Showing posts with label jessy bulbo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jessy bulbo. Show all posts

Club Fonograma x Ruido Fest 2016

A photo posted by Dani 👁👁 (@_badgaldani) on

Club Fonograma has been invited back to Ruido Fest for the 2016 edition of Chicago's premiere "Latin Alternative" Music Festival. Last year was glorious- an affirmation of the power of Club Fonograma and our quest to catalog and document emerging and established music from our milieu. From hanging out backstage with Dënver, getting drunk with Silverio and Jessy Bulbo (Jessy, I still have your luggage), to performing onstage with Maria y José, Ruido Fest 2015 was the place to be.

A photo posted by Dani 👁👁 (@_badgaldani) on

This year, we will have the privilege of hanging out with Ibiza Pareo all weekend- fresh from their Argentinian Grammy nomination. We will also be catching up with Marineros and hand delivering some flowers to our girls, Natalia Lafourcade and Las Robertas. We most definitely will make contact with Miranda! and touch base on their artistic trajectory and their collaborations with our prince of pop, Alex Anwandter. We wanna chill hang with Helado Negro and personally thank him for the shout out he gave Club Fonograma in the LA Times. & Silverio might not attack me with a beer this year so there is plenty to look forward to this weekend at Ruido Fest 2016.

A photo posted by 🏴 zé 👼🏾 (@pepe.acab) on

Purchase tickets here and stay tuned for Ruido Fest 2017. There were many Club Fonograma favorites who were considered for the 2016 edition of the fest (Javiera Mena, Alex Anwandter, Fakuta, Ases Falsos, Diosque, Tego Calderon) that might make the cut next year. Check out our in-depth coverage of Ruido Fest 2015 and our explosive conversations with Dënver, Silverio, Jessy Bulbo, and more.

los enamorados, Dani & Gio. 

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Jessy Bulbo - Changuemonium

Changuemonium, Jessy Bulbo
Masare Records, Mexico
Rating: 89
by Zé Garcia

The impish brilliance of the funk-cumbia-salsa of “Alma Traviesa" cannot be overstated. Back break horn sections fit for a Blaxploitation film, Bulbo’s idiosyncratic voice sounding like a submerged mermaid, cover art that has Jessy looking chola health goth, the religious fever of that keyboard organ. Where is Jessy Bulbo's head at these days? "Alma Traviesa" wasn’t the first single off Changuemonium, however. Somehow we missed the first cut, the bombshell merengue of "Cuando Rie”. The banda breakdown into that short-lived EDM buildup will literally make your eyes roll into the back of your head and keep going 360. I caught up with Jessy for some Behind The Music during her time in Chicago and let me tell you, "Cuando Rie" is the tragedy of DIY / indie cultural production. "Cuando Rie" was submitted for radio airplay consideration to great enthusiasm. Our corporate radio curators (read: overlords) wanted to play it on both Mexican & U.S. markets, they wanted Jessy to bleep out the word cabrón, and asked for a few thousand dollars to keep it on rotation for a single month. #Payola. #2015. The music industrial complex strikes again and “Cuando Rie” did not become 2015’s indie to radio crossover, to the detriment of every binational Que Buena listener out there. Radio listeners needed something of this caliber, something beyond the safety of today's monotony or the nostalgia of yesterday's hits. Radio needed "Cuando Rie". 

The sad-melody driven “Anabel” has Jessy sounding more like Chava Flores than ever before. Jessy paints a portrait of a tropical morena who eats “cocos & bananas tiernas” and wants a "casita en la playa”. Jesse wants to be the chango that hides in the palm tree in Anabel's patio. Did we mention the song is written about Anabel from the Caribbean folk pop duo, Las Acevedo? “Asegun” is one of a few whimsical banda numbers on Changuemonium that are thematically reminiscent of the psychomagical imagery of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s “Santa Sangre”. "Asegun" is a dark revelation of the constantly crumbling and rebuilding human psyche: "Y el vacío existencial ¿Con qué se me llenará? ¿Y esta fea sensación de no ser lo que yo soy?” The music suddenly fades to black. Album highlight "Hasta Siempre” (formerly titled "Amor Sin Dueño") sounds like Banda in Toyland, the flair of the horns so Juan Gabriel. Tequilazos are in order. "Ay Ay Ay" makes use of guitars, frames male sexual aggression ("no me trates de visita conyugal") and in a colloquial naca kind of way declares, "Hombre, si yo soy re agradable".

“No Es Pa Tanto” is colossal and playful with a cumbia synth breakdown that sounds like The Classics. "Mándalo a la tienda por unas chelas..." the track begins,  ascending towards a brainworm only Jessy could have created. "No Es Pa Tanto" isn't just anti-monogamy, it breaks down why monogamy is harmful to our being: our relationships should be romances, neither tribunals or cages with flowers. It reminds us that human nature is programmable, the vibrant dynamics of our potential selves can be siphoned into one dimensional, insipid beings. In this case, our joyless / unchill / soul-crushing culture is being manufactured by the (anti-woman, racist, classist) narratives of obedience circulated by telenovelas. A gracious chorus that sounds legendary, Jessy flirts with us on the bachata into cumbia hybrid of the crazysexycool “Romance”, originally titled "Romance Bonobo". The way Jessy enunciates words like "toma mi cintura / un encanto", the tropical vignette she paints; "Viernes por la noche / en la selva", the track is anthropomorphic story telling at its most seductive: "fuimos muy juntitos a bañarnos al rio / nos mareaba el néctar de un coco con ron", complete with the sounds of ocean side seagulls. Banda meets 4x4 pop stabs on "Sabes Que” and Jessy totally loses it. Again. She's issuing death threats, she's "rapping" with the "cúcara, mácara, títere, fue" (the Mexican version of eenie meanie miney mo)- she digresses- demands the use of fireworks, "échen cuetes! échen los cuetes!". The saccharine brilliance of album closer "Vuélvete" finds itself somewhere between Televisa pop & Angelo Badalamenti's work on Twin Peaks. Jessy sounds like el diablo con cara de angel: Thalia, the dramatic strings like they could accompany the voice of another demon, RBD's Anahi, but the track is good so it comes off as Paulina Rubio's best output in the 90s. The song is about falling in love but it is also a riddle about the occult message of the heart and Jessy's "latido salvaje". 

It is Jessy’s shape shifting vitality that carries the hedonistic spirit of Changuemonium. Jessy infuses the bizarre pop spirit of the record with banda, cumbia, bachata, salsa, & funk and delivers one of the catchiest albums of the year, oscillating between the gaudy and the brilliant. There is not a single “punk” song on the album but this should surprise no one after 2010's Telememe. To continue selling Jessy Bulbo as Mexico's "punk riot grrrrl" is lethargic music journalism that does not encapsulate the fullness of her exhaustive sonic gymnastics. Jessy is simply too interested in seemingly everything else to ever be typecast into a single niche. In an era when the strange can be synonymous with sinister discomfort, Jessy Bulbo does "weird" by being earnest & ludic.
Labels: , , , , ,

Ruido Fest 2015: Festival Report

 "¿Que me dura la tecnologia?" - Silverio

 by Zé García Puga
Images by Daniela Galindo, Giovanni Guillén, Zé Garcia-Puga, & Souad Martin-Saoudi

Day 1 

The Club Fonograma experience began on Thursday, July 9th. Me and Georgie (the bae) picked up a sleep deprived Maria y José (Tony) from Midway Airport (we were an hour late but Tony is chill). We drove to Pilsen, ate a Polish dog at Maxwell's, met up with Souad, and got some Gansito ice cream on 18th Street at Las Maravillas. We were about to check out the Mexican Museum of Fine Arts but Fancy reminded us that Erykah Badu was in town. We cruised on over to Downtown Chicago, my friend Mikey (aka 99 ¢) played us his new footwork tracks. Lawn tickets were free as part of the otherwise cringe worthy Taste of Chicago: we arrived just in time, and at just the right place. We created a Temporary Autonomous Zone (we reclaimed a section of the public park that had been barricaded) and encouraged others to join what we referred to as “Freedom Side.” People were reluctant but soon they jumped the barricade and danced “inside” with us. We smoked, we drank, we had the best view of Erykah on the jumbotron, hitting her sound machine with her long golden nails, dressed like a space ostrich. The entire park was full of Black Chicagoans singing and dancing: a beautiful thing was underway in juxtaposition to the usual (soulless) corporate domination that takes place in the Loop. Erykah did less of the weird masterpiece of New Amerykah Part 1 (except for "Me") and  played her hits from back in the day. She also made a funny joke about Chicago Police that had us all going and snickering. Seeing the Priestess of Neo Soul was an excellent way to begin the musical proceedings of the weekend and Tony said it was the best performance he has ever seen. Tony also played us his new single on the ride home: the sunny bachata track "Boy De La Costa". Club Fonograma will have the exclusive premiere soon.

A photo posted by @_badgaldani on 

The actual day of Ruido Fest we arrived about an hour before Maria y José’s performance. Dënver was hanging out by their trailer, I said hi to them and they were sweet. Their excellent drummer, Nicolas Ramirez (formerly of Planeta No, currently with Prehistoricos) was also super cool. Maria y José was the second performer, I joined him onstage and danced around like a ruidosón b-boy, teaching the kids how to properly mask up using just a t-shirt. Maria y José ended his performance by jumping into the crowd, singing a Los Saicos cover. I made my way to the Mil Mascaras stage for Chicago “rock stars” via the Dominican Republic, La Armada, who recently returned from a whirlwind, multi-city tour. La Armada actually plays “Latin Hardcore” metal, but their stage presence is one fit for stadiums. They interrupted their exhilarating set for a few words on Ayotzinapa (Mexican-Dominican solidarity!) delivered by local community elder, Rafa. They brought onstage a banner with the faces of all the desaparecidos, and people shouted “¡fue el estado!” An adorable rockero couple, both in their 50s and dressed in Ayotzinapa solidarity t-shirts, looked so excited to be there. They made me smile.



I missed Ceci Bastida (who I heard also pulled a minor “political” stunt), caught some of Compass: MIS + Toy Selectah, which was the only act to have an Afro Latina singing on stage, and made my way onto Santo stage to meet up with the suave Giovanni Guillén and his bae Daniela Galindo for Dënver. Dënver was nearly impeccable, disco pop precision at its most poetic. Pop stars are what we saw that evening, without question the best performance of the night. They made us nostalgic with the heart wrenching “En Medio De Una Fiesta,” Mariana sounded like Fey on the hi-nrg tinged live version of “Miedo A Toparme Contigo”, their choreography sleighed on “Los Vampiros” (we had a beer with Mariana right before the performance, she explained the severity of her leg injury, took her cast off, & put on the black platform shoes she danced in that evening), “Noche Profunda” felt momentous, and they debuted an exuberant new disco track off Sangrecita, "En El Fondo Del Barro". After the performance Mariana told me which pop star is indicative of the sound of her (currently in the works) debut album: Lorde. Expect a more r&b disco sound for Mariana's solo project & keep checking back for our full interview with Dënver. My night ended in a tent behind Pantanotepec (an anarchist squat in La Villita) with Mars, Casie, and Cootie smoking a Swisher Sweet, watching the sun rise.

A photo posted by @_badgaldani on

Day 2

A photo posted by Santo Peregrino (@elsantoperegrino) on


Jessy Bulbo is simply the coolest. Her style, her sing-song DF accent, her good vibes. She connected with the audience in a way that no performer had thus far. It felt great seeing all my Brown folk moshing: kids, 20 somethings, parents! Every song had the crowd going, the more reckless audience members dancing forcefully (I was among them!), going around in a circle, jumping up and down, fully enthralled in Jessy’s vivacious antics. She kept fanning the flames, too. "¡Otra niña para esa mesa!" she called out from the stage, referencing "El Za Za Za",  letting the rowdies know she was feeling their energy. It was super cool to see Brown girls of all shapes and sizes crowd surf, too: probably their first time, and they did it to Mexico's nonpareil punk feminist. Believe the hype: Jessy Bulbo is Mexico City's premiere riot grrrrrl but she’s also a shape shifter. She did the cumbia salsera “Alma Traviesa”, the merengue “Cuando Rie” and encouraged the girls to touch their “papaya” to the punky "Sexo Sin Amor." Jessy also came back for an encore, took her bra off (Jessy is fond of baring her breasts) threw the bra into the crowd (a girl caught it!), and challenged many of the misogynist cat calls coming from gross men in the audience.


Absolutely nothing could have prepared us for Silverio, the best performance at this year’s Ruido Fest, and among the best “performances” I have ever seen on stage. “¡Aborigenes!” Silverio shouted demonically from the stage, introducing himself as our "Imperial Master". I was kind of worried at this point, but Silverio kept deconstructing power dynamics in a poignant, hilarious, and grotesque manner. His performance was met with horror, uncomfortable enjoyment, or absolute disgust. Perhaps about 1/3rd of the original audience left: audibly angry, appalled. Silverio engaged the machista elements of the crowd (you know, the ones who heckle homophobic shit like “culero” and “puto” or shout gross things at womn performers), and made their insecurities the psychological stage where this disturbing performance took place. See Silverio does one thing really well: he humiliates and challenges the “culero, puto” crowd and verbally dominates them from on stage. His screams are like that of a prison guard, the “discipline” he delivers reminiscent of a dad undergoing multiple mental neuroses. All the while he is stripping from his red, glittery bell bottom pants,  getting down to just a thong. How many bros were secretly sexually aroused by this nearly naked middle aged man sporting a 70s toupee who had total command over their most barbaric impulses? The more violent the crowd became, Silverio only became stronger, funnier, and perhaps just a bit frustrated. Indeed Silverio was struck by multiple glass bottles, and dodged dozens more, throughout his set. “Pinche Indio, por qué no aprendez hablar Italiano?” he joked at one point, yelling at the sector of the audience where most of the bottles emanated from, illustrating anti-indigenous sentiments uttered throughout Latin America, in his absurdist and shocking demeanor. Techno, reggaetón, ruido emanated from his sound equipment that night, feeding the dance fervor that was the soundtrack to that night’s mishaps. "Gracias por el aplauso que esta mierda no es gratis" Silverio screamed at one point, the audience laughed. Towards the end of the set he asked the crowd: "¿asi es como se divierten en este puto rancho?" Silverio then began forcefully punching his sound machine, intermittently shutting off the music, looping uncomfortable sequences of his songs and taunting the crowd, “¡a ver como bailan esta!” He had us moshing, dancing, laughing, crowd surfing, jumping to el baile de los perros, all until he body slammed the table holding all of his sound equipment.


A video posted by Santo Peregrino (@jong_goat) on

The rage Silverio felt that night was probably real. I went up to the stage to inspect the damage of Silverio's Akai MPC 2000XL. I grabbed the beer he left on stage and took it back to him- an icebreaker I figured. “Hey, did you want to finish your beer?” I handed it to him, he looked at me perplexed and annoyed. “I am a journalist from Club Fonograma and I wanted to interview you.” Before I could finish, Silverio began laughing hysterically and threw most of the beer in my face. His entourage was shocked, as was I. But I was also thrilled: I knew I had just experienced depravity, brilliance. Something truly seditious was/is happening to the tidy world of pop we inhabit. Silverio threw the drink in my face, put his arm around me and said “I like you” and began telling me and some of my best friends the most disturbing and personal details of his life. Some details I will have to leave out for Silverio’s security, but know that he is on the Mexican Federal Government’s radar. His grandmother is an Argentinian Fascist (pro genocide would be putting it nicely, he says) who along with his grandpa tried killing Silverio’s parents who are leftist guerrillas who fled Argentina to Mexico. Silverio grew up in Guerrero, and I really wish I could disclose many more details about our interview. He introduced me to Jessy Bulbo (they are really good friends, Jessy called him “lo maximo”) and we all hung out under the tent behind Demon Stage. Silverio took a liking to me (perhaps feeling like throwing beer in my face might have been too much), asking me at one point to go pee near the bushes with him. We urinated side by side, he explained how the term “aborigenes” is meant to acknowledge indigeneity, rather than its colloquial understanding as an insult. Hanging out with Jessy and Silverio felt pretty momentous: Mexico’s rock star insurrectionaries doing their thing in Xicago. Also chilling backstage with us was Maria Daniela Y Su Sonido Lasser. She chain smoked cigarettes and kept wanting to talk about Mexican politics. And even though me and Maria Daniela have very different world views, her insistence on the subject made me like her just a bit more. She apparently has new music in the works, too. Her performance Sunday was better attended than I expected, lots of Brown muscle bros getting down, teenage girls singing along to every word of "Pobre Estupida". I danced to the Daniela Romo cover of "Mentiras", and the Click cover of "Duri Duri". I can't believe its almost 10 years since 2007's Juventud En Extasis. 

Maria Daniela y su Sonido Lasser
Day 3

By day 3 I was pretty loopy. I DJed the night before for a Black & Brown Punk Show fundraiser in Pilsen, and slept maybe 4 hours that night. I caught Porter (who’s new singer also sounds like an angel). Porter brought out the Purupecha flag and exalted “this flag is our strength!” Astro played another great show, super professional, sounded great. Astro, like many performers out there trying to make it, played it safe. I couldn't help but wonder: What Would Silverio Do? I danced with (local radical mother extraordinaire) Lisa's  daughter to Triángulo de Amor Bizarro, a personal highlight. Most people in the audience were not sure how to move to TAB's noise pop, but our girl was dancing and moving all crazy to the music.  Kali Uchis looked super cute onstage but was somehow the only female hip-hop / r&b artist invited to Ruido Fest. Unfortunately, her music did not translate well to a live audience- her DJ looked  bored, merely selecting tracks and glaring at the audience, expressionless. Concurrently, Los Rakas were delighting the Mil Mascaras stage. Among the only Afro Latino acts invited to perform Ruido Fest, they had the crowd going: “Africana, Africana, this song right here is dedicated to my mothers!” I ended the night watching Cafe Tacuba who, like Astro, sounded great, professional, safe. During their encore, a drunk Mexican man and his friends tried taking down the VIP fence and (hilariously) ran and dodged security. A nearby witness began shouting, "¡Silverio, Silverio!" to the tune of "¡culero, culero!". The spirit of Silverio, lives!



A photo posted by Santo Peregrino (@jong_goat) on

AJ Davila y Terror Amor
Astro

Triángulo de Amor Bizarro
Kali Uchis
Los Rakas & Souad Martin-Saoudi
No one music article is going to dismantle the anti-blackness that can exist in “Latin” identity. Latin@ is not our autonym but rather a title placed upon us by the European colonial-settler project unfolding across the “Americas.” Latinidad can often obfuscate our indigenous and or our African ancestry: white European domination over our identities can continue, to our collective detriment. Ruido Fest launched itself as a “Latino alternative” music festival. Unsurprisingly, Black people were systematically excluded as performers and concert goers, even though the African diaspora created the backbone of our beloved “Latin music". Indeed Ruido Fest (which advertised itself as taking place in Pilsen, a Mexican neighborhood, notoriously chic, gentrifying quickly) actually took place in an exclusively Black neighborhood- a small parcel of land understood as The Village. We don’t mean to say the organizers of Ruido Fest had bad intentions. This would make a scape goat out of a collective responsibility to challenge (or discard and reinvent) our “Latin" identity in favor of something that can truly begin to tell our full stories, our full heritage, our identities as people who are much more than descendants of White Europeans. With that said, Ruido Fest, a mega festival, was graced with some excellent talent albeit of the super light skinned variety. We had first hand knowledge that Ruido Fest was in talks with Quemasucabeza this year: Diosque, Ases Falsos, Gepe, and Fakuta would have been great additions. We would be lying if we didn't admit to being excited about the doors being opened for more of our Club Fonograma darlings to tour Xicago and across the region. I heard Astro's new single playing on Vocalo the other day. Besides the weird pop I used to play on Radio Arte 5 years ago, I never thought I would be listening to music I love on the airwaves. But here we are in 2015 and our music suena en la radio. Our cult favorites are playing shows here. Hopefully "Latin@" identity can continue challenging itself, too. I know we are supposed to be Y.L.P. right now but who knows, maybe one day we will discard the "Latin" exonym altogether. I woke up feeling like this, today: Young, Brown, & Proud.

Daniela Galindo & Giovanni Guillen


Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Jessy Bulbo - "Alma Traviesa"


Let's set the words "rockera" and "riot grrrl" down here for a moment.

OK, now that's out the way, here is indie darling of Mexico, Jessy Bulbo's glorious return to the scene, with her first single from forthcoming album, Changuemonium, "Alma Traviesa." With production from Toy Selectah and Emilio Acevedo, "Alma Traviesa" is perhaps Bulbo's cleanest offering yet, though for nostalgists, check out the studio session to hear the grit we've come to associate with the artist.

The single's photo of Bulbo suggests a "new direction" for her sound and image: Eighties leotard with seventies disco horns? Club kid gangsta? Early noughties J-Lo? But this is not a reinvention, per se; just another costume of Bulbo's signature genre, what could be described as "gleefully unhinged". The first five seconds of the song heralds a bloody good time, and even if the singer makes up the erratic dance moves as she goes, the floor is still open for your interpretation of "the worm" during the organ-led break.

So let's leave the descriptors alone for now. No one is pigeon-holing Jessy Bulbo just yet.

Labels: , ,

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"
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Video: Jessy Bulbo - "La Cruda Moral"


Jessy Bulbo’s Telememe was the first truly great album released this year, and it’s got enough single-potentials to prevail throughout the year as one of 2011’s rock essentials. In our review ‘comments’, I commented on how she parallels with the TV Azteca aesthetic, and Jessy Bulbo herself asked if I could elaborate. “La Cruda Moral” video (directed by Bulbo & Azul Violeta Bermejo) is the most appropriate answer; everything in Jessy Bulbo is accessible, quirky, and feels domestic. As the song states, "les encanta exagerar." In that comment I suggested many of her songs feel like High-School episodes from ‘La Vida Es Una Cancion’, except that Bulbo’s songs are extraordinary. If you’re not in tune with Mexico’s TV culture you’re probably not getting any of this, and that’s ok, you might be better off the Mexican entertainment idiosyncrasy anyway. We’re also anxious to see her acting debut in the big screen with Kyzza Terrazas' El Lenguaje de los Machetes, which is already traveling the film festival circuit around the world.
Labels: , ,

Jessy Bulbo - Telememe

Telememe, Jessy Bulbo
Independiente, Mexico
Rating: 83
by Jean-Stephane Beriot

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

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

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

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

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



Labels: , ,

Me Hace Ruido Presenta: Jessy Bulbo - "Permanentemente"


Indie-o Music Award back-to-back winning blog Me Hace Ruido has been making some truly beautiful videos, inspired by the Take Away Shows by La Blogotheque. There are dozens of blogs around the world practicing the Vincent Moon narrative, but very few get it right. The sessions from Me Hace Ruido have been nothing short than stunning; they’re super glossy, graciously framed and very informal. Jessy Bulbo is their latest guest, in fact, their most interesting guest so far. We wouldn’t do a NME ‘Cool List’, but if we did, she would be in the Top 10 easily. We still can’t quite describe her Tego Calderon cover in Nosotros Los Rockers; when she sent it, she warned us, “I dare you to listen to it from beginning to end.”

She has released two amazing tracks this year, “Permanentemente” (download here), and “Tirun Dan Diri” (Fonogramaticos Vol.8), both making us drool over her new album. She told us she’s waiting for Martin Thulin to get some free time to polish her record, he’s currently busy recording his own stuff and helming Bam Bam’s upcoming sophomore LP (now on Arts & Crafts MX). Meanwhile, get mesmerized in this awesome performance of "Permanentemente." Also you’ll get to know the other half of the band (marimba guy with the cool glasses), because we keep forgetting that Jessy Bulbo is actually a band! Don't miss their Chava Flores cover of "Dos Horas de Balazos", catch the whole session over at Me Hace Ruido.
Labels: , , ,

New Single: Jessy Bulbo - "Permanentemente"

Mexico’s divided indie scenes between Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City are finally converging to one another, finally blurring the lines of their regions and opening their mind and hearts. But there are certain artists everyone seems to respect, among them, Mexico’s riot girl and critical darling Jessy Bulbo. There’s something in her personality that’s appealing to anyone, her enfant-terrible aura and thorny sexiness are part of an essential portrait in Mexico’s rock. In her last album Taras Bulba, she asked weather she should do a Patti Smith shot, it’s this kind of gesture that make us love her, not to mention she’s been versioning Baby J’s “Levanta la mano si te gusta la marihuana” on her shows lately, mad props for that.

Jessy Bulbo is close to finishing what will be her third solo album, once again, produced by Mexico’s best rock music producer Martin Thulin (Los Fancy Free). Her single “Permanentemente” is already rhythmic on its title, it also happens to be a delicious cerebral piece about everlasting moments, structured on a shot-reverse-shot fashion. It’s round all throughout, perhaps not as round as something as “Comal” or “El Sexo Sin Amor”, but as round as any song will be this year (it’s so round we can actually hear her catch a breath, brilliant). I might sound totally off and many of her fans wouldn’t agree, but this song is very Michael Jackson-like, one of those rare songs to shoegaze at the dancefloor.


Labels: , ,

Who Should Win: Indie-O Music Awards

Notes for the Indie-O Music Awards Jury
Who should win, according to us.


Band of the Year
NORTEC COLLECTIVE PRESENTS BOSTICH + FUSSIBLE. I really want to give it to Los Fancy Free, but I’m still drooling over Tijuana Sound Machine. Zoe’s Reptilectric is not aging really well, and I’ve never really liked Yokozuna. You can never go wrong with Plastilina Mosh, but let’s not forget their All U Need Is Mosh is their weakest album yet (not a bad album though).

Song of the Year
“BESTIA” – HELLO SEAHORSE! It was probably the indie hit of 2008 in Mexico; the creatures coming out of it are still phenomenally attractive, pop at its finest. “Ja Ja Ja” by Los Fancy Free is great indeed, but I must say it’s feeling old… wasn’t it nominated last year in this same category? I don’t really get the negativity some friends have towards Suave as Hell, “Controlling the Sun” would be my alternate option. “Maten al Criminal” by The John Band is an okay song, perhaps is the sociopolitical theme that inspired voters to put it here. While Plastilina’s “Pervert Pop Song” rounds up a fairly good competition, but where is Bam Bam’s “Sin las patas traseras”?

Best New Artist
JUAN SON. It’s by far the most talented figure; some will argue that he’s not new to the business but going solo means to defragment past lands and build new ones. I had no prior knowledge of Dirty Karma, they’re cool actually but if Juan Son doesn’t take this, my second option would be Bufi, he snaps the rest of the nominees with his music + it will be cool to see somebody winning in a 'high profile' category with a netlabel released EP.

Blog of the Year
ME HACE RUIDO. This is a new category, we’re glad our colleagues are getting some recognition. When TTSO was suddenly shut down, 8106 became THE blog for scenesters looking for great music, thing is, I can finger count the Mexican artists featured and so it lacks the merit to give it an award as the Mexican vein seems to be minimal, same goes for Life Box Set. Andamos Armados is becoming like a cult, kind of a Culture Bully meets Rough Trade, again not sure if it’s an award for any blog, or a music blog. Toni Francois takes astonishing pictures, she takes you whatever she goes and is my runner up for the award. But I must say the real winner should be Me Hace Ruido, I might not agree with MOST of their reviews but they’re building a great database, with plenty of national talents pouring in and out.

Indie Label of the Year
NENE RECORDS. Let me start saying that the snub for The Poni Republic is almost criminal. Three of the nominated labels are part of the Voy a Explotar soundtrack, so I might be biased. Discos Tormento has among others, one of our new favorites Afrodita, in terms of exposure they’re lacking excitement. Discos Intolerancia is giving full support to Los Fancy Free, I’m still confused, isn’t the double-feature Never Greens a 2007 release? The award should slide on the hands of Nene Records, they’re the exemplary picture of how to run a smart project keeping its vision and expanding it, they do whatever they want (or what their resources allow them to). Free music, great response from SXSW and lots of people talking about it.

Art Package
WELL WELL MR. WHALE, SUAVE AS HELL. Last year’s nominated lineup was fantastic, I must say this time is underwhelming. Yokozuna’s provocative cover fits the music and even puts ideas into my head, is that Jessy Bulbo showing off? Probably not. Twin Tone’s Capello di Mariachi is circular, nice condensation of the colors but also to simplistic to be remembered. I like Los Marty’s music a whole lot more than its artwork, the drawings are not that bad, but the font is just obtrusive. My preference is the pastel coloring in Well Well Mr. Whale, how can I not like a whale up in the sky hiding in between some clouds and rainbows.

Producer of the Year
MARTIN THULIN. Only three nominees this time, someone from Monterrey like Mou (Bam Bam, Mama Burger, XYX) or Bul (Album, Zozaya) should’ve sneak in to round a set of five. Yamil Rezc is getting more and more popular, his work with Subdivision is superb, the jury loves him, his production design for Le Baron definitely brought attention to one of Mexico City’s most demanded producers. But no one would be as deserving as Los Fancy Free’s frontmant Martin Thulin, not only is he responsible for the great production values of his band, but he’s forming a whole squad producing the brilliant Taras Bulba by Jessy Bulbo and Nos Llamamos self-titled debut.

Dance/Electro Album
TIJUANA SOUND MACHINE, NORTEC. Nortec for the win! This is probably my favorite category, and I get the feeling they’re throwing every single pop album here since they’re erroneously neglecting pop as a category. You know how much we liked Quiero Club’s Nueva America and Bufi’s Homeless Hero, still haven’t heard anything from Play & Movil Project but looking forward to it has great music around it. I’m not sure why Neon Walrus is in competition, is not a 2008 production, unless they extended the eligibility dates.

Rock Album of the Year
REPTILECTRIC, ZOE. Again, my wishful thinking asks for cheers towards Nos Llamamos, but after much examination of all the nominated albums, Zoe still has it. The best Mexican rock album from last year was Jessy Bulbo’s Taras Bulba, and En Ventura’s Los Gandharvas. Add Los Fancy Free and Bam Bam and we would have our dream lineup. There are some good tracks from Dirty Karma, but nothing special really, Simplifiers has the hype but not strong enough either.

Music Video of the Year
CLAP YOUR BRAINS OFF, NO SOMOS MACHOS PERO SOMOS MUCHOS. Even Kanye West liked the innovative techniques from NSM PSM and director Frank Beltran. It’s magnetically circular, perfectly choreographed and supportive to its rhythm. Austin TV’s animated “Shiva” is the cutest thing, would also make a great winner. Juan Son’s “Nada” is dark and raw, a surprising nominee actually. There’s nothing to get excited in “Maten al Criminal”, we get it, violence is black or white.

Other categories:
Live Act: Plastilina Mosh
Experimental Album: The Versailles Sessions, Murcof
Punk album: Taras Bulba, Jessy Bulbo
Rap/Hip Hop Album: Ai con permisito, Menuda Coincidencia
Best Solo Album: Taras Bulba, Jessy Bulbo
Indie Music Publisher: Marvin
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Rompevientos EP, Nos Llamamos

ROMPEVIENTOS EP, NOS LLAMAMOS
Intolerancia, México ***1/2
Rating: 78
By Carlos Reyes

Nos Llamamos is bringing some of the best rock songs originating from Mexico City, along with Jessy Bulbo, Joe Volume y Los Vincent Black Shadows and Los Fancy Free are imposing their edgy incarnation of vintage rock & roll contrasting the nu-wave invasion. The band captures that suburb desolation and warmth of Mexico’s capital with such defining force it’s hard to believe they’re newcomers. Their self-titled debut LP (produced partly by Los Fancy Free’s frontman Martin Thulin) was released last year with minimal attention, until their name started to pop up among blogger’s year-end lists and especially after reaching the 14th spot in Reactor’s 105.7 songs of 2008 with their single “Monstrua”, also included in Rompevientos, their new and first EP. Although not as impressive as a whole, this short take will probably support them more than their LP. Their hit carries a progressive phasing, “Monstrua” it’s blessed with subtle genuine composition that makes everything flow at its own timing, also allowing musical restrain to contribute to the process. There’s the socio-psychotic “Malnecidos”, which forms the urban tale of those rejected by society, approaches its cause with a rebellious theme and destroys its niche in a chaotic clash picked up by the next track. “Rupestre” was supposed to serve as a nostalgic transition but it’s overly obscure and plain to be memorable. But it’s the opener “Rompevientos” that profiles to become a second hit, it certainly is the best track here and their best recording yet. Rompevientos EP is currently available entirely for free at Reactor’s Zona de Descargas section.

♫♫♫ "Rompevientos"
Download EP
MySpace

Labels: , , , , , ,

Taras Bulba, Jessy Bulbo

TARAS BULBA, JESSY BULBO
Nuevos Ricos, México

by Carlos Reyes

In the intro of “Estampa Polinesia” Jessy Bulbo questions “should I do a Patti Smith shot?” Let me get it straight, Taras Bulba is the best Latin rock album I’ve heard this year so far. Jessy Bulbo is the wildest girl in Mexico’s music, a rare tour de force with full control over her savage musical vision. Some may remember this hot wonder as the leader of Las Ultrasonicas; she decided to go solo and released the notable Saga Mama in 2006, but that record was no more than a fancy collage of noise and attitude, unlike this new album that really gets it right. Under the guidance of producers Martin Thulin from Los Fancy Free and Dandy de Tacubaya from Titan this is one of the most grateful knockouts of the year.

The first single “Muñequita Sintetica” is a cover from underground 80s rockero El Haragan, an irrational love song about a man’s testimonial on his crack head girlfriend. He calls her his ‘synthetic doll’ but not in a sexual sense as many would think; see Latin America is so poor that addicts (especially street kids) inhale strong kinds of glue that are affordable and easily available, so he is embracing her metamorphosis physically and mentally while maintaining an eye on a violent reality. The album’s jewel is “No escuches mas a tus ídolos”, a self-fulfilling, self-promoting song where she asks us to stop listening to our idols and start playing her music. “those rhymes touting your way, are nothing but a word play with no virtue, they have an issue and expire date, you’ll forget them by fall, you’ll see.”

First track “Comal” is a round travelling of a subject replacing another subject and their role as a dependant or consequence: “comal for the tortillas, tortillas for the tacos, tacos to eat, eat to live, live to die, die for the sand, sand for pot, pot for the flowers, flowers for the girls, girls for the boys…” Bulbo understands roundness in a cynical contemplation where she is able to tackle and make existence seem so ridiculous. “Leche Agria” is a mystical chorus-based track that sounds a lot like Los Fancy Free and bravely talks about a woman’s smell to ‘sour milk’; about the realization and eventual redemption of the female gender towards age. Taras Bulba is all about confrontation but carries a revolutionist sensitivity, just like Patti Smith’s three-chord punk rock albums during the 70s and 80s (from Horses [1975] to Dream of Life [1988]) that confronted conservatism.

I included “Sexo sin amor” from Saga Mama as one of the best songs from this year and there is an equally volatile track here, “La Experiencia Critica” also works on disfiguring the strings and drums to destroy any sort of musical patterns. Jessy Bulbo is willing to transmit whatever she wants the way she wants, so don’t be alarmed if at the middle of a song she starts to scream uncontrollably. Her delicate voice suddenly undresses its innocence and puts a raspy mind-blowing explosion of vocal manifestation. The album consists of nine splendid tracks in an album titled after the historical short story by Nikolai Gigol. In her words: “este álbum contiene ocho piezas de rechupete que se perfilan para redefinir los parámetros del buen gusto alternativo.. the biggest surprise about this album is finding out I can sing.”


Numeric Rating: 89
♫♫♫ "La Experiencia Critica"
MySpace (Full album available for streaming)



Key tracks: "Muñequita Sintetica", "No escuches mas a tus idolos" and "La Experiencia Critica"

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Best Songs of 2008 So Far Vol.1

2008 Half-Year Roundup
Vol.1
_____________________________________________________


30.“Lejos”, Becker
From: Andes (Home Records)
YouTube/Myspace/
Becker was one of the great discoveries for me that resulted from the Latin Grammy special. It was listed by both of my partners in the breakthrough category and I completely agree. Becker has that “it” factor bands all around latinoamerica are searching for and a bit more, they sound like nothing I’ve heard recently especially on this heartbreaking song. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
____________________________________________________


29.“Donde estaran, tan, tan”, Cantoalegre feat. Juanes
From: Un dos tres por todos mis amigos y yo (Independiente)
YouTube

Resulta poco común incluir una canción infantil en una lista como esta. Pero quise rescatar esta pieza escondida en un disco para niños realmente memorable, que hace un recorrido folclórico a través de las voces inocentes de los pequeños de Cantoalegre, acompañados por su mas reciente padrino: Juanes. (Paulo Correa)
____________________________________________________


28.“Querer”, Chetes
From: Efecto Domino (EMI Music Mexico)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Chetes is much more enjoyable working with minimalistic lyrics. “Querer” is about given yourself to that special one, at times sounding cheesy and too standard, but acquiring emotional heights along the way. Admitting that you’re in love is admitting that you must take extra steps to find equilibrium. A non-traditional approach to accepting loving someone by a non-traditional singer who is always ahead of his game. (Carlos Reyes)
____________________________________________________


27. “Amar en el campo”, Teleradio Donoso
From: Gran Santiago (Independiente)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Teleradio Sonoro is along with Javiera Mena one of the most promising acts from my adopted country Chile. “Amar en el campo” is a great pop song, working with themes concerning lifetime’s mediocrity and more crap like that surprisingly dissolved in great catchy tunes. The kind a song I always demanded from La Ley, the band that undeservedly still holds the spot as the biggest musical import from Chile. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
____________________________________________________


26. “Todas esas cosas”, Smitten
From: En algún lugar (Iguana Records)
YouTube/MySpace/
Esta banda de rock argentina dio una sorpresa con esta vibrante canción, que con una melodía basada en escalas sucesivas (al mejor estilo de Fito Páez) logro recientemente colarse en los conteos de los principales canales musicales de Suramérica. (Paulo Correa)
____________________________________________________


25.“El sexo sin amor”, Jessy Bulbo
From: Saga Mama (Nuevos Ricos)
YouTube, MySpace/IMEEM

If you don’t know Jessy Bulbo yet let me tell you she is freaky, in the best possible way. “Sexo sin amor” is one of the best laidback songs this millennium has given us. A song working on parallel disfigurations, meaning that each one has its own mind but will eventually encounter. So stop the worries, get lost for a day, and don’t even try to care about stuff, see what it feels to be arrogant. Time consumes our lives and sex is a way to let it out, as long as you’re not in love. (Carlos Reyes)
____________________________________________________


24.“Tu sombra”, María Daniela y su Sonido Lasser
From: Juventud en extasis (Nuevos Ricos)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Perhaps because I mostly live in Los Angeles, but most of the music I listen to in Spanish comes from Mexico, Maria Daniela has become a favorite. I adore everything about “Tu sombra”, its kitsch, the girly attitude and the fun electro backgrounds. And is still so poetic, “tu sombra se ira, mucho después que tu.” Maria Daniela’s Juventud en Extasis is her most complete work yet and one of the finest albums lately. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
____________________________________________________



23.“Pa’ lante”, Willy Chirino
From: Pa' Lante (Latinum Music)
YouTube/MySpace/

Compuesta por el cantautor chileno Alberto Plaza, es una prueba mas que el tropipop esta en su furor. A ritmo de vallenato y acompañado de acordeón, Willy Chirino regreso al top de las emisoras tropicales. (Paulo Correa)
____________________________________________________


22.“Algo musical”, Ñejo y Dalmata feat. Arcangel
From: Broke & Famous (Unsigned)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Ñejo y Dálmata are the latino answer to The Cool Kids. In this song they joke about how their music is selling more than crack, yet they acknowledge their underground status by naming their album Broke & Famous. Before the duo decided to unite, they had solo projects that already portrayed non-comforting visions. “Algo Musical” also suggests music being a sex appealing attribute, and Arcangel’s presence only adds attitude to the majestic urban song. (Carlos Reyes)
____________________________________________________



21.“Hello Tarantino!”, Descartes A Kant
From: Paper Dolls (Intolerancia Records)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

I first heard of Descartes A Kant by a friend who is one of the members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who recommended me to listen to this great band from Guadalajara, Mexico. To my surprise, they sound very similar, and that is one of the best compliments I can possibly give. Great female vocals in this experimental band that should appear on a soundtrack by a Tarantino movie. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
____________________________________________________

Parts II and III coming soon.
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)