, last year we fell in love with Pesina’s remix of “Nunca Me Dejes”, still one of our favorite songs from Morrison’s fantastic Aprendiendo a Aprender EP. “Cuatrociénegas” is the perfect song to play on a stormy day, when one becomes aware of nature no matter what, "voy buscando un lugarcito bajo el sol." There are still no details on the much anticipated debut release by Los Amparito, but Carla’s Mientras Tu Dormias drops next month on Cosmica Records.
♫♫♫ "Cuatrociénegas"
Babaluca - The Acoustic Sessions: A Farewell to Babaluca Recorded At Radio Phoenix
Cover Picture by Iván Lizárraga
Design by Carlos Reyes
The Acoustic Sessions is an acoustic set recorded by Babaluca last year at Radio Phoenix. The band composed of Carla Morrison, Nicholas Kizer and Nikki Patte separated last year, leaving behind this wonderful set of indie-rock songs that deserve to be heard by a broader audience. Babaluca was truly one of the best bands to come out of Phoenix, they never got to record their much-desired full-length album, so this is a farewell collection showcasing 10 of their songs that will bring nostalgia to those of us who followed their steps, as well as the new fans. The set captures the band’s striking energy with songs in both, English and Spanish. Many locals remember them as “the little band that could,” but when listening to this album we can’t help but recognize it as a key piece in this city’s almost inexistent music scene. These are songs fueled with inspiring clarity and charm, these are songs to be remembered during Phoenix’s hot days and nights. Farewell Babaluca!
Babaluca. The Acoustic Sessions
A Farewell to Babaluca Recorded at Radio Phoenix
01. I’m Lost / 02. Red Eyes / 03. Que Bonito
04. Just Say It / 05. Shitballs / 06. By Your Side
07. Pan Dulce / 08. Broken Promises / 09. Struddle / 10. Because of You
Stream: Carla Morrison - "Compartir"
“Compartir” is immediately engaging; it holds the simplicity of her last EP as it welcomes a new layer of melodic sophistication; the alluring instrumentation here is not only a good example of the vintage, near-the-wall sound, its steady appearance is also mischievously visceral in all its elegancy. The entrance base is specially grabbing, opening your heart to that special someone deserves this kind of walking tall arrival. Carla’s songcraft allows her to go beyond descriptive love songs (which is why she can get away with diminutive wording), she makes poignant conversations out of them, "porque me haces enloquecer, tu me enchinas la piel." This is one gorgeous song. "Compartir" is now out on iTunes, Mientras Tu Dormias will be out in a couple of months.
Video: Carla Morrison - "Pajarito del Amor"
This is an elegant, flat-out gorgeous video of Carla Morrison singing "Pajarito del Amor", a heart-warming new song (away from loops) that will probably be part of her first LP Mientras tu Dormias, out later this year. In the last couple of months, we've become very attached to her new demos, she will be teaming up with co-producer Natalia Lafourcade soon to finish up what already seems like one of 2010's essential albums. Carla will also join Julieta Venegas as part of a choir at this year's Vive Latino. We can't emphasize it enough, what a voice! "yo se yo tengo la culpa, yo se te debo disculpas, yo se..."
Featured: Carla Morrison - "No Viniste" (Natalia Lafourcade Cover)
Featured: Carla Morrison – “No Viniste” (Natalia Lafourcade Cover)
Unreleased, Independiente
Carla Morrison just had a big boost in popularity as her song “Esta Soledad” from her recently digitally-released debut Aprendiendo a Aprender was selected as iTunes’ Free Download of the Week in both iTunes Mexico and iTunes Latino. She has received raves from just about any corner of the blogosphere, which can also be said from the amount of artists who have expressed their admiration towards the ‘new girl on town.’ Recently, she opened a show for Natalia Lafourcade and like most of us, Lafourcade became an instant fan. Later on we had them singing Lykke Li’s “Dance Dance Dance” together and collaborating at Teatro Fru Fru for Natalia’s official presentation of Hu Hu Hu.
Their friendship has endured so much that Natalia is helming Carla’s next album as a producer. We’re probably not supposed to say this but we’ve heard the first finished song from it, and it took our breath away. The album will be titled Mientras Tu Dormías and although it was originally planned as an EP, it has naturally extended into a full length feature. The album will also get a helping hand from Leon Polar, the ex-Sin Bandera singer who is winning our hearts with his support towards new emerging talent, from Pedro Piedra to Torreblanca. But enough said, let’s get to our feature.
On her recent visit to Phoenix, Carla Morrison decided to record Natalia Lafourcade’s “No Viniste”, and it sounds great. Perhaps the cover is a bit too loyal to the original, but it’s so beautiful it gives us goose bumps. Natalia just turned 26 years old, we’re sure this cover is one of the most precious gifts she received this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)