Artist of the Week: Babaluca

Back in 2007 I was deeply joyful to witness a great pop/rock band from Phoenix (where I reside), they opened a concert for Kinky and I’ve followed them since. It was delightful hearing them cover Manu Chao’s “La Despedida” (watch on YouTube), some other familiar songs and an impressive set of original tracks that I found amazingly cheerful. They are a bilingual trio formed by the gifted lead vocalist Carla Morrison, the energetic drummer Nick Kizer and the multi-talented Nichole Petta. They carry a sense of lo-fi pop with slashes of punk and a blend of atmospheric psychedelic outlook rarely found in pop. A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to catch them at November’s First Friday event (a monthly art walk in Phoenix) where they performed with the equally impressive band Underwater Getdown. The show was a triumph, especially for the new audience that walked by, was magnetically attracted by the great sound and bought their improvised but well-put together Babaluca EP (available for purchase at their MySpace). Included is their melodiously charming “Que Bonito”, which is the second most played song at our Rocola #6 (which is running low on bandwidth already) just after Natalia Lafourcade’s “Running too fast.” They are currently unsigned, but it seems they won’t go unheard; they have been on the MySpace Latino front page for more than a week, so take a look people, they got the package.

MySpace

Best Latin Rock & Alternative Songs, Rock en las Americas

Our great friend Jose Luis Mercado from Rock en las Americas wrote a flourishing series about Latin Rock and Latin Alternative Rock. Straight from Peru, he offered an extensive special on the changes and historical movement or Iberoamerica’s rock. The last post in the series is a top 20 list that recollects this genre in all its forms; it covers a big bunch of classics, newbies and some unexpected choices. All music videos for the following list are available at his original post here.

1. “Esa Noche”, Café Tacvba
2. “Señor Matanza”, Mano Negra
3. “El Matador”, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
4. “Clandestino”, Manu Chao
5. “Oye como va”, Santana
6. “Pachuco”, Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio
7. “Mala Vida”, Mano Negra
8. “Sube a nacer conmigo hermano”, Los Jaivas
9. “Bolero Falaz”, Aterciopelados
10. “El Muerto”, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
11. “Sarri Sarri”, Kortatu
12. “Cumbia de los Muertos”, Ozomatli
13. “Gente que no”, Los Autenticos Decadentes
14. “Perfume”, Bajofondo Tango Club
15. “Pobre de ti”, Tijuana No
16. “Fundamental”, Puya
17. “Tu forma de ser”, Los Autenticos Decadentes
18. “Los Delincuentes”, Veneno
    
19. “Dejenme si estoy llorando”, El Gran Silencio
20. “Llegale a mi guarida”, Calle 13 feat. Vicentico

Best Songs of 2008 So Far Vol.2

2008 Half-Year Roundup
Vol.2

Vol.1 - Songs #30-21
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20. “Celebra la vida”, Axel
From: Universo (Sony)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Para muchos Axel no pasa de ser un cantante demasiado dulce, no apto para diabéticos musicales. Pero “Celebra la Vida”, una canción positiva a la “Color Esperanza”, logro enrutarlo hacia otros rumbos. Es una delicia escuchar como el Charango marca el ritmo de la canción. (Paulo Correa)
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19. “Laydown”, Chikita Violenta
From: The Stars and Suns Sessions (Noiselab)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

The Stars & Suns Sessions is truly complex album, it is extremely hard to digest but once it gets you, is hard to make it stop. Second official single “Laydown” is their finest hour of new wave, not just in music but also registering the themes imposed by the revolutionary musical movement. Chikita Violenta is an ambitious band that is universally appealing; “Laydown” might just bring them the attention needed to take another step. (Carlos Reyes)
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18. “Left Behind”, CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
From: Donkey (Sub Pop)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

This band is proving to be one of the only alternative imports from Brazil, a country categorized for the high demand of roots music. “Left Behind” actually sounds like your teenage pop star song, eventually getting into Bjork territory, but you won’t care at the end as the song is catchy as fire. Cansei de Ser Sexy rocks! (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
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17. “Tem que ser voce”, Victor & Leo
From: Ao Vivo Em Uberlandia
YouTube/IMEEM

Una balada en portugués, cantada por dos hermanos representantes de la movida “Sertaneja”, algo así como el Country de la región de Sao Paulo en Brasil. Grandes voces en una buena canción. (Paulo Correa)
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16. “Hansel y Gretel’s Bollywood Story”, Porter
From: Atemahawke (Tercer Piso)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

One of Porter’s most psychedelic pieces, their interpretation of the classic children’s book is alarming and orgasmic. Bollywood is a great host but the siblings are still invaded by tragic. Juan Son is a master of tales and the artwork in Atemahawke signals an unconventional creative writer that is able to circuit through different art media. “El mundo es cruel, te va a comer, si tu antes, no lo atacas a el.” (Carlos Reyes)
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15. “Politik Kills”, Manu Chao
From: La Radiolina (Nacional Records)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Ever since I played this song from La Radiolina, I can’t stop thinking about its resemblance to M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes.” Both are political songs that do their job without been cheesy or trying to change the world with melodrama. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
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14. “Bonita”, Cabas
From: Amores Dificiles (EMI)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Romántica, rítmica y melodiosa. Cabas nos demuestra en esta canción como se escribe sobre el amor sin llegar a ser cursi. (Paulo Correa)
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13. “Normal”, Ximena Sariñana
From: Mediocre (Warner)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

This was supposedly the first single from Mediocre, which always felt too risky and dark to be truth. “Normal” was released as an internet single and has quickly and deservedly overshadowed the not-so-good “Vidas Paralelas.” (Carlos Reyes)
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12. “Carmensita”, Devendra Banhart
From: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL Recordings)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Hippies get up! Banhart is back with another hit from his awesome latest album, exploring the Spanish language again, much more fluent this time. “Carmensita” works on all levels, and especially visually with that extraordinary music video honoring bollywood. (Jean-Stephane Beriot)
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11."Algun día”, Julieta Venegas feat. Gustavo Santaolalla
From: MTV Unplugged (Sony BMG)
YouTube/MySpace/IMEEM

Banjo, xilofono, y tuba no son instrumentos tipicos en una cancion pop. Julieta sabe como hacer para sonar diferente en una canción esplendida que evoca los sonidos de la música tradicional mexicana, esta vez junto al maestro Santaolalla. (Paulo Correa)
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