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.

Mexican Institute of Sound - Político

Político, Mexican Institute of Sound
Nacional Records, Mexico
Rating: 79
by Andrew Casillas

I’m 27 years old now, which is relatively young in the large scope of demographics, but relatively old in the land of Internet rock-crit. I’ve also begun the transition from listening and enjoying “Losing My Edge,” to actually living the damn song. With your 3Ball and your Ases Falsos and everything else I like but can’t fully represent because it’s “for the kids.” And that’s fine—it doesn’t take any enjoyment out of any great music made by 90’s children. But when a musician long since seen as uncool makes a great record about a weighty adult issue, it only makes those “out-of-touch” feelings seem like common chattel.

That musician: Camilo Lara, better known as Mexican Institute of Sound. Bursting onto the scene at the height of the George W. years, MIS was the super producer that Iberoamerican pop had been craving for years. The indelible, crate-robbing samples and funky beats became progressively less off-kilter and more straightforward as the time passed, to the point where his music has the fit the straightforward, middle of the road identity commonly attributed to his label, Nacional.

But on his latest album, Político, Mexican Institute of Sound becomes the Mexican Institute of Sound. The record announces its theme fairly explicitly, even quoting the Mexican national anthem on its first single. Político centers itself around the pervasive corruption embedded in many facets of Mexican government and the police power. The record doesn’t aim to “solve” anything, though. If you’re interested in the message (especially if you live in Mexico or follow the news very carefully), there are some enlightening takeaways.

But me telling you that Político is most interesting if you’re a politico is like me telling you that a U.S. Supreme Court opinion is most interesting if you give more than two shits about jurisprudence. HOW ARE THE TUNES, amirite? Well, there are some great ones on here. Lara junks the faux-retro grooves and thick bass for traditional Mexican instrumentation, anonymous (uncleared?) samples, and pinball machines—definitely a more analog aesthetic. “Revolución!” moves like a train through hellfire and b-boy schtick. “México” sounds like “Where It’s At” filtered through kush and tapatío. And “Es-Toy” sounds like a fucking CARNIVAL—and Goddamn is that amazing. If the lyrics didn’t sound so serious all the time, you could probably get away with playing the whole thing at your tía’s birthday party.

And that’s the best thing about Político. Lara has finally conceived a record that’s entirely on his terms, infused with his idiosyncrasies and personal beliefs—but it still delivers one hell of a party. It may not be for everyone—and there’s certainly a few bits that could easily turn off the unfamiliar (the entire last quarter of the album specifically), but this ain’t no big tent. This is a great record. That’s really all I need to say.

Ana Tijoux - La Bala

La Bala, Ana Tijoux
Nacional Records, Chile
Rating: 74
by Carlos Reyes

I didn’t care much about the star-making appearance of “1977” on last year’s infamous summer playlist by Thom Yorke, but when that song popped up on an episode of what’s arguably the best TV series of all time (Breaking Bad), I confess I got territorial at the grace of music supervisor Thomas Golubic. Which comes to show that songs do evolve in the course of different narratives. The cosmopolitanism of Ana Tijoux is endearing and truthful, inclusive of varied infrastructures, as well as deep personal venture. Tijoux’s life story knows about exile and landing, about expression and repression - qualities that have found meaning and purpose in her folk-tinged urban artillery that’s, indeed, addressing global unrest in rhyme.

“Soy el ultimo eslabón de la pirámide,” sighs the French-Chilean musician in the album's defining number, "Desclasificado." Ana Tijoux is a lot of things, amongst them: an exceptional rapper, a troubadour (with a killer front-to-back flow), and an immaculate listener. On her third album, La Bala, Tijoux has bolded the melodic response of her delivery, arriving at what’s easily her best record to date. When in the album’s single “Shock” Tijoux sings about the rotting of a golden throne, her mind shields in a collective, marching conviction - the rhymes trail her mind through successive hard punches in the pursuit of corrupt decomposition. This is Tijoux at her best, in full harmony with the times and owning the medium through a commendable dexterity.

Although a career-high, La Bala still suffers from what ultimately prevented its predecessors from becoming great records. It’s missing the beats. She has yet to find the producers that will provide the sonic grassland in which a big portion of her mantra will ultimately flourish. Nothing goes wrong when she’s rapping/singing, but production-wise, her songs are bruised by run-of-the-mill orchestrations that would only work in a pre-industrialized environment. Yes, it’s not too hard to make a conversation between La Bala and an agricultural economy, but the multi-dimensions of her topics and rhymes speak less about a revivalist and more of an artist who is looking forward. But, while that production plot hole is certainly there, Tijoux’s arsenal keeps the flow running with her outspoken, powerful performance. La Bala is Ana Tijoux's shot at breaking bad, and she proves to be more than capable of wearing the ribbon of an outlaw hero.

Video: Bomba Estéreo - "Ponte Bomb"

After a triumphant performance at Vive Latino, Bomba Estéreo is about to embark on an extensive U.S. tour and they’ve just premiered a weird looking, yet entertaining clip for “Ponte Bomb” (part of Levi’s Pioneer Revivival Sessions, and recently released as Ponte Bomb EP by Nacional Records). The Technotronic cover demanded an over-the-top set of images and plenty of movement, and that’s exactly what we get in this clip helmed by graffiti artist ‘Chanoir’. Li Saumet commands every frame with energetic wisdom, and when she isn’t in the frame, we get some fluffy creatures showing off their fur & dance moves. Everything is shamelessly low budget, but they’ve managed to visit the Yo Gabba Gabba weird cousins and squeeze them into RoseArt, impressive.

Video: Hello Seahorse! - "Me Has Olvidado"

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

Bimexicano, Nuestros Clásicos Hechos Rock, Varios Artistas

Bimexicano, Nuestros Clasicos Hechos Rock.

Varios Artistas

Nacional Records, Mexico/Mexican Honorees

Rating: 60

by Carlos Reyes

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

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

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

Video: La Vida Bohéme - "Danz!"

Last year when we featured La Vida Boheme’s single “Radio Capital” we mentioned on the band’s potential to go from their garage to the music video channels, and well, it’s happening. The band has proven to be one of those rare commercially reliable bands that manage to sound both, fresh and accessible. They’re also the newest band to join the Nacional Records family, so we can’t wait for all our fellow US-based blogs to meet one of the most energetic rock bands in Latin America. We included their track “Danz!” in our seventh compilation and we’re glad they’ve chosen it as a single. It’s the first song we heard from them a while ago and we remember thinking to ourselves, “this is some nice Venezuelan Bloc Party stuff.” I’m especially thrilled about this video by director Carl Zitelmann, the opening audio sequence is amusing to say the least, and the fourth-point camera travelogue exercise is impressive.

MP3: Bomba Estéreo "Pump Up The Jam"

If you have yet to download your free mp3 of Bomba Estereo’s cover of Technotronic’s “Pump Up The Jam” you really need to, it’s hot. This is part of the Levi’s Pioneer Revival Recording Sessions, which we weren’t even aware of. Other artists participating in this interesting project include Nas, She & Him, Dirty Projectors and The Shins. This is great news for Bomba Estereo who were recently named MTV Iggy’s Best New Band in the World. Also, they’ve been on fire with Mexico’s indie scene lately, who are a bit behind but finally acknowledging the magic of “Fuego” and their stellar debut Blow UP. It’s no secret we sometimes complain about Latin music’s projection as a savage exotic thing, but when it’s done as admirably as Bomba Estéreo does it here, we can’t help to feel proud. Grab it HERE.

Nortec Collective Presents Clorofila - Corridos Urbanos

Corridos Urbanos
Nortec Collective Presents Clorofila
Nacional Records, México
by Andrew Casillas

The guys in Nortec Collective are anything if not consistent. Whether you’re defining consistency in terms of aesthetics, purpose, or method of execution, they’ve developed one of the more definite and conspicuous styles of any major group of musicians working today. Suffice it to say, Corridos Urbanos, a “solo” effort from member Clorofila, doesn’t exactly break the Nortec mold. Yet, surprisingly, it’s as fully-shaped a record as anything else the group has ever released.

If last year’s Tijuana Sound Machine album (credited to members Bostich and Fussible) played to the gold chain-wearing, polished shoe, gelled-up hair club crowd, Corridos Urbanos is tailored for those folks who don’t feel the need to pay a cover charge. Kicking off with the exemplary “Discoteca Nacional,” Clorofila’s mix instantaneously sets a precise and appropriate vibe that’s carried through the album’s entirety. The track is a dark, hip-breaking, bass heavy stuff that isn’t made for your typical stereos; no, this seems best suited to the super-charged subs and tweeters of a modified Dodge Ram. Many of the other songs on the album (“Arriba El Novio,” “El General,” “Llantera”) share this same foundation, but none of these compares to the sheer likeability of the opener.

Perhaps the most noticeable improvement that Clorofila’s mix has on other Nortec Collective albums lies in its utilization of vocals. Typically, vocals on a Nortec album have as much value as straight men in a Pedro Almodóvar film—yeah they’re there, but you really have no reason to pay any attention to them. But Corridos Urbanos actually expands the singer’s role on two songs and the album benefits greatly because of this. “BabyRock Rock” adds an indie edge to the Nortec sound (along with post-punk bassline!), while closer “Babai” provides a touching slice of lament and proper dénouement to the whole festivities. It’s really a shame that these are the only two tracks with entire lyrics.

If there are any real complaints about this record, it’s probably the length of the mix, which goes on for almost an hour. This sort of length wouldn’t be a problem if not for the album’s monotonous middle section, which another solid lyrical song may have salvaged a bit. But that’s not a terminal flaw, because really, this is as good a Nortec Collective album as one could wish for all of these years since they emerged on the scene. It’s clear that these guys will never recapture that feeling of innovation and uniqueness as they did a decade ago but, if anything, it’s great to see that they’re still damn good at what they do.

♫♫♫ "BabyRock Rock"
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Fuerza Chile, Nacional Records' Chile Benefit Compilation

Chile suffered yet another intense earthquake today, we can't find more appropriate words for that nation than Nacional's latest release title 'Fuerza Chile.' It's a compilation album featuring some well known, an rising artists from Chile. From the legendary Los Tres and Los Bunkers to Nacional's latest inductee Anita Tijoux. Club Fonograma favorite Javiera Mena appears in the album in a collaboration with Diego Morales, covering Violeta Parra's "Ausencia", which happens to be Javiera's best moment outside Esquemas Juveniles. 'Fuera Chile' is out now on digital outlets.

Oro, Choc Quib Town

Oro, Choc Quib Town
Nacional Records, Colombia
Rating: 79
By Carlos Reyes

Our ‘Best of the Decade’ special was built on momentum and with no real guidelines but listing our favorite songs, but deep inside, we had an alert bump squishing our hearts in search for anthems. While Javiera Mena’s transcoded us “Al Siguiente Nivel” and Piyama Party fed our nostalgia through “Fan de Carcass”, we had this blare of including a ‘Latin Anthem’, whatever that is, it’s probably something along the lines of Choc Quib Town’s “Somos Pacifico.” Constructing such a sacred piece takes a lot of guts, and although the intentions are heart whelming, most artists end up displacing their energy in fuzzy laughable songs that only go as far as shouting for Latino unity. Now, “Somos Pacifico” comes out and we can’t help but embrace it, recognizing patterns to Hector Lavoe’s “Mi Gente” on celebrating the neighborhood, the nationality and the race.

‘Somos Pacifico’ meant finding equivalence between our Latino pride and creative dexterity, it also presented us with the most exciting new Urban act in Latin America. Choc Quib Town is a response to Colombia’s folklore through three personas (with wonderful voices) that are clearly affectionate to their roots and naturally competent to demonstrate their passion through music. Fortunately, the passion matches the skill, and it’s that excitement what makes these bouncy infectious rhythms resolve on their own terms. Oro is ChocQuibTown’s first US release and is a compilation album comprised of material previously published in Colombia. We’re probably not you’re average US-based website, so we can’t quite embrace this as novelty since we can’t separate the fact that, we’ve been hearing some of these songs since 2006. ButOro is far more than a hits album; it’s coherent and yes, uncontrollably contagious.

The afrobeat postures every piece on the right places, sometimes disclosing a precious street-quality to them and sometimes shuffling tradition over the walls of culture and language. “El Bombo” previously released on El Bombo EP is a song with so much reach that it could easily recapitulate the state of global pop in terms of its voluptuous aesthetics. “Busca Personas” stands out as a luminous piece on the ability of finding individuals through the Sun’s gifting light, while we can’t help but fall in love with “Pescao Envenenao” (feat. La 33) and “Son Bereju” all over again. Oro makes us think the world is twisted; Alexander Acha taking the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist over Choc Quib Town is an insult to rationality, singing “La Guadalupana” to a reggaeton beat is not dignifying of a breakthrough, this is>

♫♫♫ "De Donde Vengo Yo"
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Cumbias de Villa Donde, King Coya

CUMBIAS DE VILLA DONDE, KING COYA
ZZK Records/Nacional Records, Argentina
Rating: 82
By Carlos Reyes

Like many of you, I was surprised to know the guy behind King Coya was Gaby Kerpel, but upon further thought, it actually makes sense. The concept is similar to Fuerza Bruta and Carnabailito, except that instead of working with the folksy airborne he’s known for, he jumps into the cumbia niche and the outcome is near the spectacular. The King Coya pseudonym would be his way of distancing his authorship into an album that it’s mostly based or inspired on second-hand cumbiancheros. Cumbias de Villa Donde is quite a success because of Kerpel’s will to treat this set as just another mixtape, the sum of its pieces adds up to an album of both, high art and pop culture with his signature all over it.

King Coya isn’t just scratching and twisting; he owns every piece and gives them a direction. Every tune is reinforced with extra bass, many times giving them a nice tribal sound. Luckily, he realizes that some songs just need a bit of makeup and an intensification of what’s already on there is enough to take the piece elsewhere. The album opens with “Villa Donde”, which immediately reminded me of the far-fetched Mongolian vocal art that is Khoomei (or Hooliin Choir), a very deep exclamation of throat-singing trickery. “Un niño que llora en los montes de Maria” is so avant-garde and funky, I could see it breaking into a broader public a lo Celso Pina’s “Cumbia sobre el rio.” To many of us ‘modern kids’, it’s also an introduction to the wonderful music by Colombian folk singer Petrona Martinez.

The album offers beautiful musical landscapes of rural and urban appeal; from Argentina’s folk to its hip hop. For those of us who see the World Music tag as an evil marketing tool, King Coya is one of our best allies simply because he is redefining it through great music. Listening to “Tierra” or “Don Axelina” really makes me want to hook up King Coya with Julio Voltio, it’s like they need each other. “Cumbia Tronics” almost steps in Merengue territory, it reminds me of the blue shield cumbia tronics of DJ Rupture. The structure of the album itself is beautifully digitalized and it works within its pieces rather than with a defined sound.

The most interesting (although not the best) song in the album is “El Burrito”, a rare song by Cucu Diamantes (Yerba Buena) and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. The song took me off guard, mostly because I was quickly localized by Colombian and Peruvian cumbias and he suddenly drops a MexiCuban feature that originally (and released three years ago) worked only because of its bipolar extremism. He probably wouldn’t recognize it, but King Coya fixed it! Cumbias de Villa Donde is a complex album of high frequency, in all its repeating forms it’s also highly conscious of what it’s doing: hypermediating global speakers with the sounds of our rich continent.

♫♫♫ “Un niño que llora en los montes de María”
buy it @amazon
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Feature: Pacha Massive - "If You Want It" (Ga Ga Tech Mix) feat. Rita Indiana

New York's Pacha Massive was the first act to get a boost from MTV Tr3s’s Descubre & Download featuring their hit “Don’t Let Go”. The band might have lost one of its members, but Dominican-born Nava is keeping it up releasing a sophomore album. First single “If You Want It” is the clear standout, it’s got the flow factor and it’s bouncy enough to be seductive. “Sabes que tengo what you looking for, y de donde vengo everybody flows, than we get down low right down to the floor.” I love those spiral songs, especially when they’re as intensified as this one. The single is good enough, but we’re featuring this hot Ga Ga Tech remix by fellow Dominican and Fonograma favorite Rita Indiana. "El Caribe con anzuelo, y me lo llevo porque puedo!"

♫♫♫ "If You Want It" (Ga Ga Tech Mix) feat. Rita Indiana

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Nacional Records Sampler 2009. The New Sounds of Latin Music

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

Nacional Records Sampler 2009. The New Sounds of Latin Music

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

ZZK Mixtapes Vol.7 - King Coya

I'll eat my words for my upcoming review of King Coya's Cumbias de Villa Donde (out now digitally through Nacional Records), to post ZZK's Mixtape Vol.7. It's an amazing set by King Coya (Gaby Kerpel), I could keep writing but instead, I'll just paste the release text, also, I declare "Un niño que llora en los montes de María" as one of my ultimate favorite tracks from our latest compilation.

King Coya, from the Northern Argentine Andes, is the digitalized, imaginary version of Gaby Kerpel, who blends traditional Colombian cumbia and Argentine folklore with electronic music.

For the newest ZZK mixtape, Vol. 7, King Coya proposes a collection of tracks from his first album, Cumbias de Villa Donde, mixing, remixing, and mashuping songs that have got plenty a Zizek Club crowd a movin, (his "English Lesson" opener is a Zizek classic if there ever was one). Petrona Martinez, Missy Elliot, La Yegros, PG13 from Calle 13 are some of the voices that appear among the flow of downtempo "cumbias from anywhere" and Latin American folkloric music. Enjoy the ride.

Download - King Coya ZZK mixtape, Vol.7

"Vivire Para Ti", Los Amigos Invisibles ft. Natalia Lafourcade

While Andrew, Carlos and I fight over who gets to review Los Amigos Invisibles’ latest album Commercial (out May 26 in the states through Nacional), we’re going all gaga-gaga for their collaboration with Natalia Lafourcade in the song “Vivire Para Ti”. The track itself is a very traditional collaboration, but nonetheless it’s juicy and delicious moment in the already spicy career of Venezuela’s most representative act. As far as Natalia’s new album goes, we haven’t heard the finish product, but everything seems lined up for a masterwork of some kind, plus having Juan Son and Julieta Venegas in the credit doesn’t hurt. It’s exciting because in this first year of Club Fonograma we’ve never reviewed neither of the artists. Los Amigos is one of the most creative bands out there, like my fellow writers said, they ARE Latinoamerica. And the first single “Gracias” is awesome too, is the most truthful anthem for any guy with some truth on his mind. I found the song over at YouTube, stream it, believe me it's worth the time.

Soy Sauce, Mexican Institute of Sound

SOY SAUCE, MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND
Nacional Records, México ****
Rating: 88
By Carlos Reyes

Instituto Mexicano del Sonido’s third feature is a monument of musical festivity; let it be for its complex production or funky catch tunes, but especially for its multi-layered sound that elapses time and conjuncts the diverse musical palette and periods of Mexico’s alter melodic spirit. Soy Sauce may not be a quick catch; the reduction of samplings from Mejico Maxico and Piñata has lead to advancement in the actual creation of sounds and a stronger formation of lyrics. It doesn’t take a second to disclose its magic; “Cumbia” introduces the show with majestic elevation, the high registration of the brass instrument and the support of the accordion, which rounds gently every sequence. Lead single (at least for the U.S.) “Alocatel” is a party entourage and in a charming way, very cynical, its remix by Ad Rock (Beastie Boys) sounds epic, like the marathon illustrations that surround the album’s awesome artwork.

Soy Sauce is a post-modern depiction of its culture, a robotic approach to the traditional sounds of our culture and a lot more. “Yo Digo Baila” is a club-banger with a Banda layer on the background and its encounter with the electronic gene; on the surface, a negotiation and compromise between the two genres and the call-response Spanglish interaction of its chorus. The leading single for Mexico is “Hiedra Venenosa”, the adventurous and frenzied piece of the album outsiders might not fully understand, but it’s like a Mexican-style conflicted fairytale involving a guy in love and a venomous girl who rocks his world. The populachero album continues with the musical reinterpretation of “Karate Kid 2”, inspired by the movie of course, and whose popularity in Mexico is out of proportion (Televisa’s Canal Cinco airs it every other weekend), the people is very receptive to such story because of the political distrust people have on their officials and because it is optimistic enough to bring power to the common pedestrian. 

My favorite moment of the album arrives with “Reventon”, if that’s not a party enticement then I don’t know what is; it tells you where the party is, even suggests how to get there. It includes what has to be the most hilarious line in a song this year, Camilo Lara singing Bersuit Vergarabat is a revelation and a fortunate spicy moment. “Te Quiero Mucho” and all its animals sustain the sweetest and most nostalgic piece of the album and one of its best. “Sinfonia Agridulce” is a bizarre ranchera, perhaps a bit too condensed and forced for its own good, but it works within the boundaries of the tracks surrounding it and the fiesta spirit of the album, a drinking moment had to be here. Overall, Soy Sauce can be interpreted as the joyful ride of the popular song in the hands of the right mind to progress it. 

♫♫♫ "Yo Digo Baila" (Quiero Club Remix) - Exclusive
buy it @ amazon
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Quintana Roo, RH+

QUINTANA ROO, RH+
Nacional Records, Chile ***1/2
Rating: 74
By Carlos Reyes

Nacional unveils their latest inductee to their amazing catalog, RH+ formerly known as Rock Hudson in their native Chile bring their first internationalized production Quintana Roo, a pop-structured but pos-rock edgy revelation. It has been called sensuous and dreamy; I find it exotic and at times even animalistic, which is one of the most arousing faces synth-pop could manage to have. Quintana Roo is asymmetric, not a bad thing if handled right, one side portrays a very European influenced environment of soft electrics, while the other is heavier on drums and therefore more solid. Both personalities seem to search for an instant of dominance over the other, the lack of cohesive attachment lead to an overall mesmerizing duel. The opener “What About” is a stunner; it only took a couple of keys to grab me, builds up its way to tell its love story, grasps through aquatic waves and it resolves itself in lyrics and musical accompaniment. “Perry Frankie Miller Gajardo” is a cosmic ride, a very appropriate and not-at-all safe first single. Having two vocalists encloses the interesting duel, the female vs. male musical conversation is actually peaceful, but carry the proposal to a clever state of mind where reconciliation is found through instrumental songs with some tremendous samplings. The heart of the album is “El Elela” which kicks off with a fearful intro, moves on to steady celebration and a character named Fernando Fernandez tries to introduce Disney’s Dalmatian story. Intermediate tracks like “Curb” and “Robin Is The Last Cowboy” are standouts, and make it easier to answer the question. So, which side is better? Of course, it’s an objective question, but I must go with the well defined edgier personality because it breaks through the smoky electronic pop with much glamour. 

♫♫♫ "What About"
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Probadita: Soy Sauce, Instituto Mexicano del Sonido

Listen to a couple of tracks from Soy Sauce, the upcoming album by Instituto Mexicano del Sonido.

Club Fonograma Features: Plastilina Mosh

You should know by now that Jonaz y Rosso and their Plastilina Mosh will transcend as one of the key projects that have made Latin Alternative music a progressive, dynamic and exciting movement to be proud of. Aquamosh already has its deserved spot as the radical project that turned classic for its acid lyricism, its brave take on political themes and its depiction of modernity. Throughout the years, their journey has only enriched their colorful and rebellious way of partying, like a distraction or escapism turned into a lesson of joy. Their latest release All U Need Is Mosh is simply hyper, and the singles have been so far steady. We’re gracious to feature their single “Pervert Pop Song”, which has to be their loudest single since “Peligroso Pop.” This song features Patricia Lynn and Ximena Sariñana, in that order, so don’t get it confused, it’s not that Ximena sounds different, her appearance vocally is minimal. We thank Plastilina Mosh and Nacional Records for letting us drop this marvelous song for you, we can’t wait for the upcoming video. 

Club Fonograma Features: 
PLASTILINA MOSH.
Track: "Pervert Pop Song" 
Album: All U Need Is Mosh
Label: Nacional Records
Country: Mexico
>>> MP3
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