Fother Muckers - Entrega Tu Espíritu (Muerte a los Fother Muckers)

Entrega Tu Espíritu, Fother Muckers

Independiente, Chile

Rating: 79

by Andrew Casillas



The demise of Fother Muckers seems deceptively bittersweet in many fashions. For one, they aren’t exactly going away—the band has already announced plans to reassemble under the moniker Los Ases Falsos. As for lamenting their musical legacy…well, they hadn’t really built a substantial one. While they were certainly active in their time, releasing nine proper albums and EPs, they weren’t going out in some Relationship of Command-like last gasp. Fother Muckers was a good band that was getting progressively and measurably better but never quite hit that ceiling. It’s sad that this incarnation of the band is quitting while they’re ahead, but they aren’t exactly going away or squandering their potential.



In that context, Entrega Tu Espíritu serves as a proper denouement to the Fother Muckers era, while slotting neatly into the band’s musical progression. The end-of-the-world vocals, the witty lyrics, the classic rock posture—the aesthetics are rote and familiar. But this record also packs in the most professional work in their catalog. For example, the way the vocal harmonies and laid-back blues sound in “Madre del Mundo” effortlessly come together. It’s the sort of flippant ease that lesser bands spend decades trying to cultivate and yet exactly what you’d come to expect from these guys.



In a pleasant surprise, Fother Muckers have finally learned how to craft a proper pop song. “Alzad las Manos” takes a faux-Caribbean guitar lick and ska vocal and plays the entire thing straight, crafting another winner for your late-summer party mixtapes. Indeed, it’s this sort of attitude that exudes itself through the album. “Dios Esta Aqui” ends the Fother Muckers chapter on a proper note. The song reflects much of what gravitated others towards the band—nothing flashy, nothing exaggerated, but still charismatic and delightful. And while not every song on this EP is an outright winner, it’s an almost-great ending to an almost-great band. And it’ll definitely leave you excited for whatever they come up with next.

♫♫♫ "Madre del Mundo" | Download EP

Fother Muckers - Entrega Tu Espíritu (Muerte a los Fother Muckers)

This morning I found myself writing a rave review for Fother Muckers' latest video "Retorno a la Base", celebrating the band's "healthy and still rising career." Well, a few hours after publishing that post, the Chilean quartet has made an unsuspected and quite shameful announcement, they're calling it quits (?). The tomato slaughter seemed to be a bloody metaphor of what was to come. It could be our wishful fan-mode thinking, but like many other fans out there, we're a bit skeptical of the news. This is the Fother Muckers we're talking about after all; a band known for its witty dramatics. But if the news are true, we can only thank them for such an amusing career. The band says goodbye at the peak of its career, and they've released one last album in the purest FM swag. Entrega Tu Espíritu (Muerte a los Fother Muckers) counts as the band's ninth album, and on its first spin, it plays as a great last embrace. On the album's artwork, FM claims this EP is their Last Supper. (Here is hoping they also revive at the third day). Here are some excerpts from the album's back cover:

UPDATE: Fother Muckers will come back under a different name. Tentively 'Los Ases Falsos'

“Por fin es Semana Santa, momento de poner en marcha el plan este. Aprovechamos la sincronía con los eventos de aquel remoto fin de semana de locura del Nazareno para ejecutar nuestra propia despedida…. Ya se pueden escuchar los “lastima, justo cuando iban a dar el gran salto.” Este es nuestro gran salto… Dejamos botada la cruz de los Fother Muckers, apartamos un par de guardias y seguimos nuestro camino. Sírvanse este EP como una ultima cena, disfrútenla y miren como el velo se rasga en dos. El niño se vuelve hombre y el hombre se vuelve loco. Este cuento se ha acabado.”

♫♫♫ "Dios Esta Aqui"
Download EP

Video: Fother Muckers - "Retorno A La Base"

The Roberto Cisternas & Cristóbal Briceño directing duplex is back to the virtual window with another thrilling video by Fother Muckers. No other contemporary band in Latin America has accomplished such a practical videology between the prosaic and the pedestrian. Their latest addition "Retorno A La Base" (second sigle off El Paisaje Salvaje) expands the urban commonality by framing a savage landscape of The Great Tomato War, while making a parallel career-battle showing footage from Fother Muckers as they head up to perform at Chile's Lollapalooza. The red tomato slaughter accentuates the band's struggles, and the stage loops their healthy (and still rising) career into an explosive sauce.

Video: Fother Muckers - "Rondizzoni"

Whenever we talk about Fother Muckers as a band that embraces Chile's pedestrian & miserablist notions, know we're saying that in the kindest possible way. This new video directed by Roberto Cisneras & Cristobal Briceno is very supportive to our argument. The blogosphere has been a bit quiet to their recently released album El Paisaje Salvaje; a good, but hard to digest follower to their stellar Si no tienes nada que decir entonces calla (2010). The band wants to keep the momentum of their leading single "Lobo Mayor" by putting out a fun video for the new single "Rondizzoni." After doing a quick google search we found out Rondizzoni is a railway station in Santiago's metro/light rail system. Set in what seems to be a warehouse, the band throws a big theme-party of either pump-gasoline men, mechanics, or car racers (can't tell the difference). A big warehouse party of blue-collar proportions.

Video: Fother Muckers - "Ola de Terror"

“Ola de Terror” is undeniably, the best track in Fother Mucker’s career-best album Si no tienes nada bueno que decir entonces calla. We’ve already compared the vocal palette in this track to a combination of Enjambre, Los Bunkers and Juan Gabriel; yes, this is a piece built on nostalgia. "Ola de Terror" plays fantastically well while driving at night throughout the city, "tanto la belleza como el horror, no han encontrado mas grande motivacion." Their videos are always hard to sell for all those looking for picture-perfect moments, but there’s nothing more fascinating than bands revealing who they are through a clip. For once, it’s nice to see a band from our circuit not wearing skinny jeans. The redundant guy in the introduction makes the whole video be worthwhile: “in simple words it’s a great Chilean band, their sound is original, very simple, and above all, very original.”

♫♫♫ "Ola de Terror"

Fother Muckers Introduce Themselves in GoldenHits Compilation

Chilean label Cazador leads our latest compilation with three spots (Protistas, La Reina Morsa & TV Gamma), not a total surprise considering the top-notch quality of their catalogue. Fother Muckers is one of the label’s most well known bands, they recently released their career-best album Si No Tienes Nada Bueno Que Decir Entonces Calla, which we described as an album that “voids choice while still holds its pieces together by means of experience, and yes, some tricks.” The band is has made an ironic and well-laughed ‘golden hits’ career compilation album Introduccion a los Fother Muckers - Oro Solido: Una Coleccion Personal, celebrating their three years of existence.

The 23-track compilation also features a fan-only extra disc titled Menudencias featuring an interesting archive of rare and unreleased material. If you don’t know Fother Muckers yet, this is the perfect opportunity to get to meet them. This release includes a brand new video from the band, I can’t really describe it, but it’s fun, pay attention all those Piyama Party fans!
Download the compilation HERE.

Si no tienes nada que decir entonces calla, Fother Muckers

Si no tienes nada que decir
entonces calla, Fother Muckers
Cazador, Chile
Rating: 77
By Carlos Reyes

Fother Muckers is one of those bands you learn to recognize through the years but get lost in the bunch. They don’t show much personality beyond their cool band name, nor is their music immediately arousing, but I always find myself interested. With four releases under their belt, the band is earning respect and a well base of followers, their latest installment is sure to conquer more hearts. Si no tienes nada que decir entonces calla is their most inspiring moment yet. While the album’s title doesn’t do much for me, it does find its place throughout the album. Not to say this is an album framed by positivism, it rather avoids choice while still holds its pieces together by means of experience and yes, some tricks.

The band assimilates new behaviors; while in the past they fell a bit short from emotional input, this time they arrive by any means necessary. What seemed like a jagged path towards success is now merely a consequence of their thriving disposition. The bumps and obtrusiveness of its instruments now found ground for discovery, and for a change, this time the vocals feel like they’re actually attached to the music. Let’s not consume this band on its abstract (there’s just too much of it), Fother Muckers aren’t very aggressive; in fact, they go beyond laidback and kind of stand on disinterested ground more often than not. This lazy distress is another side of the performing arts, and this band really likes it (and practices it). Such behavior is best shown in songs like “Nunca se apaga” or “Decirlo y no decirlo”, both constructed on short phrasing and although strong on the surface, they follow a conduct and restrain themselves to serve a purpose.

While these characteristics would usually sum up to a bad album, this is far from it. See, this is so well adjusted one learns to recognize the method and at the same time, embrace it. Slow-paced perhaps, but there is variation among its promptness, or else “Gente Tan Diferente” would seem mindless. “Jessica” sounds like some hybrid from Domingo En Llamas and Teleradio Donoso, the vague surprising moment in the album. “Ola de Terror” is my favorite track, it’s big and within the context of the album, the one moment that escapes reclusion. Vocally, it resembles Enjambre, Los Bunkers and Juan Gabriel! Si no tienes nada que decir… is missing a couple of volume bars, but it’s an admirable and bold achiever.

♫♫♫ "Ola de Terror"
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