Video: Gus Goose - "Dulces en tu Coche"

The latest inductee to the Abstrakt Muzak family (house of White Ninja and Memo) is Gus Goose, a former member of Monterrey band, Husky. The label has announced the release of his first EP, Larchmont, and has unveiled a frame-within-frame clip for first single “Dulces en tu Coche” by Sefardico (director of Memo’s “Separate Leaves”). With the promise of “La paciencia siempre se recompensa,” the clip is fragmented like a book –with a prologue, chapters, and a resolution. While the image of a sink and a water tub filled with buttered popcorn sounds like something hard to get away with, Sefardico provides the scope of the clip with enough warmth and frame divisions to afford such an image. The clip goes on to transfix the wise and not-so-wise choices of a character that seems to have a lack of direction. You can’t help but to sheer for him (and his patience) at all times. I found myself wanting to offer him my own intermission notecards in hopes of getting him there. Also, big props for the best use of the color red since Her.

Video: Confidare - "Savages"

21-year-old, Daniel Guerra – nom de keys, Confidare – hails from Monterrey, but has now set up camp in Austin, Texas, and with the Abstrakt label (house of Fonograma favorites, White Ninja). With his debut EP, Savages, he explores the sparse electronic soundtrack genre – music that is ready-made to be paired with imagery. Loops progress and morph, so that you start with an Arca-like cylindrical bounce and finish with a tropicana refrain. First single, title-track 'Savages', has a brilliant, sly video, directed by Akkia Neko, that etches out the metallic clinks, and anvil hits of the beats, with footage of a Medieval Fair: sword fights play out among portraitures of the fantasy-geek community. Midway through we meet a cheeky anti-knight, who steals the show – and kisses – from his opponents. In him, the music's serious and irreverent interplay is represented: the pansy beats the brute – but it's important he does. Download the Savages EP for free here. 

Video: Memo - "Separate Leaves"

Memo Guerra is awash with aliases, which he uses to explore distinct sonic projects (alone, or with bands like White Ninja); but he keeps his first name attached to the more straightforward song-writing led tracks. "Separate Leaves" is off the Austin-based, Monterrey-bred musician's new LP, material., and at first viewing, makes us think of Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) with an overt sense of humor.

The video, directed by Sefárdico, keeps a cheeky eye on death, religion, and a bad sell. The protagonist self-deprecatingly becomes the guru of his own expectations. Through the mumbled, layered chanting, you hear phrases like “false starts” and “second time”—echoes of a romance or a life that he wishes he could rewrite, but still can't clearly articulate. Maybe he's embarrassed, or the pain of separation still needs to subside. The tinkering of a piano and lush organs offer a solvent to the distorted, white noise pulse of the track, which underpins the ethereal loops and sitar, skipping like the mantric, disillusioned thoughts of the singer.

In turn, these sounds are mirrored by the play between the Jodorowsky shaman, psychic hotline, and introspective variety hour imagery of the video. Memo is seeking a balance between despair and hope and where one finds it. They say depression is just frustration with not being the person you want to be. By the end of the video, this incarnation of Memo has been reborn a man, taking control of the cross he bears.

Bam Bam - Arre Krishna

Arre Krishna, Bam Bam
Arts & Crafts, México
Rating: 81
by Pierre Lestruhaut

There’s no point in delaying the aggrandizing statements Bam Bam are worthy of: their second full-length Futura Vía is still the best Latin rock album (not made in Chile) we’ve come across this decade so far. A little over two years after its release, the record still holds up incredibly well as both a solid collection of tunes (not a month goes by without the need to occasionally spin amazing tracks like “Ragatrón” or “Abismático”), and, more importantly, as part of the rare breed of albums that can be considered a round success for excelling in concept, structure, and execution. It’s the type of record that’s part of the reason why we still, occasionally, despite the distractions of the internet era, dedicate ourselves exclusively to the experience of listening to music.

Upon first impression, Arre Krishna, Bam Bam’s most recent EP and follow-up to Futura Vía, feels not like the triumphant return of one of our most beloved bands, but more like an overly delayed release of outtakes from the Futura Vía sessions, which, in comparison to Bam Bam’s couple of excellent albums they had released so far, feels rather disappointing. In terms of the average bulk of Latin rock releases we tend to come across, we couldn’t be happier to have new material from the regiomontano quartet. To compare Arre Krishna to its immediate predecessor would be putting it on an uneven playing field and also overlooking how it’s, in its own right, a solid collection of four tunes and an 11-minute psychedelic trip.

There’s been mention of two tracks being part of the Futura Vía sessions,“Tirando pa fuera” and “¡Regocíjate Hermano!,” which are not coincidentally the ones where you’ll hear former band member Luxor singing. “Tirando pa fuera” begins the EP in medias res with a soft laid-back melody but quickly speeds up the tempo and shifts towards beatlesque hooks and melodies. “ROD” is Bam Bam’s catchiest song to date behind “Ragatrón” and also their most populist incarnation with a much traditional hook-oriented slice of '60s psych rock. It’s in “¡Regocíjate Hermano!” where the EP reaches its climactic moment of vitality and urgency and raises the question of why the potentially best song in Futura Vía was left out of it.

Although fitting more experimental ventures with pop tunes in a single release is a rather rare thing to attempt since the advent of punk downplayed the artification of rock, closer “Líjate bien” sees Bam Bam distancing themselves from their trademark pop tunes in a sort of Ravi Shankar and The Beatles meets Neu! and Kraftwerk, as its Middle Eastern psych groove quickly morphs into a kraut motorik beat. It feels rather anachronistic, but works well on a visceral level. Bam Bam doesn’t want you to take their religious and interstellar references too seriously, and “Líjate bien” is aimed at stimulating your gut rather than your brain.

Regardless of whether Arre Krishna will turn out to be an interlude amidst a continuous series of aesthetically similar works or the epilogue closing a period and making room for a new one in the oeuvre of Bam Bam, the EP lives up to both parts well enough. With a mixture of Futura Vía outtakes and brand new songs, including one that sees the band sort of leave their comfort zone, Arre Krishna fulfills its duty of being both a very enjoyable rock record that provides new material for individual track listening and as a “batch of songs that should be preferably listened to in a certain order.” It’s a short record that reminds us how much we can enjoy good rock and roll and its whole spectrum of primitive, urgent, emotional, and left-field forms.

CLUBZ - "Golpes Bajos"

A bluish-grey universe, a moving fragility, and a tormented romance powered by a hypnotic, sonorous vortex that’s utterly new wave, if not downright candy-coated pop. Coco Santos and Orlando Fernandez (also members of Husky) push the envelope of rock revivalism further with their new musical project CLUBZ. "Golpes bajos," the band’s second single, is unmistakably reminiscent of the work of The Cure and Indochine, though using humor and self-deprecation to reveal what it feels like to fall out of love. Atmospheric and accessible pop with a taste for all that is melancholy.

Pardo - "Fantasma"

Melodrama, this familiar object, has been manipulated as if its contours were obvious, yet it continues to be ill defined. While critics in Latin America have often stated spurious value judgments of the cinematic genre and its literary counterpart—portrayed as cheap, commercial and lapsing into simplicity or complacency to develop a heightened emotional tension and create a grand spectacle—it’s astonishing to see a young and talented composer availing himself of the melodramatic popular song culture in México.

At age 22, the prolific and self-taught Sergio Castelló Fernández has already released under the name Pardo two solo albums made of intricate melancholic piano pieces he had been keeping to himself for sometime. (I should also mention he’s been part of two screamo bands and has been working, with his brother Arturo “Turi” on another musical project called Castelló). Through “Fantasma,” released last January by the Mexican Netlabel MYRDAL, Pardo finally reveals that melodrama must be thought of in terms of inheritance and adaptation. With his smooth and silky voice that echoes Juan Gabriel’s and drifting electronics, the regiomontano skillfully draws a particular aesthetic universe, filled with emotion and extremely evocative melancholy images. Singing "¿Quién iba a decir que yo jamás habría de perdonarme?" the tormented multi-instrumentalist cautiously lays out a story of wretched love. The result is beautifully painful. Pardo’s rich and dense work hovering between shaded sky and storms can all be found on his SoundCloud page.

Husky - "Undressed"

Listening to the vertiginous “Undressed” released a week ago, I understand why I became enamored with this Monterrey-Based quintet. Recorded when the guys were experimenting, still searching for a distinct sound, the B-side type of track exalts character and vibrancy. Yet, Husky’s sly way of sublimating '80s influences, exploiting vaguely familiar airs that are squatting in the dark corners of our mental hard drive, is somewhat dismissed in favor of textures and sound effects. Shrouded by echo, “Undressed” reveals an unprecedented level of dramatic tension through nervous rhythmic, incisive electric guitars and powerful interpretation. We must still acknowledge the singularity of Husky, alongside today’s current, has found a niche, a sound in which they excel: a bubblegum rock charged with bold urgency.

MtyMX --- by Cheky (Jóvenes y Sexys)

A lot has been said about the first edition of the MtyMx festival in Monterrey, Mexico. I think it has already been covered extensively in reviews by NY Times, Impose, Stereogum, etc. Yes, there was trouble with the organization and logistics. Yes, like one third of the bands in the line-up didn’t show up. Yes, there were issues with the transportation. Yes, there were only a few hundred people in the audience (Monday afternoon was a little depressing, with 20 people or less watching High Places). But let me tell you, I was there, I watched all the bands but two (including after parties), met a lot of people, lived the whole experience, and the truth is I had one of the best times of my life. That being said, I can now talk about the music, focusing on the Iberoamerican bands.

DAY 1:

The first Mexican band to take the stage was Yo! Linares, with an energetic performance. People's reaction to El Resplandor's set took me by surprise. They managed to hypnotize us all with their primitive, minimal, raw, sort of tribal music. Lázaro Valiente made the whole audience get involved in the show, giving us all little toys and instruments to collaborate with by the end of his set. Guadalajara's Soho Riots sounded really tight, giving us a lengthy, noisy, improvisational ending. The guys from Quiero Club weren't so happy with their show, since they had some monitoring problems, but it was a lot of fun. The set mainly covered songs off Nueva América. By the time Los Planetas were playing, I was frozen and my legs weren't responding, so I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. But there were a lot of fans singing the songs. I was excited to see Chikita Violenta getting on the stage and setting up their gear, but shortly after they had to get off because of time issues. Bummer.

Kría Brekkan's show was beyond beautiful. Das Racist are incredible. Explode into colors, The Coathangers, Coastings and Teengirl Fantasy had us all dancing. Acid Mothers Temple was epic. Male Bonding are a personal fav. Adventure and Drawlings opened the festival on an experimental mood. But actually one of my favorite moments of day 1 happened at the after party: Aa.

DAY 2:

Piyama Party opened the second day of MtyMx with a great set. White Ninja was disastrously refreshing, marking the first on-stage appearance of Alexico of the festival. Los Llamarada were good, but their music never managed to get my attention entirely. Le Macabre Party was a pleasant surprise, I couldn't stay still with their fast dance punk. This was Alexico's second appearance. Antoine Reverb was for me, no joke here, one of the best moments of the festival, the show was beautiful. Then, XYX took the stage for a few couple of songs, when they decided to quit the show because they couldn't hear anything on stage (besides, Mou's drum kit was falling apart, he plays so damn hard!). It was a shame, it was sounding really good. Los Margaritos' show was amazing, this is a band that has to be seen live. Los Fancy Free brought us one of the biggest rocking moments of the whole festival. They played a 15+ minutes cover of a Paul McCartney song that ended with like 20 people from the audience on stage, dancing, stage diving and playing the band's instruments.

Dan Deacon's show was one of the best I've ever seen. I had never felt so involved in a show. Telepathe were sweet and awesome. Banjo or Freakout was more of a rock band than I expected, but I enjoyed it a lot. Ringo Deathstarr didn't sound so good, but they delivered good songs and great shoegazer moments. Andrew WK was fun, but I feel like people didn't know what to expect.

DAY 3

Sr. Amable & Mr. Raccoon played a rocking set, joined by members of En Ventura. They even played En Ventura's "Ingenuo", presented by Sr. Amable as "one of the best songs of the last decade". Too bad people didn't really connect with them. Mentira Mentira's set was excellent, but mainly because of singer/guitarist Gaby doing crazy things like playing between the audience, climbing the lighting structure, taking his pants off, running around barefoot, etc. Alexico's fourth and final appearance on stage (third one was as a translator of an impromptu comedy show by Dan Deacon's mate, Mason, the previous day) was to play his solo songs, in collaboration with Luxor, from BamBam and Selma Oxor. In fact, she presented the show as Alexico + Selma Oxor, and I think the match went great, fun times. I didn't have the chance to enjoy Mockinpott's show, because I was busy setting up mine, but the little I got to hear sounded pretty nice. Then, at dusk, it was Jóvenes y Sexys' turn. I'm not going to review my own show haha. Loocila couldn't finally make it, so I got some help by Laiza (Celesta en la cesta, uvi.lov) and Lázaro Valiente. Next, I ran to catch one of the bands I was expecting the most: BamBam. I was sad because they only played two songs off their self titled album (both amazing), but the new ones sounded pretty awesome. Ratas del Vaticano had some sound issues, but people were reacting well. Then Neon Indian, one of the main acts, brought us a very fun and great sounding show. At the after party, XYX had a second chance to play and I'm glad they did. This band rocks very much. It reminds me of Lightning Bolt (that's a compliment).

International favorites of the night? Hands down, HEALTH. This is unbelievable. High Places opened the day with a beautiful show, mostly playing new songs. Best Fwends was a lot of fun, ultra energetic and funny. Lemonade was great! Some serious dancing here. Indian Jewelry finally made it, putting a dark, powerful live show. I was too tired by the time Liars took the stage, but it was really good too.

So yeah, I was depressed because half of the bands I wanted to see pulled out, but I'm happier because of the quality of the bands I did see. I hope the organizers don't feel defeated (I'm sure they don't) by the missteps of this edition, and that they learn from their mistakes, because I feel this festival has to be done every year, and it'll only get better. I want to thank Yo Garage's crew, Todd P and his friends, and all the volunteers for making this happen and for inviting us. And I want to say that I feel honored because Jóvenes y Sexys was the only Venezuelan band, and the only Latin, non-Mexican band to play at this inaugural edition of the festival, it means a lot.

On a note aside, I don't feel like being controversial, but I'm having a hard time trying to understand the bands that pulled out of the festival because of fear. Maybe it's because in my country we're so exposed to violence daily and we're sadly getting used to it, I don't know. There was some bad timing with this festival due to isolated events, but people have to realize Latin America is not the Wild Wild West.

Text and photos by Cheky.

Happy-Fi Free Sampler Spring 2010

Happy-Fi is really mounting up on the shortlist for Mexico’s finest label. They’ve always assured quality, but their latest stuff is just colossally great. At the very least, they are scoring some major singles, some of them making their way into anthems. They’re sharing their Free Sampler Spring 2010, featuring Monterrey’s Quiero Club, Niña, El Cuarto, Yo! Linares and Pato Machete. Also, we would like to highlight the songs by Los Erres and d3NdRON which are great but have been previously neglected by us. But especially, get the original cut of “Datos Intimos” by She’s a Tease, the Disco Ruido’s brilliant club mix overshadowed (in a nice way) the already classy hymn. Grab these songs HERE.

Video: White Ninja - "Zombie Town"

Monterrey’s Roger Ivan Camara better known as ‘Bul’ kept us busy last year releasing albums under DJ Golonosh, Fuck Her Or The Terrorists Win, Zozaya, The Re, Album, and producing some great stuff by Mr. Racoon, Sr. Amable and The Mocks. It seems like he will be taking 2010 at a much sober pace, but he sent us this quirky video for White Ninja’s “Zombie Town.” It’s our favorite track from their thrilling debut Guacala Los Modernos y Su Electro, which happened to be one of Mexico's breakthrough bands of 2009 next to with Piyama Party and Selma Oxor. The video captures the band at its most sincere and meaningful moment, playing a gig at someone’s living room perhaps. Very dramatic on what it allows us to see, while using uncontinuity shots and editing to reach the highly bundled track. Oh, and as always, Alexico steals the show. White Ninja will be performing at Festival NRML this weekend and is one of the many local acts set to perform at the MtyMX Festival .

Niña - "Willie Nelson"

Spreading the news of a new single from Monterrey's awesome Niña. "Willie Nelson" is the first single from their upcoming EP titled Willie Nelson vs Ralph Macchio, their first release since Punk Robot. This is how we like Niña the best, in that sort of adolescent systematic vision that's always refreshing, celebratory and uplifting. The single is currently available for free download in exchange of a tweet, so if you're a TwitterGrinch like our very own Andrew Casillas, get yourself an account already, it's fun, we promise. By the way, this player is pretty! Sound Cloud is really on top of its game.

SPIN picks up Music Alliance Pact

SPIN Earth picks up MAP, there's interesting things coming up hopefully, we're happy it will finally get some bigger exposure. I really hope you're ok with our choices so far: Natalia Lafourcade, Juan Son, Mexican Institute of Sound and this month Mr. Racoon, an artist that not only fits the idea of MAP (to showcase an artist internationally) but also fits locally as it doesn't have enough attention in Mexico itself, make sure to have Katy somewhere in your hard drive, it's sublime.

"There's plenty of reason to support a global effort like the Music Alliance Pact (MAP). Beyond the plain like-mindedness that seems clearly apparent to us at SPINearth.tv, the writers and reporters found in this global blog highlight give us their suggestion on the latest each music scene has had to offer in the last few weeks. Not only does it give the readers a broader look at the open and expansive world of music, but it reassures that we're on a good path in discovering music and culture globally, and directly so from all its various sources. The reality of something like MAP simply reinforces the fact that there's purpose and meaning in connecting the best people in music, whether you're an artist, spectator, or even better—both. These select bloggers are merely the tip of the iceberg. From here on out we'll be getting to know them in a lot more detail. We'll get to see who they are, what they're up to in all their chaos, and most of all, why they do what they do when it comes to keeping the pulse of music in their area. It's a matter of inspiration and a matter of time. The experience is what we care for. Enjoy it...."

SPIN Earth

Quantization Proclamation, Album

QUANTIZATION PROCLAMATION, ALBUM
Delhotel, México ***
Rating: 65
By Carlos Reyes

We got introduced to Album very recently; they are a direct outcome of our thirst to find more music in the likes of Monterrey’s grandeurs En Ventura and Bam Bam. We quickly realized that Album was a major force in the new wave; some of our favorite music bloggers around were placing it very high on their year-ending lists, with all merit, Cancer Baby is a stunning winner. All this momentum crumbled as the band had supposedly split, we’re glad they only took a break to work on their many side projects. As you can see, the expectancy for their new EP Quantization Proclamation was far above the ground, it’s an album I really wanted to like and it’s quite good, but still a feeling of discontent does pop up considering how great the previous work was. High on mechanism, this is has the feeling of a political proclamation with no clear course, something quite parallel to reality, but the intended musical reform this EP aims for never actually works. More than exploring sound, Album tries to give it a shape pushing melody away and relying on virtual patterns; this is where electronic rock dances with experimentalism and leaves more than one ‘huh’ to its alienated listener. “No Diga Eso” succeeds above the rest for its hyper multi-layered lasers, the collapsed wavelengths of sound collapsing one another and the unifying vocals serving as round borders. It’s those same vocals that damage the next song “Jesus Quantizo Mi Beatbox”, the voices distort and displace any direction line the music is willing to go, harming the otherwise splendid music. It’s rather funny the title track mentions that “nothing happens if you don’t record voices”, this piece in particular is like the band is thinking out loud and that brings everything closer to the eye. One last track, when everything seemed to slide in middling evenness a last piece shows up and it’s a dazzling piece, “Adivinar” disassociates itself from the album’s flaws almost to the point of rewriting the proclamation to a moment of transportive cuteness.

♫♫♫ "No Diga Eso"
Download EP
MySpace

Toy Selectah, Cumbia's Ultimate Guru

Control Machete’s former member Toy Hernandez aka Toy Selectah was one of the first ‘celebrities’ to wish us well in the beginning of the blog, he is a favorite and one of the most talented producers out there. He is a top producer for artists like Cabas, La Mala Rodriguez and Calle 13 just to name a few. Now that he is part of Mad Decent everything is meant to change, he’s got the talent to become huge and we’re hoping his much awaited 2009 production fares well. He’s got to be one of most demanded DJs today, especially after the whole neo-cumbia explosion that is especially interesting in Argentina. His upcoming project will feature his partners from Sonidero Nacional but presenting themselves as Cumbias Machine. Just notice the attention from Diplo or Hot Chip who are for the first time taking a look to what’s being produced in Latin America. He is the mind behind Celso Piña’s “Cumbia Sobre el Rio”, perhaps the most important song for this movement. His latest remix is one of his best, it’s for Nortec’s Bostich + Fussible for the track “The Clap” (from Tijuana Sound Machine). It is now available for free download at RCRD*LBL, god I love that site! I’m also linking to the great blog 8106 for a remix of Devendra Banhart’s “Carmensita” and the Mad Decent blog for a kickass remix of Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.”

♫♫♫ “The Clap”, Nortec Presents Bostich + Fussible [Visit RCRD*LBL]
♫♫♫ “Carmensita” (Toy Selectah Remix) by Devendra Banhart [Via 8106]
♫♫♫ “A Milli” (Toy Selectah Remix) by Lil’ Wayne [Via Mad Decent]