Video: Hello Seahorse! - "Me He Convertido"

At this point you're either still down with Hello Seahorse! or you've outgrown them. After 2012’s disjointed and disappointing Arunima, it appeared we were heading for the the latter category. This year’s new wave-charged (and decent) single, “Animal”, has reset our expectations, just in time to prepare for their upcoming album, Entretanto.

Latest video "Me He Convertido" continues their four-part short series, rolling out in descending order. Denise Gutiérrez's voice enters through a dark, sparse production which leads to a sweeping conclusion illuminated by electronic and thumping grooves. Translating this drama is a young female dancer who is later accompanied by a painted man not unlike Carla Morrison’s latest clip (although not as sloppy). The video has some moments, particularly the shaky rotating shots when the two leads spar with movement. It is also clear from this song that Hello Seahorse! have not abandoned the moody theatrics that has been both their trademark and what makes their music frustrating. "Me He Convertido", however, works as a rousing listen. Which we will certainly help us approach Entretanto with open ears.

Hello Seahorse! - Arunima

Arunima, Hello Seahorse!
MUN/EMI, Mexico
Rating: 74
by Sam Rodgers

Mexico's Hello Seahorse! return with their fifth studio album, Arumina, a word which apparently signifies the glow of dawn. The ripple of synths that open first track "Buen Viaje" herald the sun breaking over the horizon, but one suspects the adage about a red morning being the sailor's warning might hold true for this collection of focused, defiant songs. Denise Gutiérrez (Lo Blondo) leads the band like the general of an army, loud enough to reach the nosebleed section, Hello Seahorse! are taking that exclamation mark very seriously, they want to fill stadiums. Even when Lo Blondo's lyrics are about letting go, if you're the person in question, you'll still see her face on every maxi-screen around you—you are not to forget.

For a band with such a signature sound as Lo Blondo's soprano-rock voice, it's hard to pin down what soundscape they want to inhabit. They've gone from cute, put-a-bird-on-it indie, all hand claps and melodica, to pop rock, and more recently to a much darker, experimental place, like they've decided that to be taken seriously, you must be stone-faced serious. For this reason, it's harder to warm to a Hello Seahorse! track these days, unless you happen to be in a similarly downbeat or angsty frame of mind. Listening seriously, and critically, there's much to admire about the ideas floated during the eleven tracks of Arunima. The production by Grammy-winning producer and composer Camilo Froideval is slick, giving the album a grand, symphonic sound, whilst keeping Lo Blondo's voice front and center. Case in point, "Tristes," with its woodwind, clicks, and smoky jazz club bass line, makes you visualize Lo Blondo entertaining gentlemen like Jessica Rabbit. You can almost see them mesmerized and a little frightened by the siren song. Unfortunately, "Tristes" doesn't fulfil its club lounge style promises. The general signals for the drums, and what could've been a cheeky, sexy breather becomes another stadium rocker, reminiscent of Sweet & Sour, Hot y Spicy-era Ely Guerra. While not necessarily a bad thing, it skews the band's attempts at capturing their own sound, which is driven by the phrasing and timbre of Lo Blondo's voice.

Thankfully, the tracks are scattered with her yelps and squeals and other throat-trickery, and, when paired with the right instrument (like the glockenspiel at the end of title track, or the synth opener “huh!”s of "No Es Que No Te Quiera"), it's easier to throw your rock star-gloved fist in the air. Yes, Lo Blondo, we're with you! Standout track "No Te Vayas Al Bosque" opens with whistling and choppy piano chords, the band tentatively steps in, ducks back out, then returns with horns for a memorable rollick through the forest. Strangely, lead single, "Para Mí," with its straightforward urgency, actually isolates the singer, it's cold, desperate, kinda scary. Again, a song constructed more for the mosh pit than audio intimacy.

The album fluctuates between this hot and cold, pull and push soundscape, like Lo Blondo doesn't want you to fall too much in love with her singular and beautiful instrument. It's a difficult album to listen to in one go, drowned in emotive sound which overshadows more nuanced and interesting flourishes in parts. The band turns it up to 11 too often, which may ingratiate or frustrate, depending on whether a listener is a long-term fan or not. (Or is the type to lap up Florence and The Machine.) In fact, this is what might be the problem. When the singer's voice is as big a prospect as the rest of the band, something has got to give. When both work harmoniously, though, Arunima shines golden, if off the hilt of Lo Blondo's sword.

Alondra de la Parra - Travieso Carmesí

Travieso Carmesí,
ALONDRA DE LA PARRA
Columbia, México
Rating: 76
by Blanca Méndez

In this slough of the Calderón years and the failed war on drugs, much of the news about Mexico that reaches us in the States involves violence, corruption, and fear. But last year, in the country’s bicentennial, the air was more jubilant and festive. In the fireworks and confetti we saw a nation’s deep love for their country, and it was inspiring. One of the most moving celebrations was Alondra de la Parra conducting the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas in a performance of some of the most treasured pieces in Mexico’s memory. They, accompanied by three of the country’s loveliest voices (Ely Guerra, Denise Guiterrez of Hello Seahorse!, and Natalia Lafourcade), paid stunning tribute to their beloved Mexico with Travieso Carmesí.

Alondra de la Parra is one of today’s most talented conductors, having founded the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at the age of 23 and having conducted some of the most accomplished ensembles in the world in captivating and stirring performances of works that range from European standards to South American ballets. On this album, she directs her orchestra in performances of 10 classic Mexican songs that are at times bold and aggressive and at times light and delicate, but always respectful of the original compositions.

On the latest Hello Seahorse! album, Denise Gutierrez explores the operatic ranges of her voice and, while this move may not have been well-received by everyone, in this setting no one can deny the splendor of her voice. The vocals unfurl lovingly as Gutierrez embellishes the classics while still maintaining a marked reverence for the history of the songs. In “Estrellita,” a song composed by Manuel M. Ponce in 1912, Gutierrez relishes in the warmth of the lower notes, then soars into higher octaves effortlessly in a mesmerizing rendition of the timeless song.

The sweetness of Natalia Lafourcade’s voice is perfect for Agustin Lara’s “Farolito.” Even the song’s arrangement – the pleasant cadence of the brass, measured march of the snare, fluttering flute, dainty xylophone, and elegantly swelling strings – suit Lafourcade’s style. In “La Llorona,” Ely Guerra’s smoky voice with its signature seductive melancholy takes control of a song that’s intimidating in all aspects. Guerra manages to navigate the emotional complexities of the song and delivers a beautifully nuanced performance.

In the songs featuring all three singers (“Cielito Lindo” and “Solamente Una Vez”), their voices complement each other and allow each other to shine with an almost “you first, no you first” respect and admiration for one another. This isn’t a VH1 Divas-style sing-off. It’s not even really about the women singing. It’s about the country they are singing to and about capturing the attention of a younger generation so that they can come to appreciate and love the music of their grandparents and great-grandparents and perhaps, through that music, gain a better understanding of the history of the country that they call home.

LAMC 2011 Lineup: Rita Indiana, Ximena Sariñana, Napoleon Solo, Francisca Valenzuela, Hello Seahorse! + More

Club Fonograma had LAMC fever last year when our beloved writer Blanca Méndez (a newbie back then) and guest photographer JP Abello brought the one-week experience to our personal computers. CF won’t be covering this year’s Latin Alternative Music Conference unfortunately, but that doesn’t stop us from getting excited about it. Plenty of people we love will be there. LAMC week will run July 6-9 and, as it does every year, will bring Latin Alternative’s cream of the crop to New York City. What we love about this event is that it’s not only an industry forum, but is also people-oriented. Some of this year’s exciting performers include Los Lobos, Ely Guerra, Hello Seahorse!, Ximena Sariñana, Choc Quib Town, and Francisca Valenzuela. New York will also get to see hot new bands like Venezuela’s La Vida Boheme and Spain’s Napoleon Solo. And, of course, there’s something about RITA INDIANA playing at Central Park that just seems epic.

♫♫♫ Poncho feat. Shannon Funchess of !!! - "D.I.S.C.O"
♫♫♫ Anthony Santos (Uproot Any Moombachata Mix) - "Vete"
♫♫♫ Ximena Sariñana - "Tu y Yo"
♫♫♫ Napoleon Solo - "Lolaila Carmona"

Video: Hello Seahorse! - "Me Has Olvidado"

The physical edition of Lejos. No Tan Lejos, the third full-length album by Hello Seahorse! is out now in the U.S. via Nacional Records. Although a grower, the universal reception of the album seems to be more respectful than enthusiastic. The band has had to reconcile with its audience one step at a time, and we’re glad they’re picking the right singles to make that happen. “Me Has Olvidado” is one of those operatic songs that (without asking), stamps into your walls and is hard to let go. Music video director Diego Martinez Ulanosky is creating a solid body of work as the band’s recurring audiovisual creative. Here, they pick up on the narrative of their ghostly video for “Un Año Quebrado”, where a man goes on a journey to realize he’s dead. This time, the band stands on what seems like the ruins of a cathedral, looking pretty evil and entertained watching a man ‘detach’ his life strings. Conceptually, this looks like a frame of De Palma’s The Black Dahlia, except that here, we could argue LoBlondo and his allies are having a great time deciding the faith of the poor man.

Video: Hello Seahorse! - “Un Año Quebrado”

The overall response to Hello Seahorse!’s third LP Lejos. No Tan Lejos has been a bit lukewarm, but let’s remember they took major risks and shifts many bands don’t ever attempt to get near in a lifetime. If there’s a song that can actually bring a full ensemble response from the audience is “Un Año Quebrado”, which only becomes more gorgeous with every spin, “it’s the one point in the album where all the melodious rumbling is given actual form.” The band has released a thrilling video directed by Diego Martinez Ulanosky, who also directed “Criminal.” hard to describe, it’s ghostly and religious, a one-man’s journey to a frightening discovery, -spoiler- he’s dead. LoBlondo looks stunning as usual, and those bird-nesting screams at the end still give me goosebumps.

Hello Seahorse! - Lejos. No Tan Lejos

Lejos. No Tan Lejos, Hello Seahorse!
MUN, México
Rating: 79
By Jean-Stephane Beriot

Being labeled as Mexico’s new great band is a heavy title, but Hello Seahorse! keeps things in perspective, persisting on a personal artistic approach that’s unattached to their increasing popularity. By now, many of us have completely forgotten about their sunny-bright beginnings. In a matter of two years, Hello Seahorse! grew up into a multidimensional band with the ideas and skill to merit universal acclaim. The buzz for Bestia began almost a year prior to its release, the industry smelled a potential masterpiece, and they delivered nothing less than that. After a couple of Latin Grammy nominations, an MTV award, and massive crowds singing “Bestia” (Vive Latino, Rock Al Parque) the band got back to the studio fairly quick (perhaps too soon).

As opposed to what was expected, the release of Lejos. No Tan Lejos has been somewhat underwhelming; there’s barely any buzz around it, and although “Casa Vacia” is fairly great, no one can argue it is miles away from a potential hit. There isn’t a single anthem in the album, and it’s missing the coherence of its predecessors, but their fourth release isn't disappointment at all. Album opener “Ginebra Dulce” upfronts the album’s intense display of LoBlondo’s vocals, which are literally formatted as an instrument throughout the album. And this is where Hello Seahorse! either triumphs or disappoints. When they get it right (Casa Vacia, 7 Dias, Perla Blanca) they really sound like they’re on top of their progression, other pieces just feel like self-assuring jazzy fillers (Fieras, La Tumba, Lejos No Tan Lejos).

“Un Año Quebrado” is the album’s most accomplished track; it’s the one point in the album where all the melodious rumbling is given an actual form. Lo Blondo’s crescendos are endorsed in an almost monumental way through the band’s industrialized hooks. The other really high moment in the album is the heart trenching live-recorded “Velo de Novia.” You just can’t get any darker than this; it roars its electronics and are picked up by haunting Ranchero-Opera passages. Lyrically, it’s a hard one to pass on as well, “lagrimas que yo guardaba para ti.” The album is not an extension of Bestia, this is more of a transitory album where they have set new horizons. Their vision is blurry and their ambition is profound, yet Lejos. No Tan Lejos (produced by Money Mark & Yamil Rezc) is an interesting step on the band’s competence to test and stylize music through nostalgic lens.

Bimexicano, Nuestros Clásicos Hechos Rock, Varios Artistas

Bimexicano, Nuestros Clasicos Hechos Rock.

Varios Artistas

Nacional Records, Mexico/Mexican Honorees

Rating: 60

by Carlos Reyes

Mexico’s Bicentenario is a big deal, my friend Aldo Alvarez Tostado couldn’t say it better “it’s not about celebrating the ineptitude of our political apparatus or the questionable side of our social movements… Mexico is much more than its failed political record… I celebrate a fascinating, complex, monumental, almost indecipherable nation, Mexico is the motor of my curiosity, of my searches.” If all the events and projects leading to this celebration were in the name such feelings, keep the love coming. Nacional Records’ Bimexicano is a compilation featuring some of today’s most well-known Latin alternative acts versioning classic Boleros and Rancheras.

Bimexicano is not a scattered pop anthology of the Mexican folklore, it’s much more sophisticated; these are songs every Mexican and non-Mexican know. Only half of the album’s lineup is exciting (and only a few get it right), but it’s interesting to see different generations thrown into the mix. Jaguares starts the festivity with a surprisingly refreshing cover of “La Martiniana”, after years of creative decline they’ve managed to sound sober, almost refreshing. Natalia Lafourcade’s version of “La Cigarra” is predictable, but engaging from beginning to end. We never want to bring up Enrique Bunbury, but, seriously? His cult is so scary. The best moment of the album arrives with the always-reliable Los Aterciopelados with a heart-punching cover of "Un Mundo Raro"; they have a masterful eye for dramatization unlike the very underwhelming and gimmick versions by Sussie 4, Le Baron, and Sr. Flavio.

Nuestros Clasicos Hechos Rock misses substance and barely has any personality between one artist to the next, but the transcendental songs save the day. At the end, these altered reinterpretations work as ideas and good-intentioned cultural leisure.

New Single: Hello Seahorse! - "Casa Vacía"

After the astounding success of Bestia, Mexico’s new great band got back to the recording studio fairly quick to record Lejos. No tan lejos, the third full album by Hello Seahorse! By now, the band has completely bonded with main producer Yamil Rezc who captures, extracts and pushes Hello Seahorse! outside their own dreams, at least instrumentally. In their first single “Casa Vacía” they teamed up with producer Money Mark (Bestie Boys), who was astonished by LoBlondo’s top-notch vocals a few months ago and now puts full attention to her glorious instrument. “Casa Vacía” serves from that gifted and well-trained voice, this time really outputting nostalgia for celestial echoing.

If they moved from bedroom-pop to haunted house-rock in the …And the Jellyfish Parade-Bestia bridge, “Casa Vacía” sounds like Hello Seahorse! experiencing the heavens. The song recalls those beautiful passages from “El Recuerdo”, "Volando Me Voy" and the falling aftermath of Enjambre’s “Impacto.” It’s not the catchiest song out there, and it doesn’t smell like a hit either, but finding beauty in emptiness is like appreciating silence as a narrative, a rare beauty. For a band that has proven to be transcendental since day one, “Casa Vacia” is a knockout.

Featured: Hello Seahorse! - "Volando Me Voy" (PEACE)

Feature: Hello Seahorse! - "Volando Me Voy"
PEACE Compilation, Mexico

“PEACE, the first music atlas in the net, coproduced by Buffetlibre and Amnesty International Catalunya. Just make your donation and download the full mp3 compilation, with 180 exclusive new songs by artists from more than 50 countries. The collected money will be used for AI’s investigation and action campaigns aimed at preventing cases of Human Rights abuses around the world.”

This is an awesome project that has been in the works for many months now, while the songs themselves might not be exclusively written for PEACE, there’s so much quality here no one would be able to refer to them as leftovers. When the non-profit organization reached out to us, they gave us the freedom to choose a song for us to share with you. And it was a hard task, and although there’s some great songs in there by Mexican Institute of Sound, Francisca Valenzuela, Entre Rios and Club Fonograma forever-approved Javiera Mena and Triangulo de Amor Bizarro. At he end we just couldn't resist the marvelous “Volando Me Voy” by Hello Seahorse!

Listening to “Volando Me Voy” is like discovering a whole new layer of Hello Seahorse!, equally transcendent to something as “Universo 2” but with a feverous pulse to it. The band is currently working on a new album to follow their internationally acclaimed Bestia. Coming from someone who went through the entire 180 songs I can pretty much say this compilation transcends its good intentions and becomes an essential collection of global pop. Listen to all the songs and buy the PEACE compilation HERE.

♫♫♫ "Volando Me Voy"
MySpace

Video: Torreblanca - "Defensa"

The stunningly gorgeous website Oh Colour Me In premiered Torreblanca’s very first music video “Defensa”, the first single from the band’s upcoming Defensa EP. The video is as intense as the song, inquietante. Well, things get even more exciting as the same website is also streaming the 4-track release. The physical release should arrive soon. As stated before, the album features collaborations with Natalia Lafourcade and LoBlondo from Hello Seahorse! From initial spins, we can pretty much predict that we’ll be listening o it a lot. We’ll be reviewing it soon, but pay close attention to “Parece Navidad”, heart-trenching!

Download "Impacto" (Enjambre + LoBlondo) at Reactor's Zona de Descargas

We're not really sure how long it's been out but Enjambre’s collaboration with Hello Seahorse!’s LoBlondo is now available for freee download through Reactor’s Zona de Descargas. The track features two of our favorite voices in Latin Alternative and was recently released on a digital edition of Enjambre’s El Segundo Es Felino, this is your chance to freeload one of our favorite songs of 2009 (at #42) and one of Reactor’s Top 10 songs on their year’s countdown. Download it HERE.

Reptilectric Revisitado, Zoé

REPTILECTRIC REVISITADO, ZOE
EMI Televisa, Mexico
Rating: 71
By Carlos Reyes

Reptilectric is without a doubt, Zoe’s most divisive record yet. You might not agree, but as of today, they’re Mexico’s most important band (putting Café Tacvba aside for obvious reasons), our staff predicts Hello Seahorse! will be ready to earn such a tag in the upcoming years. Reptilectric is hopefully their last galactic album, we’re hoping for them to acquire a first wave mentality so they can free themselves just a little bit. Among the many triumphs of this album, is their entrance to the U.S. market, there’s are plenty of rock bands selling in the American market but only a few (Cerati, Tacvba) can claim to have a transnational label behind them.

Reptilectric Revisitado is a reexamination of their album by renowned remixers and newbies. It’s a bright idea and in a way, a measure of the songs to determine if they’re extensions of Zoe or just product of them. And it’s a nice surprise; it isn’t one of those releases trying get your money just because some known DJ decided to play with it, as a whole, it acquires a persona of its own although never sounding as good as the original material, which was not expected I should say. Let’s start with the worst, that being Sebastian Tellier’s revisit of “Nada”, he’s got the recognition but he makes a tiresome almost empty mix that breaks the song into pieces. Panico’s “Ultimos Dias” and Mad Proffessor’s “Fantasma” try to go very far but barely push these songs a few inches. Dramian & Luriel took “Reptilectric” to a lovable stature, there’s sonic depth all throughout except they kind of forgot about the actual song.

The Glimmers got it right; “Sombras” attains a new form without drowning the original content. Same could be said about Yamil Rezc’s take on the same song or “No Hay Dolor” by Vitamins For You (which could’ve had a change in its title to “No Hay Dolar”). Now, the truly great stuff is brought by Schneider TM’s loop on “Poli” he gives it plenty of air almost making a reggae out it. Also, the always in motion, always dueling “Neandertal” by Mexico’s very own bright Bufi. Finally, there are two very pop but not mainstream reincarnations of “Luna”, the best in the album by far. First, Hello Seahorse! not remixing but covering the beautiful “Luna”, it displays some of Denisse’s most precious qualities as a vocalist and through some changes in the song’s structure, they pretty much own it. But it is Natalia Lafourcade who really hits the ball out of the park, filtering the best out of “Luna” (its depth, its lyrics and Leon’s despaired vocals), and she makes them float in a beautiful suspension that’s picked up by her very own vocals and subtle touches. A nice side to Zoe’s galaxy and not just a fans-only album.

Video: Enjambre feat. LoBlondo - "Impacto"

Part of Hello Seahorse!’s most significant changes in Bestia is LoBlondo’s decision to not only write an album entirely in Spanish, but to construct such songs in a glossy almost traditional way. In fact, she claims that they’re structured similarly to those classic songs by José José. This doesn’t make them any less pop or any less rock, a rare quality we’ve been praising Enjambre for. The band had nothing but splendid reactions at this year’s Vive Latino where they invited Denisse to sing “Impacto” with them, the song is a blast and they grabbed some footage for a video. This is the fifth single from El Segundo Es Felino and the song should be able to touch the young hearts while bringing nostalgia to your lovely parents. A lovely girl meets boy tune and it really sounds colossal, again, what a wonderful pair of enthralling voices.

Nacional Records Sampler 2009. The New Sounds of Latin Music

Nacional Records is our favorite U.S. based label because, well, they got the most amazing catalog, and the people behind it make it all that more special. Their 2009 sampler is now available for free download over at Amazon, that's 21 songs! It includes some hot new songs from their new releases including King Coya, Latin Bitman, Pacha Massive and Tonino Carotone. Plus songs by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Aterciopelados, M.I.S., Manu Chao, Juana Molina among others. Get it!

Nacional Records Sampler 2009. The New Sounds of Latin Music

01 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - CJ
02 Aterciopelados – Bandera
03 Mexican Institute of Sound - Yo Digo Baila
04 Pacha Massive - If You Want It
05 Uproot Andy - Brooklyn Cumbia
06 Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich+Fussible - Shake It Up
07 Bomba Estereo - Cosita Rica
08 Latin Bitman - Help Me (feat. Francisca Valenzuela)
09 King Coya - Trocintro (Extended Version)
10 Fidel - Puerta De Oro (con Pablo Lescano)
11 Todos Tus Muertos - Mate
12 The Pinker Tones - Happy Everywhere
13 Hello Seahorse! - Bestia (Julieta Venegas Remix)
14 Tonino Carotone - Amar Y Vivir
15 Señor Coconut - La Vida Es Llena De Cables
16 Monareta - Llama
17 Eric Bobo - Chicken Wing ft. The Demigodz
18 Gonzalo Yañez - Encadenado
19 Juana Molina - Insensible
20 Sara Valenzuela - Esta Vez
21 Manu Chao - Clandestino (Live)

Compilación 8106

What a nice way to round up Labor Day than to find a new song by Bufi available to download. “No Hay Nada Que Perder” is the new single from Bufi’s follow up Poni Republic release to his fantastic debut Homeless Hero. The song is included in 8106’s three-tracked compilation available to download through Reactor’s Zona de Descargas (which you should be checking periodically). It also includes Toy Selectah’s MexMore remix to “Bestia” and the fantastically tuned, bestoftheyear material that is Disco Ruido’s mix for “Datos Intimos” by She’s A Tease. Download it here.

Track Review: "Criminal", Hello Seahorse!

HELLO SEAHORSE! - Criminal
Mun
Bestia
Rating: 9.0

(7.5) Andrew Casillas. For an album that tries to sound as deliberately paranoid as Bestia, "Criminal" is a breath of pine scented air. Beginning with a fairly typical post-punk instrumental, Lo Blondo's vocals float over the track in an almost prescient fashion, at least until the 2 and a half minute mark, where the vocals actually float. From there, the tempo gets kicked up as "Criminal" goes into dance party mode. What's that, a Hello Seahorse! song that you can dance to?! YES. If only the whole thing were just the second half...

(9.2) Carlos Reyes. The third single from Bestia is a brilliant moment of clarity for Hello Seahorse! “Criminal” is in itself, an encounter of the band’s former sound in composition with their inner desire. It starts on violent passionate terms “Se me secaron las lagrimas de mi mente criminal” that could’ve been part of The Honeymoon Killers or even more interesting Profundo Carmesi, only to shift the music through a vey danceable tune that makes the whole situation hypnotic and spellbinding. Death, sacrifice and promises are elevations of a narrative that ends up being supportive to their smash it “Bestia” and a mesmerizing hymn of its own.

(9.5) Jean-Stephane Beriot. As the months pass by I become more attached to the lastest album by HS!, not only for its emotionally-driven songs but also for its fearful premise. “Criminal” is one of several songs that bleeds feeling from its core and yet feels like it could’ve been part of Hoy a las Ocho. I’m going to sound like the guys from Pitchfork when they review Spanish-language albums but sometimes I do struggle to get some of the lyrics and as a funny fact, it bothered me that the song states that everyone has a poem inside, sounded cheesy as hell but I had to revise my statement once I learned it says “everyone has a beast inside” and it just redefined the song completely. A knockout!

(9.7) Juan Manuel Torreblanca. This song is the bomb! A complex piece built upon several parts; brilliant melodies, crunchy and exciting beats, deeply woven synths, & (finally) a dancey upbeat groove that links it to Hello Seahorse’s past without disconnecting from the concept that the first hit off the record Bestia established for the whole. On the contrary, “Criminal” elaborates on it bringing us to the marrow: todos tenemos una bestia por dentro que vive de nuestras lágrimas y fracasos, pero duerme si le hacemos entender que su papel es existir y no insistir… genius. And how exquisite is that voice?

Video: "Despues", Hello Seahorse!

New video for "Despues", the second single from Hello Seahorse! or THE band of 2009. We honestly raised our eyebrows when we learned this was the second single, it's a great song but it's anything but radio-friendly considering the phenomenom "Bestia" has come to be. "Despues" unleashes some of the best vocals LoBlondo has done and a great showcase of into-space musical discharge by Oro de Nata and Bonnz.

Video: "Mermaid Sashimi", Juan Son

Juan Son’s terrific first solo album finally releases a video for its second single “Mermaid Sashimi”, I’m not impressed. It's not as round and hypnotizing as the video for “Nada” but notorious director ‘Chiva’ adds another title to his already impressive resume which includes Los Bunkers, Belanova, El Otro Yo and Quiero Club. The video unleashes the dark humor of its title, over the top as it should be, but fails to be rhythmic. It was fun to see his MTV spots but "Mermaid Sashimi" needs more blood on it, it would've made it more mythical an less photographic, sometimes it’s just plain ridiculous and tortures the song instead of the mermaid, too many interlinear plots, etc. etc. It has a fantastic cinematography and art direction, but the look is too shiny for such an edgy song, needs bleakness. Everything gets better towards the end and although it doesn’t fully convince me it’s always great to see Juan Son’s mis-en-scene talents and his weird/confused facial expressions.
He kinda looks like Mike Myers in The Cat in the Hat.

Julieta Venegas remixes Hello Seahorse!

By now you know "Bestia" is not only the song of the year (although quietly released last year) but also one of the anthems of the decade, it's doing great on iTunes as Single of the Week (both U.S. and Latino) and Nacional Records is releasing the album digitally in the states. The band provided the material on their website for anyone to make a remix for their single, and we can't wait to hear all of them. Julieta Venegas did a remix of her own, the very first one she has ever done, and it's sublime!

♫♫♫ "Bestia" (Julieta Venegas Remix)