Club Fonograma x Ruido Fest 2016

dënver 😱

A photo posted by Dani 👁👁 (@_badgaldani) on Jul 10, 2015 at 5:59pm PDT

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.

just aquí en Chicago, watching María y josé 🍕

A photo posted by Dani 👁👁 (@_badgaldani) on Jul 10, 2015 at 3:01pm PDT

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.

Mi vida punk con Jessy Bulbo & Markos #RuidoFest #ClubFonograma #PopInsurrection

A photo posted by 🏴 zé 👼🏾 (@pepe.acab) on Jul 12, 2015 at 3:56pm PDT

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. 

Video: Las Robertas - "Despair"

We never see the driver, maybe just because we are the driver. The car is our present, the road is our life and we're taking our calm lonely future as the silver old lady with us in the back seat. In just one sequence we may realize how life's essence is in its details and how important ability is to appreciate them. The song turns into an entire metaphor on how we can look back with some kind of inherent remorse. Desperation comes from our biggest secrets and fears and how we deal with those monsters on this journey called life. Mercedes' voice owns a proper softness with the first line when she sings "the things I do, for guys like you" to later delivery a warning: "the sky is arising, our lives are darkening."

All of this, of course,  diluted in some excessive reverb and slow drums (nice work by Franco here as always). Grunge is its soul and shoegaze its heart. This is what Las Robertas are. And with "Despair" they focus our attention on how great and powerful an album like Days Unmade was.  Its title not only suggests the days to come, but also amplifies how we can leave in our own lives all the many days missed and wasted. Like an old lady in the back seat enjoys the wind in her hair, we can find significance in the meaningful appreciation of little things. A damn nice video directed by Adriana Ramírez and photographed by Elena Gutiérrez.

Speaking of future, as y'all may already know, Monserrat is no longer with Las Robertas. She has been replaced with Sonya (a talented girl from CoLoRnOiSe) on the last tour as bass player. So we wanna thank Monse for all the rad bass lines and skills shared with the band in so many songs and during gigs. You will be missed. Stay cool girl.

All My Friends 2014: Festival Report

by Carlos Reyes

Pictures by Carlos & Ricardo Reyes

Through the six years of helming Club Fonograma I’ve personally concentrated on articulating on proper releases, abstaining myself from covering music festivals or serve the journalist role on interviews. Perhaps because I write and publish from a personal space (my room, and not from headquarter offices), the idea of commenting on something as grand and collective as a music festival (where the weather and the sound engineer are as equally important to the experience) seemed disproportionate and not very romantic. A loving, still-emerging festival like All My Friends is a good opportunity to try and push through this writer block. Albeit a small write up, this is a recap of one very memorable weekend.

This being the first time I’ve attended All My Friends, I didn’t have a lived reference of what the past editions of the festival had been like. Yet, every single person I talked to seemed to commend the idea of moving the fest from a cultural center in Tijuana, to Rosarito beach. Perhaps because our party (joined by fellow Phoenicians, Ricardo and Abraham) traveled from 110 degrees in Phoenix (our home), the beach was just a little too cold to fully enjoy it. It was a wonderful scenery at the hosting hotel, Castillos del Mar though, where we were greeted by a concierge who could’ve easily been a character out of The Grand Budapest Hotel. As we sat at the bar early on Saturday to watch World Cup matches, we witnessed Rosarito beach be invaded by hipster tribes and subcultures from the nearby bordertowns (Tecate, Mexicali, and of course Tijuana), as well as a good number of kids from “the other side.” This bicultural target being one of the big attractions from the festival’s new infrastructure, as this is the first year it’s held under the acquisition of NRMAL.

Stamped fruit-salad shirts and well-fitted shorts predominated amongst the crowd, though it was surprising how many kept their industrial and abbey road boots on. Despite the attraction of the beach, people were prepared to rock it out –or so they thought. Early on and with the bliss of the sun at its finest, Monterrey’s CLUBZ proved to be as infectious by the beach as they were back at Foro Sol at Vive Latino this year. Listening to the beautifully aching “Golpes Bajos” by the sun and on the sand was a great way to start the day. CLUBZ invited Costa Rican band, Las Robertas, to join them on stage for their closing number –people couldn’t contain themselves flirting with the extremely good-looking Monserrat, Mercedes, and Fabrizio. When it was time for their own set, Las Robertas showed a great skill of controlling shoegaze timing while maintaining assertiveness to their sometimes-difficult-to-grasp melodies (like that of “Ojos con dientes.”) A group of anglo baby boomers watched from the backyard of their mansion, dancing all along.

The main stage (at the beach) then welcomed its American cards, who had various degrees of success: Bleached looked and sounded like they were truly happy to be there, Lumerians alienated about half of those at the audience (we walked out), while the highly-awaited Gonjasufi was embarrassingly cacophonic, although the sound department was responsible for half of that performance’s flaws. Over at the very green Jardín stage, things were a hit and a miss, where the analog warmth of Late Nite Howl and the synths of the leather-covered L.A. Drones were the breakthroughs. Not to forget the energetic set by Santos, who really upstaged Sonidero Travesura (the closing act at the main stage), who we had very high expectations from after seeing them with a funkier and double-the-members formation at a strip club in Ensenada a few years back.

Lastly, if any single thing was worth the 6-hour drive to Rosarito (other than the personal joy of being able to pick up a copy of Mexico's VICE, where I’m featured next to Juan Gabriel –thanks Marty!) was the triumphant performance by Füete Billēte. Prior to the festival, it seemed like the buzz slanted more towards the American acts and the bands with new albums. Many understated the livelihood and relevancy of the masterpiece that is Música de Capsulón. Whatever sound discrepancies the main stage had on its earlier headliners, Füete Billēte sounded truly bold and deflowered every punk, snub, and rockosaurio that might have been in attendance. It sure was fun seeing so many booted people descending to the floor with “Hasta El Piso.” And when those heart-trenching synth crescendos of “La Trilla” (the best song of 2012) broke through the speakers, we saw a few of the featured chefs of the event abandon their food trucks just to live that moment. The fireworks that were fired up during “Bien Guillao” were nothing short from fitting and an extension of what many of us were feeling on the inside.

Las Robertas - "Marlene"

In 2010, Las Robertas released Cry Out Loud, an album that exemplified meticulous care of noise rock and dream fuzz. Hailing from Costa Rica, Las Robertas had a tenacious exposure not only in Latin-American realms of appreciation but entered Europe and United States realms as well, through labels such as Discos Fup and Art Fag, respectively. After what was taken as a fairly quiet hiatus, the band returns with the first single off their new album. On the contrary of what was alleged, the band was quietly working and building up to an exciting, almost effortless, entrance.

“Marlene” by Las Robertas is a distortion-bathed song that has a majestic introduction, immediately lovely. The high-energy on the drums is perfectly paired with a steady and catchy bassline along with the band’s hallmark of reverb-drenched guitars. The melodic whispers and relatively straightword pop is a distinctive feature the band has had in the past, and has once again proven they are completely masterful at executing. “Marlene” does not derail from previous work, yet their musical evolution is illustrated through the perfection of their sound.

AJ Dávila - Terror/Amor

Terror Amor, AJ Dávila
Nacional Records, Puerto Rico
Rating: 86
by Carlos Reyes

Being a band that had been featured across the cream-of-the-crop of music publications, I always approached Dávila 666 with some distance. When I needed a permission to feature one of their tracks on a compilation, I would ask their label. And when they toured through Arizona promoting Tan Bajo, I just couldn’t bring myself to introduce Club Fonograma to them. It seems they had been following all along. At least AJ Dávila did. Diverging from Dávila 666, the Puerto Rican maverick has stormed the blogosphere with an album that feels anything but distant to the common labor of the contemporary independent musician throughout Iberoamerica. Terror/Amor is a collaborative, important record that not only lives up to the hype, but also matches its ambitions.

Subscribing to an integrationist ideal, AJ Dávila recruited an impressive line of collaborators that take part of the Terror/Amor discourse. They didn’t come together to make a statement. Their presence is born out of true mutual admiration. Having people like Alex Anwandter, Juan Cirerol, and Black Lips’ Cole Alexander is still attractive as hell. Add Sergio Rotman from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and we can talk about a generational reconciliation that's alluring and romantic. So much in fact that we witness Nacional Records (still the most consolidated label around) endorsing its commercial light from the get-go (as opposed to other terrific indie releases like that of Astro and Rebeldes, which have been late-blooming acquisitions by the label). It’s inevitable not to think of Terror/Amor as eventful. But when the novelty of the collaborations wears off, we find a truly bold and round record that’s more compassionate and tender than the blood-spatter in the album cover is capable of outlining.

Invariably and narratively romantic, AJ Dávila is outspoken about Hip Hop influencing his composition more than rock & roll ever did. Such a claim is easy to sustain when album opener “Animal” bursts into the soundscape with an unsentimental assaultiveness hard to be justified by rock and roll or pop structures. It’s with this wide scope of cultural awareness and affection that AJ confronts improbable canvases. Because really, did anyone really anticipated the unlikely collaboration with Anwandter to sound so amorous and anthemic? We certainly didn’t. The fluidness of the collaborations is accomplished not only because every guest adheres to his or her assignment, but also because AJ understands that without acknowledging idiosyncratic, things could’ve appeared disaffected and disconnected. Not to say harmony was ever goal, but it's delicious to see vocal hooks, themes, and frenzied agency unfold with this amount of sensibility before our eyes.

In all of its many guises, Terror/Amor serves more than a cultural, collective purpose. The artistic choices made here have been designed by a mastermind, executing each idea with vigor and sharpness. Powerpop numbers “Dura Como Piedra” (feat. Selma Oxor) and “2333” (feat. Mercedes Oller of Las Robertas) show little concern for packaging boy-meets-girl vignettes, instead, favoring naked forms of tempo shifting and free-falling grace. Unbelievably catchy tracks like “Es Verano Ya” and “Ya Se” play off as emotional-pulling cards that in some way or another validate AJ Dávila as a pop music songwriter. There’s far more love than terror in Terror/Amor. The warmth of its construction pays off in a big way as we witness what could’ve been a sidekick/novelty record turn into an essential record to understanding the new wave of Iberoamerican rockers. Furthermore, it’s an album filled with catchy gems that embraces its terrorized visceral beauty and never rolls back into silence.

MP3: Los Waldners - "Ella Usaba Vestidos"

Producer, radio host, and guitarist Daniel Ortuño is one of the main voices behind the quiet but active music scene in Costa Rica. He hosts Findependiente, a radio show that exposes genres and music movements overlooked by other radio stations in the area. But Ortuño is best known for producing albums for local bands Las Robertas, Niño Koi, Zòpilot!, The Great Wilderness, and (alongside Vito Petruzzeli and Adrian Poveda) the Si San José (2011) compilation, an audio documentary of the Costa Rican indie scene.

As the San José-based producer has hopped from project to project and style to style over the last five years, he's maintained the air of an outsider. With his band Los Waldners, he channels his vagabond emotions into something universal and inviting. Of course, he couldn't accomplish this without the help of singer Luis Carballo, bassist Gustavo Quiros (Keep The Gap), and drummer Andrea San Gil (formerly of Lolita Piñata, and TGW). First single from their upcoming album due in February, "Ella Usaba Vestidos" delivers a jangly, fresh, and compact pop song with sturdy melodies and arrangements that emphasize the endearing edge of Carballo's' vocals. Download the track via Bandcamp.

Las Robertas - "Seconds Away"

A lot has changed for Las Robertas since the days when they were a fairly unknown band from San José that was starting to earn some buzz on the blogosphere. Now signed to a Californian indie label, the success of their debut Cry Out Loud gave them the chance to accumulate heavy touring experience around Latin America, the US, and Europe (stopping by high-caliber festivals SXSW and Primavera Sound), but also the head-scratching opportunity to open for Pearl Jam in their hometown’s biggest stage. Now that the whole lo-fi girl group revival hype that might or might have not gone in their favor a couple of years ago (actually feels like a decade ago in internet years) seems to have faded away, it seems like this finally might be their shot at deflecting the knee-jerk criticism directed at their fortuitous trendiness. Though safely holding onto the more conspicuous elements of their aesthetic (wearing their admiration for all things lo-fi, C86, and early punk on their sleeve), “Seconds Away” feels not only like an accomplished effort at downplaying their melodic charm in favor of straight-out thunderousness, but also at shedding their naiveté for some truly disconcerting songcrafting. “Seconds Away” is part of three song 7’’ Dissected Affair which should be out on Art Fag Recordings later this year, as we’ll still be on the wait for their sophomore effort.
 

SXSW Entry #9: Las Robertas - La Entrevista!

Costa Rica's Las Robertas were one of the busiest bands at SXSW, playing more parties than I could keep track of, so I'm grateful that they could spare some time to talk to me after their set at Shangri-La. Despite the band's self-diagnosed group ADD which punctuated our conversation with waving at friends and random bursts of laughter, I enjoyed hearing about their music, their plans, and their love for their home country.



Blanca Méndez: You guys just played Festival Nrmal, right? How’d it go?



Franco Valenciano: it was crazy, lots of people.



Mercedes Oller: Mexicans are fucking crazy. They made a mosh pit.



FV: But it was awesome crazy.



MO: Yeah, totally awesome crazy. We love Mexican crowds.



BM: Was that your first time in Monterrey?



MO: Yes, it was our first time in Mexico as a band.



FV: Actually, our first time outside Costa Rica as a band. It’s very exciting.



BM: And you have a few dates elsewhere in the U.S. after this?



MO: On the east coast. We’re going to New York and Philly. Should be interesting.

BM: I know this is your first tour. Where are you most excited to play?



In unison: Everywhere!



FV: It’s like going to a playground for us. We’ve never been outside our home, and it’s like staying at your friend’s house for the night. You don’t know what’s going to happen, and you’re excited about everything.



BM: It’s great that you’re getting a chance to take your music outside of Costa Rica. What’s the music scene like there?



MO: There is no scene.



FV: We have answered that question many times, and I think we’ve answered it wrong. There’s no audience, but the bands in Costa Rica are awesome. There’s a movement and a creative process in every band that’s insane. People should take notice of Costa Rica.

BM: What Costa Rican artists should people be listening to?



FV: The Great Wilderness, Niño Koi…there are lots of bands, and they’re all really good.



MO: Also, Zopilot, which is Franco’s other band.



BM: Would you say there’s a community of musicians?



MO: We’re all friends, so, yes, in that sense there is a tight community.



FV: It’s a really big movement in our country because it’s always been the same thing musically, but now bands are doing things differently. Playing important festivals and going to Europe, that’s a big deal for us. I hope we can open doors to Latin American artists, and in particular Costa Rican artists because I know for a fact that in Costa Rica there are some great, great bands. Costa Rica is a great country in every way, musically and artistically.

BM: What about your country do you think is so special and influences what you do and what other bands are doing?



FV: Everything in Costa Rica is really special. Our country is really different because we have lots of nature, no army. We have different things on our minds that make us create music differently.



BM: I know it’s still early in the tour, but anything crazy happen yet?



FV: Mostly just people making mosh pits and getting naked.



BM: So, pretty standard stuff.



MO: And there are tons of weird people in Austin.



BM: Austin is kind of weird people mecca. The crowd just now seemed really into your set, though.



MO: We’ve gotten a really reception so far.



BM: That’s great. I think all of Cry Out Loud works really well live because it has such a great energy. What was the process like putting that album together?



MO: On that album we were discovering our sound. Now, I think we’ve nailed it. We know where to go and what we want to do. That album was more experimentation. We really like it, but we like our new songs way better.



FV: We didn’t really have an approach, we were just doing what we like to do. We were just going with whatever happened. It came from our hearts, and it was nothing pretentious about it.



MO: We’ve grown up as a band, so songs are coming out darker now, yet more upbeat.



BM: That’s an interesting contrast. Can you explain that a little bit?



MO: Like, a darker overall sound in terms of the music, but more upbeat rhythmically.



FV: We’re writing lots and lots of songs, keeping some and throwing some away. We’re just trying to do something different, something that we like.

BM: A lot of people have been comparing you to bands like Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls. How do feel about that?



MO: We love them. It’s a total compliment.



FV: They’re much better than us.



MO: Vivian Girls are, like, the best band in the world. We really admire them, but I think we’re different. Maybe it’s because we’re a three-piece that people make the comparison, but I don’t think we sound similar.



BM: You played one song in Spanish during your set. Are you writing more in Spanish now?



MO: No, actually. We made that song in Spanish because it just came out that way. Like, if I knew German or he knew French, we might write songs in those languages. We don’t care about which language we write in. When it comes, it comes.



FV: Language is just a tool - a tool and a barrier. Whether we write in English or Spanish, it’s not politically motivated or anything. They’re just words.



BM: Are there certain themes that you like to write about?



MO: We just write things about everyday, normal stuff, like our relationships, other people’s relationships. In my case, I just start to imagine different scenarios. I put myself in different situations to write songs.



BM: So, it’s more of a creative writing process than a strictly personal one?



MO: Yeah, I like being able to make things up as I go and to tell stories, whether they are mine or someone else’s or no one’s in particular.



BM: What’s next for Las Robertas?



FV: We’re recording a new album and a new 7-inch and we’re touring in Europe. We’re especially excited about playing Primavera Sound. Really, we just want to keep on enjoying ourselves and making music that we like.

SXSW Entry #5: Jhorts Weather - Sounds From Spain, Las Robertas

After the Sounds from Spain showcase, I've decided that sangria is the breakfast of champions. I mean, if you're going to be daytime drunk, might as well do it right. Polock kicked off the showcase with a quick set for those of who woke up early enough to catch them. They played with a great morning-appropriate energy that built up to the closer, "Fireworks," which, while it wasn't a Katy Perry cover, was exuberant nonetheless. Capsula followed and drew a surprisingly large crowd. Who knew people still liked pop punk like that? I wasn't as into it as everyone else, so I was glad when Mujeres took the stage. Despite technical issues, the Barcelona-based garage rockers impressed me, especially with their loving tribute to their hometown futboleros. After their set, I chatted up the jhorts-wearingbassist (yes, I talked to him solely because of his attire) and got a copy of their latest cassette. Review coming soon!

On my way to Shangri-la to catch Las Robertas, I

had my first monk encounter of the day. I guess people are right when they describe me as "Zen" because I was approached by three different monks in one day. But giving off peaceful vibes is good, right? Las Robertas' set was all chill vibes perfect for a sunny afternoon, and the crowd was really feeling them. I got to talk to the band afterward, so look out for the interview later.

Spoiler alert: they really love Costa Rica.



Then it was time for an afternoon snack, and when I saw the sign for The Vegan Yacht it was some clouds parting, divine light shining down-type destiny. There was vegan frito pie! I know y'all are jealous.



The real highlight of the day, though, was Carla Morrison at the Naco showcase. She started with "Lagrimas," and I was kind of mad because I did not want to cry during the first song. I summoned my strength and made it through the entire set without any tears. As Andrew mentioned, there were some hardcore fans at the show. I was scared for one girl in particular who looked like she was about to pass out when she got meet Carla. But I guess that's just the power of Ms. Morrison.

♫♫♫ Polock - "Tangerines & Unicorns"

♫♫♫ Las Robertas - "Street Feelings"

Stream: Las Robertas - "Ojos Con Dientes"

Las Robertas
"Ojos Con Dientes"
Gran Derby

Spain’s Reina Republicana and Costa Rica’s Las Robertas are sharing 7’’ split released on Madrid’s new indie label Gran Derby. Esta Pasando! just premiered both tracks, and as expected, the two sides are filled with great ladies lo-fi. We’re all very familiar with Las Robertas by now, and pretty much hoped for them to sing in Spanish (at least once in a while), well, the girls have finally done it in “Ojos Con Dientes.” The song is gripping as any of their songs on their debut Cry Out Loud, but they’ve extended wavelength to the actual melody. While it may not be their catchiest track yet, it’s filled with warmth, and they’ve never been as comfortable lyric-wise. As their SXSW showcase approaches, this is a song that could hold on great momentum for Central America’s cutest girls. Stream the also great "La Reina" by Reina Republicana here.

ArtistAdvocacy. Guest Mixtape by Las Robertas

Las Robertas are without a doubt, one of the year’s revelations. Many of us were first enlightened to find a badass all-girl band from Costa Rica, but once you pass the specifics, you realize they really are a fantastic band with a very solid debut. Artist Advocacy invited them to do a Guest Mixtape, and they decided to make a playlist full of Iberoamerican talent. It includes some of our favorites like Javiera Mena, Algodon Egipcio and Triangulo de Amor Bizarro, to a good fair amount of bands we don’t know and we're quickly falling in love with, such as Spain’s Mirafiori and Mexico’s San Pedro El Cortez.

So our mixtape is ready.. it took us quite long because we wanted to do something very cool including bands of friends around de Spanish/Latin America speaking world.. so here it is finally.. The setlist includes (in order), the artists,country of origin and song title. We included legendary bands and musicians such as Los Saicos and Spanish 60’s pop darling, Jeanette. Lots of new and upcoming interesting projects that we like and are in love with, such as Dávila 666 (we’re planning to play together as soon as we can) and various new cool bands such as all-girl-Barcelona’s-band: Aias (they sing in Catalan), Mexico’s San Pedro El Cortez and Spain’s Beat Happening/K records revival band: Kokoscka…

Featured: Detectives Salvajes - "Aljibe"

Feature: Detectives Salvajes – “Aljibe”
Tercer Mundo, Costa Rica

We don’t get much Central American music around here, but once a door is open it’s usually easy to sneak in to survey what’s happening around the corner in this giant network. Such is the case with Detectives Salvajes, an amazing band we probably wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the support their fellow Costa Rican band Las Robertas are giving them. It’s easy to see every nation regardless of its size, having a ‘scene,’ but judging from these two bands alone, seems like we’ve been missing out from some great adventurous rock.

Detectives Salvajes put on the psychedelic wardrobe the minute they decided to embrace formless decibel, the outcome is something close to a revelation of self-indulgent stardust and exhilarating weight. Such is the case in the rip-roaring and enervating “Los Suicidas”, the first cut from an EP the band released last year titled Cairos Papasquiaro. They know how to be noisy, but even better, they rock their way into dusty orbit, perhaps not yet on a White Denim-No Age level, but already on the Yo! Linares-Nos LLamamos league.

♫♫♫ "Aljibe"
MySpace

Cry Out Loud, Las Robertas

Cry Out Loud, Las Robertas
Produccion Automata, Costa Rica
Rating: 83
By Carlos Reyes

Skuzzy riffs, cavernous drums and a nosebleed, things you’ll likely to find in Cry Out Loud, the outstanding debut from Costa Rica’s all-girl punk band Las Robertas. Somewhere in between Sonic Youth, Dum Dum Girls and Vivian Girls, the band acquaints tropical fervor as means of idiom, immediately sounding as confident and vigorous as Spain’s punk-tropic bands Triangulo de Amor Bizarro and Veracruz. Las Robertas morphs from a cultural gap (for the good or the bad), one that could justify their English lyrics and their anxiety to dress up lo-fi as 21st century epoch.

Cry Out Loud is comprised of ten mesmeric pieces that go from cold to sweaty, always keeping a cohesive charm that enforces the practice crying out loud as long as one smiles out loud. It’s this kind of fainted subtext that raises Las Robertas from the crowd of punky chicks trying to exemplify today’s riot girl. Perhaps the vocals and personality don’t match up with someone as interesting as Jessy Bulbo or Luxor (Bam Bam, Selma Oxor), but Las Robertas can get away with “sometimes I'll let you treat me wrong” without the absurdities and laughable fume coming out of Le Butcherettes. Just listen to the amazing "Ballroom", and realize the almost effortless force behind it, nothing is forced here, it's just a stretched musical landscape.

“History is Done” lights up the album with a steady, airport-gazing sequence that does a tremendous job of profiling the band. The album keeps a speedy pace all throughout, stopping once in a while to refresh its surrounding airwaves. Such is the case in the well-built chain that makes up “In Between Buses” or the wonderfully fragmented “The Curse.” But it’s “Street Feelings” where the band reveals itself as a major revelation, rocking the moment as well as harmonizing it. The song’s music shows upsetting synchronization with its lyrics, “can’t do you and life again, you know we’ve came to an end… mind shows a place away from you.” The song might not be their “Fantasma de la Trancision” but it’s close to their “Young Adult Friction.”

The album’s production seems to subordinate complexity, letting the band take control to later sustain what they created through a really dense lens. “Damn 92” is the album’s most accessible and commercial piece (along with "Ghost Lover"), in fact, it’s probably the key piece for the band to crossover into the P4k audience. The song is a vengeance on the unforgiving ’92, “Will know my vengeance as all worth while. Think of it now, not quite a sweet child.” Now, if they would only extend their awesome band name and write some songs in Spanish, that would be something… but for now, this is an impressive and engaging debut from four beautiful girls from San José, one that makes them blossom in charisma and music aptitude.

♫♫♫ "Street Feelings"
Download Album
MySpace