Doble ola EP, El sueño de la casa propia Michita Rex, Chile Rating: 85 by Pierre Lestruhaut When discussing Chilean producer José Manuel Cerda’s El sueño de la casa propia project, its very own beginnings are rarely referred to. Although official discographies will cite 2006's Hogar as being the first record published by ESDLCP, Cerda himself has revealed he considers 2010's freakishly gorgeous Historial de caídas his actual [...]
Mala, Devendra Banhart Nonesuch Records, USA Rating: 79 by Carlos Reyes The white savior complex is far from being a popular topic of discussion on Latin music forums, but when hipsters get together, it seems like no one is indifferent to the subject. “I am Venezuelan. Do I represent Venezuelans? I don’t know…I can barely represent myself.” Although Devendra Banhart carries Venezuelan blood and lived his formative years in that country, the general perception (at least from those in Latin [...]
Following the re-release of her debut album Magic Trix via Ba Da Bing Records, which features bonus track "Lost Things," vocal contortionist and quirky keyboardist Xenia Rubinos comes bearing a new single. Shot in an empty Long Island parking lot at 6 a.m., the video for "Whirlwind" captures Rubinos’ playful energy and propensity to favor vocal prowess to composition. With director Francesco Lettieri brilliant stop frame-like video, the sonic juxtaposition of drummer Marco Buccelli’s odd and complex dance beats and Xenia’s powerful, high-pitched, and unpredictable vocal flights, synth noises, and squeaking hinges, the content suddenly becomes [...]
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. [...]
Confounding yet rewarding. That seems to be the prevalent response from our staff while dissecting Lainus’ latest single, “Montañitas.” As part of a series of EPs to be released by Enemika Records this year, “Montañitas” is as abrupt and synth-swarmed in its construction as “Baile Contemporaneo” was. Chilean dreamwaver Alfredo Ibarra walks miles apart from the effortless pop of his Chilean peers. Not digestable enough to export, and not experimental enough for cult consideration, this is a project easy to overlook. But Lainus isn’t sitting comfortably in limbo, and instead employs his premise of “misty vocals and vintage [...]
Repeat After Me, Los Amigos Invisibles Nacional Records, Venezuela Rating: 67 by Carlos Reyes We doubted the intentions of Fox when they opened their Fox News Latino page, and we still cringe whenever we see that hot-spiced italic font in their logo . Popular culture’s misguided need to become comprehensive (instead of integrationist) has led to the reconsideration of cultural text produced inside and outside the region. While profit may signify cultural welfare (look at Sofia Vergara’s coagulating accent as the [...]
Systems EP, Empress Of Terrible Records/Double Denim Rating: 84 by Giovanni Guillén What have we learned since the ' 00s Latin Wave fizzled out? That the U.S. Latino presence can be adequately represented by a few megastars? That “Latino-ness” looks the same across the country and has been that way forever? These questions aren’t meant to bash the crossover success of J.Lo or even Pitbull, but more to illustrate my relief at the arrival of one Empress Of. Like 23-year-old Lorely [...]
“Brooklyn based singer via Dominican Republic and Brazil…and on a mission to conquest.” Up and coming Jarina De Marco sure sounds confident in where she’s heading. And it’s not surprising. According to Wyclef Jean’s April Showers mixtape, she opened up a concert for The Fugees in Haiti when she was just 12 years old. Now she’s the latest inductee to Jean’s All Handz on Deck imprint and has a pretty catchy track to kick off her trail. “At age of 5 got kicked out of DR, revolution from the start,” sings De Marco in the meta-rhythmic, meta-linguistic “Main [...]
C L U B N E G R O, María y José Casete, México Rating: 92 by Andrew Casillas As the great 2 Chainz once said, “They ask me what I do and what I do it for, and how I come up with this shit up in the studio.” This is a fair approximation for most peoples’ reaction to the María y José oeuvre. Seriously, put on a María y José song for any “regular” person, and the typical reaction [...]
Matias Aguayo is back, yo. The product of five years of recording and a good deal of traveling, the Chilean-born, Cologne-based DJ-slash-producer's third album, The Visitor, drops June 24th on his own label, Cómeme. In the interim, though, we have “El Sucu Tucu,” the album’s first single, to tide us over. And tide us it shall. Backed by a Mission Impossible-ish beat that melds with computer-generated samba drums, Aguayo shouts out Daniel Maloso, a collaborator on The Visitor , and then layers his vocals on as another percussive element, scatting and stuttering about how crazy [...]
Parque Miñaqui, Amor Elefante Independiente, Argentina Rating: 75 by Carlos Reyes If Anglo indie music percolated into the mainstream by providing service to major automobile and snack advertising agencies, perhaps our Iberoamerican indie scene will have a similar fate. Last year, during a family trip to Disneyland, my 5-year-old niece shocked the hell out of me when she started humming the chorus of “Hoy Es Hermoso” by Amor Elefante, a band whose biggest exposure had been the inclusion of their lo-fi anthem [...]
Los Momentos, Julieta Venegas Sony Music, Mexico Rating: 90 by Carlos Reyes “Toda la mujer que yo no fui / por no quedarme a tu lado.” So sings Venegas against the backdrop of a menacing tango flair in title track of her sixth studio album. There’s inevitable posture in its composition—a dramatic classicist structure, wounding raw lyrics, and a tailored, almost cinematized vocal performance worthy of a María Luisa Bemberg film. The wavering of those spoken first words project [...]
(covers) pt. 1, Lê Almeida Transfusão Noise Records, Brazil Rating: 71 by Enrique Coyotzi So, I’ll declare it straight away: I’m truly mesmerized by this collection. Cover releases are something to be skeptical—a dangerous territory to step in. Despite my distrust, attentively examining the possibilities, it shouldn't necessarily turn out into something disastrous. It was proven by Cat Power. She broke hearts with the marvelous 2000 must The Covers Record , where she adopted twelve compositions by other artists while making [...]
Fonocast #14: Now & Then by Blanca Méndez, Melissa Rico, and Giovanna Sánchez Subscribe on iTunes Download Fonocast 1 4 Julieta Venegas - "Hoy" Julieta Venegas - "Algo esta cambiando" Café Tacvba - "Aprovéchate" [...]
It’s finally happening. And, as expected, it’s beautiful. Almost three years after releasing their monumental sophomore album, Música, Gramática, Gimnasia , the continually-growing Chilean darlings Dënver unveiled yesterday “Revista de gimnasia,” first single off their upcoming album, Fuera de campo, which is tentatively slated for June. Encountering the duo in full-form inside a kaleidoscopic disco music realm, “Revista de gimnasia” is HUGE. Charged by rich instrumentation, it makes them sound like an even bigger creature. Mastermind Milton Mahan, leading a mellow, impossible-not-to-fall-for naïf tone, assumes the protagonist vocal role, while Mariana [...]
A little less than 3 years after El Sueño de la Casa Propia’s Historial de Caídas earned its spot among South America’s most unique, catchy, and flat out weirdo recent electronic releases, José Manuel Cerda returns with an advance from his upcoming EP, Doble Ola . It starts with nothing but one of his signature chopped down vocal loops, predictably serving as the track’s central hook, which, for die hard fans, is a relief. Cerda is picking things up right where he left off. It also immediately raises the following question: As much [...]
Half of the YouTube comments for the "Becky from the Block" video mention Britney Spears. ("Britney sent me!") And that's how I got there. When Ms. Spears tweeted the video yesterday, with the hashtag #throwback and the promise of a cameo by Jenny from the Block herself, how could I not click through? Set in sunny Los Angeles, Becky G's spin on the J.Lo classic is slick as it is endearing, clever as it is cute. Califas pride, family values, and high aspirations are the main topics of conversation in Becky's rated-G rap (highlights: giving props to her grandpa and [...]
Back at the end of 2011, when we published our top songs of the year, our number one Chilean pop boyfriend Alex Anwandter scored three tremendous hits in our countdown. During those December days, Rebeldes blew us out. A fertile pop gem which had all the Fonograma crew profoundly enchanted, yet it became difficult to decide on a highlight because each song bloomed to an outstanding, deluxe professorship in particular style–newly-refined pop brilliance. For my part, having established a personal relationship with the album, the strikingly aching ballad “Tormenta,” alarmingly not included [...]
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 [...]
My friends hate me. I don't blame them. SXSW is long over and i'm still bringing up my NRMAL weekend in Monterrey. What can I say? It's been hard letting go of the sweet memories created at the Parque del Ferrocarril, especially when the vibes Austin gave out was a nauseating mix of Doritos cheese and people traffic. I'm only exaggerating, of course. SXSW, like the internet, is what you make of it. And I was out there for most of the festivities (albeit minus one #PincheAndrew) making the most of it and representing Club Fonograma. Here are [...]
Club Fonograma
![Lainus - Montañitas [Official Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/JlIcW4iee0k_130.jpg)
Daft Punk Random Access Memories (Alternate Version)
Young Wonder - Electrified [ Video ]
Fauve ≠ - Blizzard [EP en écoute]
Pro-Shot Videos: Hangout Music Fest – Trey Anastasio Band, moe., Galactic, The Roots, Gov’t Mule, Nicki Bluhm & Gramblers
