Wednesday Night Show Pick: Suzanna Choffel at Momo's

If you are in search of something to do tonight, then let me suggest you head down to Momo's to catch one of my absolute favorite artists. That artist is none other than Austin's own Suzanna Choffel. You may have seen her on M.E. Televison if you are here in Austin and have cable. Otherwise, I doubt you've heard of her unless you're live music junkie like myself.

Often compared to Nelly Furtado, Choffel is an RnB songstress posing as a singer songwriter. Perhaps it is because she's white that she shocks so many when she starts to sing. Ask anyone that was at the Solange Knowles concert at Antone's last spring, they'll tell you. Her music is amazing and she truly crosses boundaries within different audiences when given a chance.

Choffel has shared the stage with some of Austin's best, including the incredible David Garza. She is a often taken for granted I think, as she is a staple at Momo's. She seems to play regularly and is always around. The same can be said for September, as she has three shows at Momo's this month. After September, you will have to wait a bit to see her as she doesn't have anything in the books for Austin in October or November. Check your calendars and go see her perform. Take my word, you can thank me later.

She is scheduled to go on tonight at 8:30, but get there early and stay late as there are some other good bands on the bill with her. Momo's is right above Katz's on 618 W. 6th. For more info, check out the links I posted below. First, watch this live performance from M.E. Live of my favorite Suzanna Choffel track, "Hey Mister".



For more on Suzanna Choffel, visit the following links:

Suzanna Choffel on Myspace

Suzanna Choffel Website

Suzanna Choffel on YouTube

Two Days with Plastilina Mosh in Austin

Monterrey, Mexico’s own Plastilina Mosh was in Austin this week. Originally scheduled just for an Univision (Spanish television network) taping, Plastilina Mosh, or P-Mosh, ended up making the most of their stay in Austin. Although it all started with Univison, they ended up with an M.E. Live taping and a show at Emo’s Lounge. I was lucky enough to be at both.

It all started for me Thursday afternoon at The Radisson on Congress and Cesar Chavez. I had to pick some give away schwag up for Rock y Roll Radio to pass out at their Emo’s Lounge show that night. As I picked up everything, I caught P-Mosh outside smoking a cigarette, so I asked to join them and chat. We talked about the upcoming show, their tapings, Austin, Mexico, and bands we liked. It was awesome and yes, totally groupie of me. I know. It’s all good though as someone in a previous post pulled my “man card” for going to see Tilly and the Wall.

Well, later that night at Emo’s Lounge I caught the show. It was actually a listening party for their new album “All You Need is Mosh”. DJ Manolo Black was spinning while Paul Saucido and Dacia Saenz from Rock y Roll Radio were hosting. There was a full house there at Emo’s Lounge and pretty well mixed in terms of age and cities. I talked to four young guys who drove all the way from Laredo just for this show and to three guys from El Paso who did the same.

Their set itself was in one word, fun. Definitely entertaining as well. One of their first songs they performed was an older one and personal favorite of mine, “Peligroso Pop”. Good times.

Everyone up front was dancing, jumping and singing along. I could tell that the P Mosh guys were really feeding off that and enjoying themselves. In fact, they even covered Motley Crue’s classic power ballad “Home Sweet Home”. How seriously can a band take themselves by covering that? P-Mosh also had the best ending I have seen this year for a show. I uploaded it to my You Tube channel for you to check out.

Friday afternoon it was more P-Mosh for me and my crew. I arrived at M.E. TV for their M.E. Live Taping Paul Saucido set up for Sonido Boombox. I love the M.E. Television tapings because of the intimacy and close proximity to the band itself. No other channel in Austin can do what they do in terms of quality tapings. Paul Saucido does a good job of making sure the Latin Alternative acts are well represented.

For those not in the know, let me fill you in. Plastilina Mosh is a big deal in Mexico and Latin America, which translates to having a large following of American Latinos. I have known of them since the late 1990s when I used to hear some of their songs at clubs in San Antonio and Laredo. I also had friends in college who were from El Paso that listened to them a lot. I don’t know that I would drive nine hours to see P-Mosh, but I totally believe now that they have lots of fans that would as I found out Thursday.

Plastilina Mosh’s sound is rock with a little pop, electronic and funk sung in both English and Spanish. Being from Monterrey, one of the most chic cities in Mexico not named Mexico City, it is no surprise that they have such a cool eclectic sound. Some comparisons or familiar sounds that come to mind are the Beastie Boys and maybe some Franz Ferdinand. It is evident that when you listen to P Mosh, they are heavily influenced by American and European bands. Many bands of from Latin America now are bridging the gap and making music for broader audiences by singing in English. Plastilina Mosh is one of the better bands to do that. I can’t wait to see the video of their M.E. Live taping. Maybe then you who are unfamiliar with P Mosh can check them out and add them to your collection.

After talking to them again Friday, you will get another chance to see them in Austin soon. I will keep you posted. For now, check out my favorite P Mosh video called “Peligroso Pop” which translates to “Dangerous Pop”. Enjoy:

Maneja Beto at Stubbs

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:

Maneja Beto Pachanga Interview on Guanabee
by guanabee

New M.E. Live! Tapings

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.

Ian's Music Blog Intro

Lately I have gotten more questions from friends and classmates about music groups I listen to or recommend. I don't know why that is all of a sudden, but I think its cool that people care to ask me of all people. Then I thought: I do collect records, have tons of mp3s in my laptop & Ipod, go to shows all the time here in Austin, and read a lot of music mags both local and national. So I figure it is time to start a blog of the different groups I discover or come across. Why keep all the information to myself? After all, sharing is caring. I realize I may be late on the bandwagon for some bands, but again this is my blog about when or how I discover a group or artist I like. I will tell how I came across them, if and where I saw them, and give thoughts about them. Some bands may be major, mid-major indie level, unsigned and local. The music I like and listen to comes literally from all walks of life. I listen to music in English and Spanish as I am Latino and bilingual. I welcome comments, criticism, questions, and suggestions. I primary use myspace when it comes to looking for bands, but myspace is only about half of my music discovery. I get tons of magazines in the mail and still watch Music video channels such as Fuse and M.E. TV in Austin. Although I grew up watching MTV, I do not watch anymore except for rare occasions. I am even disappointed in MTV2 and now MTV Tres. I think MTV chose to get younger while the first MTV generation got older. That's the way it goes I guess. I just wish they played more videos. I didn't forget about MUN2, although I will forget them on purpose. They are just as bad as the other joker networks I mentioned. Great concepts for channels but lacking quality content. So there you have it, my music blog is born. Postings will occur randomly but hopefully frequently. My goal with this blog is share with the world music they might like and would have never discovered without my help. Thanks for reading.