Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) is musical master mind, Camilo Lara. MIS is a large part of the strong electronic dance music coming out of Mexico and all of Latin America. Having always the recipient of great international critical acclaim, MIS is still relatively unknown to the casual music listener here in the States. Only hipsters and Latin scenesters have MIS albums it seems. Fans of Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Nortec Collective or even The Verve (yes, The Verve) should have MIS’s new album, Soy Sauce, in their collection. Read the full review on Double Stereo
RH+ is a band that may surprise you after listening to their new album, Quintana Roo. Being on Nacional Records, home to international superstars such as Manu Chao and Plastilina Mosh, one might expect something more “Latin” sounding. With English vocals and no sign of any cumbia or salsa influence, one might guess that RH+ was a European group. I know Chile is a breeding ground for great rock en Espanol, but RH+ is more along the lines of Stereo Lab or Joy Division.
This week the best show in town is clearly this one here. It's at one of my favorite venues and it is FREE! You need to make sure you RSVP and come early. The real treat is going to be Pinata Protest, as they haven't played too many shows in Austin. That will change this year, but it all starts for them Wednesday. My friends Este Vato are new to the scene, but will definietly keep your attention. My friends and I caught them at Trophy's recently and liked what we heard. I don't have to tell you about headliner Girl in a Coma. I will say that if you haven't seen them before, then this is your best opportunity to check them out. They're amazing. By the way.... it's free. Did I mention it's free?
Kalua ha estado tocando música en Austin desde el primer show deAustin Vida en 2007. Tuve la oportunidad de sentarme con el baterista Andrés Delgado y cantante/guitarrista Juan Díaz para platicar acerca de su nuevo disco, un video nuevo, de Led Zeplin, la música Latina en Austin, la Copa Mundial de Fútbol y hasta heavy metal.
This is my first year to attend Rock y Roll Dia, an interactive community outreach event and concert. With two years under its belt, this year's Rock y Roll Dia will be its best yet. While previous acts were what I consider to be honorable mentions at best, with the exception of maybe Mexico's Jumbo, it had not garnered my interest enough to go. This year is a completely different story.
Headlining will be Venezuela's own Los Amigos Invisibles, who are known to many outside the Latin music world as the group David Bryne signed to his Luaka Bop label. I got to see Los Amigos for the first time in March during a free show at The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC). Having heard only a few songs from them at the time, I had no idea they were so funky. Even if you don't understand Spanish, you can understand live Latin funk and good times. Mix their music with a little cocktail or chela (beer for you gringo friends and coconuts). Here is a video clip for you if you aren't familiar:
Recently added Monte Negro will certainly bring a great rock element Rock y Roll Dia didn't have without them. I got too see them live at SXSW for the first time at the Batanga showcase I worked and again this summer at Antone's on the Circo Rocktastico Tour. They are great live, sounding just like they do on CD with all the energy of their fast paced music. Kinski, lead singer, is great front man and doesn't sound like any other mainstream act out right now. They sing in both English and Spanish, even covering Bob Marley's Give Me Love. You may have seen that video on what used to M.E. TV's best show, Sonido Boombox. They were on M.E. before they were on MTV3 even, on their Discubre (discover) and Download segment. Don’t get me started on MTV3…..uuugghhhh.
The local representation comes from Michael Ramos and his eclectic band, Charanga Cakewalk. Many Austinites are plenty familiar with Charanga, especially with the M.E. Live taping for my favorite Charanga Cakewalk song La Negra Celina. To me, they are mix or regional Mexican, cumbia, Latin Jazz and Carribean. It's hard to explain, but fun to listen to and watch live.
Finally, the last group added to the bill will be Los Hollywood from (you guessed it!) Los Angeles. Given who is behind Dia, I should have expected some sort of LA injected into this. Just from listening to their music online, they sound like a younger, Latino version of No Doubt circa early 90s. Los Hollywood sings in both English and Spanish, so they too are gringo friendly while keeping it true to their roots so to speak. This group and this party, while being a Latin Music showcase, is for everyone. I hope to see you there.
Be sure to come early and get your tickets now, as it at The Mohawk and should sell out. Tickets are available on CD Fuse and you can find more info on the pre parties (whoot whoot!) on the Rock Y Roll Dia Myspace or on Do512. If you want to hear some of the music by these artists, you can listen to Rock y Roll Radio and check out the various shows from your computer. I don't normally plug or promote upcoming shows but my company, Gwizsk Design, are sponsors and the web marketing team for Dia. I say this in the spirit of full disclosure and just wanted to share this great event with you all. I will be posting another blog a couple days or so after the show in case you're lame and miss Rock y Roll Dia. You can read about what a great time it was for all.
Last night I ventured out to Antone’s to see one of my favorite new Latin rock bands from Mexico, 60 Tigres. Hailing from Monterrey (the coolest city in Mexico it seems) , 60 Tigres brought a unique and original sound to The Sound and the Jury competition. They are a good mix of psychedelic and bass heavy funk, with a Latin percussion of course. They also have two singers, their bassist and their drummer.
The bands at the showcase last night were chosen by online fan voting. That being said, it was an amazing accomplishment just to be there. I know that sounds PC and cheesy, but considering the amount of quality competition, being there as one of the top vote getters speaks volumes. I think it speaks especially well of 60 Tigres being that they were the only foreign band in the top group.
Now I knew going into Antone's that they weren't going to win. The odds were against them as they were going against local favorites and other top vote getters. The competition was judges by the in house crowd and a panel of industry judges. There were other factors that were against them also, such as the fact that they sing primarily in Spanish. It is often hard for people sometimes to get into a band at first if they don't understand the language they are singing in.The other factor they were going up against was that they had equipment issues. Luckily for them one of the other bands, T-Bird and The Breaks, were kind enough to lend them equipment.
T-Bird and The Breaks was also the band that went on before them, and up to that point they were the band with the best crowd support. Man did I feel for 60 Tigres after they finished. Hell, even I thought T-Bird should have won if 60 Tigres couldn't. They were awesome and more original than the other generic indie rock bands playing. That's just what ACL needs right…more indie rock.
60 Tigres, like the other bands on the bill, only had about a 20 minute set. Despite their short set, I honestly think they made a good impression on the majority gringo crowd there at Antone's. That is one thing I love about this town. People are open to different types of music and embrace it even. Of course the Hispanics there were going to love them, but seeing everyone else nod their heads and dance (thanks to the beer I suppose) was great to see. 60 Tigres noticed as they made it a point to thank everyone for listening and let the audience know how honored they were to be there.
I hope they make it back to Austin next year so more people can get a chance to see them. They were great live and if you like to dance at concerts, then you'll love 60 Tigres. Having got a chance to speak with them after their set, I got the impression that they want to come back as soon as they can. They loved it here.In the meantime, you can check out their music for free on their website. Click here to check them out, and do check out this video from the show:
Last Thursday at Antone's, New York's own Pacha Massive played a free show sponsored by Pacifico Beer. Pacha Massive is a bilingual band who blends Latin, jazz, funk and some electronica. Their sound is something I have been looking for in Latin music for a while. I have discovered some real Latin music gems this year at the local level, such as Maneja Beto and Grupo Fantasma, but not anything new in the Latin mainstream.
Pacha Massive is a new group signed to Nacional Records, the same label as recent Austin performers Manu Chao (ACL) and Bostitch & Fussible (Pachanga Fest). Once again, Nacional Records signed an incredible band.
Pacha’s ethnic make up is as eclectic as their sound. Front man and guitar player DJ Nova is Dominican, his wife and bassist Maya is Colombian. The rest of Pacha’s ethnic make up includes Mexican, Italian and Philippine. It makes sense that a group so eclectic in make up creates such an incredible hybrid of genres. This is why I enjoy their music so much and was looking forward to them coming to Austin.
I first heard of Pacha Massive coming to Austin earlier in the week from internet radio program, Rock y Roll Radio. Hosts Paul Saucido and Dacia Saenz did a phone interview with Pacha Massive for a special show and myspace bit. I was even more excited when I heard it was a free show. I immediately penciled it into my concert calendar.
They were the late show Thursday, following a big Del Castillo show in which Los Lonely Boys made a cameo appearance. Pacha Massive went on around 11:30. The crowd (different from the Del Castillo crowd) was immediately into their set and the dancing ensued. Apparently, this is what happens when Pacha infects your ears. Your ears tell your mind “you must get downright now” and you start dancing. It could also be the alcohol, but whatever.
Pacha did not disappoint. Every song in some form or fashion showed off their excellent musicianship, their vibrant personality, and their confident swagger. I absolutely love it when a group dances to its own music as if no one is watching. DJ Nova and Maya get down even while playing guitar. Their chemistry on stage, perhaps due to them being married, is excellent. You can tell that Pacha Massive love the ride they are on with this tour and their new album, “All Good Things”. Only “good things” will come if they keep this up.
I got a chance to go back stage at Antone’s before and after their show to meet them. I wanted to share this with readers before I conclude this blog. Pacha Massive is one of the most friendly, down to earth groups I have ever come across at their level in any genre. They look you in the eye when talking to you, remember your name later, and shake your hand upon both greeting and departing. You’d be surprised how many bands I have met at different levels that do not practice such manners. Thank you Pacha Massive and please come back to Austin again soon. I leave you all with their video for my favorite Pacha Massive song, "Don't Let Go".
Tonight I went to Stubbs (indoor) for local Latino indie rock band, "Maneja Beto". Translated literally, it means "Beto Drives" in case you were wondering. Maneja Beto is a rare blend between traditional Mexican cumbia and indie rock. I know that sounds weird. Those aren't really two genres that merge often. In fact, I have yet to find a marriage of Mexican cumbia and indie rock that is better than Maneja Beto
Maneja Beto is not anything new to me personally. I have seen them twice before and know that their music is amazing. However, I made a special trip out to Stubbs tonight because Maneja Beto will soon be on hiatus. That's right. They will not be playing many shows after tonight for a long while. That being said, I made it a point to come out to Stubbs to see them tonight to review the show and help spread the word about Maneja Beto.
For those not familiar with Maneja Beto, let me break it down for you. Their sound is unique. When I mentioned cumbia and indie rock coming together through them earlier, I was merely scratching the surface. They sing in Spanish but sound nothing like any other band you've heard, local or mainstream. They blend the keyboards and feedback with guitars. They merge two voices, Bobby Garza and Alex Chavez, with musical harmonies not yet touched by most Latin Alternative bands. Melodic is another word that comes to mind when I listen to their music. You really do have to listen for yourself.
Are they energetic and exciting live? Honestly, no. Are they fantastic musicians? Yes. Are they original and creative? Yes. When you go to a Maneja concert, you won't find the large crowds (yet) or a mosh pit. You'll see an older mid to late twenty's and up crowd dancing to the cumbias and nodding their heads to the indie songs, like my personal favorite of theirs, "Apertura". I know this because it has been the same crowd at all three shows of theirs I have been to.
Tonight was no different. The crowd was small but enthusiastically into their music. Truthfully I have seen bigger crowds for worse bands at other local Red River joints such as Red Eyed Fly and Headhunters. They don't deserve such mediocrity and low turn outs. Maneja Beto is too good of band. They recently entered a Myspace Latino sponsorship contest and lost to a bunch of gimmicky Pussycat Doll clones.It just goes to show that smut and boobies are still valued by the general Latino public over creativity.
With the recent release of their most recent EP, "Maneja Beto", they should be gaining popularity. All five tracks are worthy of being a single and make for a good listen. Again, the tracks won't pump you up, but they won't put you to sleep. Their music, I figured out, is for the music snobs of the world to appreciate. The idiots who like the spoon fed, over saturated garbage of Mun2 and MTV Tres won't like it. Those who look for something different, creative, unique and Latino will love Maneja Beto.
Maneja's music can currently be heard on M.E. Telvision's "Sonido Boombox" and new internet radio program "Rock y Roll Radio". If by some miracle you read this blog on Friday the 27th of June, Make plans to see them open for Alejandro Escovedo at The Continental Club on South Congress. They are cool guys, great musicians, and offer a unique product. You will not be disappointed. Check out this video from Pachanga Fest put out by Guanabee.com:
This past Friday I was lucky enough to be invited to attend new in studio tapings of M.E. Live! here in Austin. The tapings came before two Latino Music Month showcases. The first being a Conexion Rockera production at Stubbs featuring Pinata Protest, and two groups I saw Friday. The other showcase was the first ever Pachanga Music Festival. Since I was unable to attend either this weekend due to other obligations, the M.E. Live taping allowed me to experience what I missed.
There were six bands scheduled. They are as follows: La Conquista (Monterrey, MX), Grupo Fantasma(Austin,TX), De Los Muertos(San Antonio, TX), Charanga Cakewalk(Austin,TX), The Sweethearts(Austin,TX), and Nortec Collective(Tijuana, MX). I arrived during the last song Grupo Fantasma performed, so I missed La Conquista.Well, I wouldn't say I missed La conquista. While they are all lovely, I can't help but think of The Pussycat Dolls with accordions when I pass by their videos on TV. Plus, I will see them next week during a Myspace Latino showcase at The Parish on 6th. I will reassess my opinion of La Conquista after that show.
I also was not that disappointed that I didn't catch all of Grupo Fantasma. I know they are amazing live as I have seen them at least three times. They even played with Prince. Enough said. They have a new album coming called Sonidos Gold and I can't wait to get my hands on it. They are going on national tour so do catch them in your city if you can.
After Grupo Fantasma broke down their all their equipment and instruments, De Los Muertos set up. Their lead singer was this rockabilly looking Elvis dude in mariachi pants. Only from San Antonio man....I know because my whole family is from there (West side actually). Still, I had never heard of them before and didn't know what to expect. Once they started, I felt like I was listening to a Robert Rodriguez/Tarantino movie. I swear they could have been on the soundtrack for any of those films: El Mariachi, Desperado,or Once Upon a Time in Mexico. They sounded a little blues and maybe a little funk, with a darker Latin edge. Their songs were in English in case you were wondering, but you could definitely hear the Mexican influence. Like all the groups, I only got to hear three songs but look forward to catching a whole set from De Los Muertos one day. I wouldn't mind driving down to San Antonio to catch them. To the left you see a picture of Sonido Boombox host Paul Saucido introducing them. I am not saying I dig De Los Muertos yet, but I loved what I heard thus far.
Next to perform for M.E. Live! was a local Austin group, Charanga Cakewalk. I had already been familiar with their music as it is played regularly on Sonido Boombox and on a newly launched internet radio program called Rock Y Roll Radio. Charanga Cakewalk is Michael Ramos and a cast of other talented musicians including a percussionist, a keyboard player, and a guitarist. Ramos plays the accordion and whatever you call a small piano you blow into pictured below.
The next band to follow was a punk/pop (not the other way around) band from Austin called "The Sweethearts". The Sweethearts are a female fronted and kind of a throwback to what was good from that genre in the 90s. Being 28, maybe that's why I dig them. Now I have said this before, whenever I see a female fronted group, I cross my fingers that I am not in store for something smutty or gimmicky. With The Sweethearts, you get nothing of the sort. Lead singer Linette is charismatic but sweet, and her voice reminds me of a edgier or rougher Gwen Stefani.
As far as the band goes, Ren can really play guitar and the other two members were definitely seasoned and good at what they do. I had never seen them live either so it was cool. Punk is actually a genre of choice for me and I am pretty picky about it. The Sweethearts prove that Austin punk rock is not dead and will soon show that to the West Coast as they tour this summer. Don't believe me? Look around on their myspace as they posted a letter from Fat Records. Basically what it said was they liked them and they wanted to see them live or something to that regard. I asked Linette at the taping about that because it was difficult to read. And yes, their songs are in English.
The last band to perform for M.E. Live! was the popular DJ team from Tijuana, Mexico known as Nortec Collective. From the Nortec Collective came Bostitch and Fussible. They took the longest to set up as they had the most complicated gizmos (yes, the technical word for DJ equipment like mixers, etc) to set up. Along with Bostitch and Fussible, they had an accordion player and a clarinetist. They did tracks from their new album titled "Tijuana Sound Machine".
I had not seen a bad ass DJ or electronica show since the Chemical Brothers or Crystal Method concerts I went to when I was in high school. Although this wasn't a typical concert, the experience of seeing Bostitch and Fussible live and up close like that blew me away. No really, it was amazing. I sat above the actual stage area looking down on them and got to see how they did all their music and sounds. I couldn't begin to explain it. They only gizmos I was familiar with were the Apple laptops.
The way Nortec Collective merges the electronic dance music sound with Norteno or banda music of Mexico is genius. Their live accordion player was not only the best accordion player I've seen since Mingo Saldivar, but the accordion itself was so "blinged out" that the lady sitting next to me said she would wear it as a purse it was so fabulous. The clarinet player was also good, but I thought he looked either tired or uncomfortable. He was great either way. In the picture above to the left, that is me with Ramon Amezcua, aka "Bostitch". I got to speak to him before the taping and he was the coolest dude. His English appeared to be limited which was probably why he was just chilling by the bar they had set up by himself. All I did was tell him in Spanish how excited I was to see him and we just talked and talked and talked. I hope all you Nortec Collective fans read this and recognize that about Bostitch. I am still excited as I spoke with a musical genius there at M.E. and got a picture. The day could not have been better for me. If you like electronica, Mexican music, or both, you'll love Nortec Collective.
Finally I wanted to thank the good people of M.E. Television not only for the invite, but for showcasing all these bands through their fine network. Thanks to M.E., I have discovered so many new local and national bands that I now listen to and love. I don't know where else people in Austin could see many of these bands on TV otherwise. None of this has aired as of yet, but keep on the look out. M.E. TV is on digital channel 577 and channel 15.
I will leave you with a Nortec video I took off of good old You Tube. This is my favorite song from them right now called "Tijuana Sound Machine". Enjoy.
After a long day such as today, one thing I like to do is hang out with my lap dog and listen to some music. Now as much as I love Rage Against the Machine or Rancid, I just wanted something I could relax to tonight. I wasn't in the mood for country or jazz. As I looked through my Itunes, I remembered I burned some CDs the other day from someone else's music collection. The guy I borrowed the music from is really into Latin Alternative, a genre I figured out I have lots to learn about still. Well, one of the CDs I burned was by a woman out of East L.A. named Lysa Flores. This particular album I picked up was called "The Making of a Trophy Grrrl!".
I played the album with no expectations what so ever. I had never heard of her before yesterday, nor did I research her online the way I would with most artists. In fact, I am not sure why I picked up her CD to burn. It was just in a pile of CDs I grabbed to burn into my Itunes. I just wanted to hear some new stuff in this Latin Alternative genre. Once I clicked play on the album, I was immediately drawn in. It wasn't just background music anymore, as I actually began playing close attention to her voice, the lyrics, and the musicianship of it all.
So while I was listening, I "Googled" her and found both her website and myspace. According to her website bio ,she is a first generation Mexican American artist with three CDs to her credit. After looking through her pictures and listening to her music, she strikes me as the kind of person one would label or tag as "earthy" or "creative". There is definitely some element of Frida Khalo mixed with some Annie DeFranco.
Lysa Flores sings in both English and Spanish, which as a Latino I appreciate. While her English tracks are good, I think she sounds better in Spanish. Her song "En Que Te Falte" sounds like an early, raw Shakira. For those who don't know, Shakira was not always blonde and did not always sing in English. Before she "crossed over", she was more amazing than she is now. Now Flores is not the entertainer Shakira is, but certainly an amazing artist. Because I have no liner notes, I don't know who writes her songs but I imagine that she does most if it. Other noteable tracks I liked were "Novia" and "I won't forget you".
While doing more research online about Flores, I was disappointed that I did not see any Austin or even San Antonio dates coming up. In fact, there are zero Texas dates on her schedule thus far. Not chido Lysa. Not chido at all. Her album I just listened to is fantastic and it would be cool to see her live. Oh well, one day perhaps.
Ian is a graduate of Round Rock High School and attended St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. In 2008 he joined the team at Double Stereo (formerly CD Fuse) as their Blog editor where he reviewed concerts, albums, and did interviews for the popular music site.In January 2009, he became the Editor in Chief for Austin Vida. In 2010, with the help of some of his most talented friends, he launched Red River Noise. "Ian's Music Blog" is also one of the few blogs selected to be a Do512 All-Star.
On any given night of the week he can be found in downtown Austin on 6th Street and the Red River live music district.
Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) is musical master mind, Camilo Lara. MIS is a large part of the strong electronic dance music coming out of Mexico and all of Latin America. Having always the recipient of great international critical acclaim, MIS is still relatively unknown to the casual music listener here in the States. Only hipsters and Latin scenesters have MIS albums it seems. Fans of Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Nortec Collective or even The Verve (yes, The Verve) should have MIS’s new album, Soy Sauce, in their collection.
