Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new york. Show all posts
Video: Juan Wauters - "This is I"
With its casio string arrangements and malleable time signatures, “This is I” hardly fitted in with the rest of Who Me?. Far from being boring, though, the lyrically contemplative and sonically ethereal track features a rather subdued and somber range of shades: a mixture of elegiac sadness and deep self-analysis. “This is I” is not about hopeless dejection. It’s about the public expression of existential anguish as a way to regain a grasp of one’s journey through life.
The video, directed by long-time collaborator Matthew Volz, shows Wauters – and his conscience dressed in a leather jacket – walking towards a gang of extremely vengeful (ex)novias, getting beat up real bad by said gang, and laying his head on the lap of an affectionate abuela. The punk poet’s journey through life, memory and yearning is then ended by a tie-breaking spot kick while the fantasist moog sounds of El Chavo’s theme song resonate, bringing some much needed humor and hope.
Juan Wauters - N.A.P. North American Poetry
Captured Tracks, USA
Rating: 82
by Souad Martin-Saoudi
While N.A.P. North American Poetry was released last February, I must admit I needed some time to absorb all of the earnestness emanating from this epigrammatic record. So I listened and re-listened to Juan Wauters' first solo LP. When it comes to achieving true simplicity -one that can only be attained by gathering, digesting and unifying the infinite complexities of human reasoning, the Jackson Heights-based fellow with the nasal vocals and minimalist guitar arrangements has become an expert. After several listens, his "collection of 12 songs about the coldness of winter and the warmth of a scratch-off nickel," which were all recorded at Gary Olson's Marlborough Farms studio between 2010 and 2012, uncovers the songwriter’s proficiency to understand and expose complex situations with an idiosyncratic lyricism that remains engaging.
"I don’t like you, you’re a fool" shouts Wauters on album opener "Let Me Hip You To Something," after a discrete soaring guitar takeoff. The chuckle-inducing statement can offend upon first hearing, but in a way it calls into question whether he sings it in order to keep us, as a society, on our toes, aware, and truly present. Beneath his offhand irony, The Beets frontman bares a purity of conception that either excites or puts off. And so Wauters makes his way through and underneath the layers of our conscious minds, one moment with the genuine urgency of "Sanity or Not" and a moment later with the soothing bongo beat of the jaunty and Rollingstonesque "Lost in Soup." JW’s three-chord art punk provides a solid vessel for his thoughts on overconformity and the alienation of modern humanity. "Escucho Mucho" builds in a dreamy-jangly rhythm guitar to lines like "Soy un soldado, no estoy domado, a otro soldado quiero matar, pero no puedo, no tengo dedo apretar gatillo y matar." The hazy and drifting "Woke Up Feeling Like Sleeping," with its quieter strumming guitar, maracas and voiceover embodies Wauters’ aesthetic, one that’s weirdly attractive.
His art excels with the contemplative "Water," whose words ("Do I belong, who is it that I am, what is it that I'm for") and music video (shot in Montevideo by longtime collaborator Matthew Voltz) create a sense that we have dropped in on a moment that has not stopped to exist because of our incursion. We can even catch a sight of two of Wauters musical idols Chicos Eléctricos’ Nico Barcia and singer songwriter Ruben Rada. Amanda Rodi’s flute on “Goo” and Carmelle Safdie’s (Beachniks) vocals on "Breathing" and "How Do They All Do?" envelop the confessional lyrics and JW’s slacker drawl with a fuller sensorial experience. Like a playful and spirited choir, the duet formed by Wauters and Safdie (a more fun and spirited version of Reed/Nico tandem), proves to be curiously effective as the vocal alternation channels Wauters’ vulnerability without becoming mawkish. "Continue To Be You" offers a different kind of thrill as lines from the opening track: “Get a headache yeah, take medicine yeah, get better yeah, to another headache, oh yeah” are repeated as a mantra to bring us to full realization.
N.A.P. North American Poetry (out via Captured Tracks) closes with a rough but spirited cover of Los Piojos "Ay Ay Ay". The pressing guitar arrangements on this song are about someone who strives to survive outside of an alienating society, but inevitably comes back to it -giving it greater depth. Patti Smith in Just Kids explained that “to be an artist was to see what others could not.” Juan Wauters does precisely that: managing to hold the listener spellbound with few chords and a feeling. The candor and artisanal approach of his collection of thoughts permeates the ordinary to better transcend it.
Juan Wauters – “Escucho Mucho”
Within the first few seconds of "Escucho Mucho," Uruguayan-born, Jackson Heights-based Juan Wauters' shambling rhythm guitar brings us back to the naive candor of childhood, that very candor that made his band, The Beets, so intriguing. With a unique awareness and a fair dose of self-irony Wauters shares his take on confusion, alienation and isolation. As the track progresses, a psychedelic flight on an electric guitar is layered over the jaunty melody, bringing Wauters’ existentialist-folk to a cosmic level. His true melodic sensitivity and irresistible charm will have you humming under your breath without realizing it. "Escucho Mucho" is the second single off of his debut solo album N.A.P. North American Poetry, out February 4th through Captured Tracks.
Blanca Méndez Live!: EMP Pop Music Conference this Friday
If there's anything you can say about the Club Fonograma writing staff, it's that we all love each other and support each other in our real lives. On that note, I'd like to plug our own Blanca Mendez, who will be presenting at the EMP Pop Music Conference at New York University's Kimmel Center this Friday from 4-6 pm.
As you may have recently seen on the Colbert Report (embedded below), the EMP Conference is known for its hilariously esoteric presentation titles. And Blanca’s is no different! Entitled "Tijuana Makes Some Noise: Ruidoson as a Response and Resistance to Violence in Baja California's Largest City,” the paper will explore the ruidoson sound, including the cultural and political climate out of which ruidoson was born, and the importance of the genre in moving Tijuana forward musically. It will also include the musings of Tony Gallardo, aka María y José, who of course is a crazy person and should provide the GREATEST INSIGHT EVER.
Anyway, if you live in New York, or will be within a feasible distance of NYU this weekend, try to make it out. There’s nothing Blanca loves more than strangers listen to her talk. And make sure to charge your first post-panel drink on my tab.
Club Fonograma Features: Zona Seis
From New York to the world, we are extremely happy to feature Zona Seis, which is quickly becoming one of our favorite urban acts out there. Electrifying hip hop with some great beats, they could be jumping into an easy route commercializing their music, but their electronic swag is taking them to remote musical areas that are rare to find among Latino urban acts. Not only do they set apart from the generic movement of bilingual radio, but these guys sound like a hybrid of old-school American rap and the European dancehall markets. This is bilingual and demanding urban music with lasers. Can they get any cooler? Yeah, they got an awesome blog that I will probably start utilizing as reference. You can currently download their mixtape Electronic Swag for free here (via Zshare). We are featuring the energetic and incredibly catchy “Cybertron”, it features Slay Back and was produced by England’ Elektronik.
Club Fonograma Features:
ZONA SEIS.
Track: "Cybertron" feat. Slay Back ; produced by Elektronik
Album: Electronic Swag
Label: Essounds ET
Country: USA
>>>MP3
MySpace
El Futuro Mas Aca
Presented by Cinema Tropical in collaboration with The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York
A quirky and stirring film series featuring some of the most representative Mexican sci-fi films made during the forties through the sixties. Can a Mexican scientist invent a rocketship? Can a local boxer disarm a nuclear bomb? Can El Santo, the wrestling superhero par excellence, save Mexico City and thus the planet, from Martian conspiracy?
For you lucky bastards in New York, don't miss EL FUTURO MAS ACA. Starts today!
Films:
La Nave de los Monstruos (The Monsters' Ship, 1959)
El Planeta de las Mujeres Invasoras (Planet of the Female Invaders 1965)
El Santo vs La Invasion de los Marcianos (El Santo vs The Martian Invasion 1966)
La Momia Azteca contra el Robot Humano (The Azteca Mummy vs the Human 1957)
Find a lot more info @ Cine Latino en Nueva York
Blueghost & Poni Republic Present Los Fancy Free, Nuuro & More!
We have pleasantly reviewed, played or mentioned Los Fancy Free, Nuuro, Todosantos and Maniqui Lazer; well, this is the chance to know why we like them so much. Get the chance to see a bunch of cool people in the coolest city of the U.S., of course New York City. This is part of the CMJ 2008 (Music Marathon & Film Festival) and will also feature other multicolored acts for our pleasure.
- ♫♫♫ "Waiting" - Nuuro
- ♫♫♫ "OMG! We Got It! - Todosantos
- ♫♫♫ "Ja Ja Ja" - Los Fancy Free
- ♫♫♫ "Sonic Sex" - Maniqui Lazer
Nacotheque 8.0
Nacotheque makes me dance, did you know I ALWAYS (once a month) clean my room listening to their awesome mixes? Reminds me of the Tropi-rollo cassettes my mom used to play while cleaning the house. Try them, they are way better than a RedBull when it comes to giving you energy, it’s all natural, they get into your senses no matter what. Nacotheque throws the best parties in New York; we all know that, they are so kind to give us some great compilations to download. Are you tired of your parents, tios and tias taking control over the music on your birthday parties? Tell ‘em to give you a break or send them to watch their telenovelas and play Nacotheque 8.0 loud and louder, they’ll come back to dance, it’s irresistible!.
♫♫♫ Nacotheque 8.0 Part 1
Nacotheque 8.0 Part 2 ♫♫♫
1. Intro
2. Panico Ramirez - La Banana
3. 60 Tigres - Dentro De Mi Cuerpo (santi edit)
4. La Casa Azul - No Mas Myolastan
5. $6M Weirdo - Love Transmission
6. De Falla - Popozuda Rock N Roll
7. La Vacazul - Vuelo
8. Hidrogenesse - Vuelve Conmigo A Italia
9. Pastilla - A Marte
10. Los Romeos - Mi Vida Rosa
11. Amandititita - La Muy Muy
12. Afrodita - Morena
13. Julio Voltio - El Mellao
14. Vanexxa - Desheredada
15. Acuario - Rema, Rema, Marinero
16. Los Pico Pico - La Pinata
17. Divina Gloria - Desnudita Es Mejor
18. Babasonicos - Microdancing
19. Sara Da Pin Up - Mi Codo
20. Righeira - Vamos A La Playa
21. Los Mustang - Tan Felices (santi edit)
22. Alive - Discusiones Bizantinas
23. Gaby Vex - Palpito Papito
24. Ruby Y Los Casinos - No Te Conosco Muchacho
25. Alaska - El Rey Del Glam (huracan mexicano)
26. J y M Capuano - Molino Al Viento Charito
27. Elis Paprika - Hasta Que Te Conoci
28. Adicta - Lo Que Enferma
29. Jaime Sin Tierra - Auto
30. Abrentaora Pop - Ramo Verde
31. Raphael - Ahora
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)