Album of the Day: Mariachi El Bronx II

Yet another in the running for the title "best album of the summer,"  I simply can't stop listening to this, the punk band The Bronx's second album as Mariachi El Bronx.  With six-string guitars, strings and horns, the music simply sweeps you away.  The lyrics, sung primary in English slightly cheeky songs about love, which seems appropriate for the genre.  "48 Girls" for instance is about the dilemma of having four girlfriends.  Meanwhile, "Fallen" is an incredibly beautiful song about love.  More upbeat songs like "Revolution Girl" and "Norteno Lights" are up-beat foot stompers.  Until now I never realized how much I like mariachi music. 

Listening to this album makes me wish I had backyard.  It makes me want to sit with a margarita, while taking in the warm air and occasionally getting up for a dance. Living in Brooklyn, I don't have a backyard, so I'll just put the album on repeat and pretend. 

Album of the day: Red Hot & Rio 2

I honestly don't know how many albums the Red Hot Organization has released released at this point.  What I do know is that when I see one it's worth snatching up.  Red Hot & Rio 2 is proving to be the perfect soundtrack to the summer.  With it's easy, breezy homage to the Brazilian music popularized during the 60s, it's a beautiful mix of old and new.  Samba, bossanova and Caribbean beats are reinterpreted by classic artists (Bebel Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, and David Byrne) alongside new players of indie rock (Beck, Beirut, and Of Montreal). Sue Jorge and Beck come together for a new take on Beck's "Tropicalia," provided a sound you didn't realize the song was missing.  Caetano Veloso (personally my favorite of the great tropicália  era voices) not only lends his voice, but two of songs are recorded by other artists.  Beirut's version of “O Leãozinho” is both haunting and beautiful, with the band's gypsy influence.  Other stand-outs on the album are Quadron's "Samba De Verao," Alice Smith & Aloe Blacc various versions of "Baby,"  and the collaboration of Apollo Nove and Toshiyuki Yasuda featuring Fernanda Takai and Moreno Veloso on "Agua de Marco."  

Red Hot & Rio 2 showcases the variety of Brazilian music, hitting the temperament of summer perfectly. 

Album of the day: La Vida Boheme - Nuestra

Sometimes the discovery of a new band knocks your socks off.  This week I attended the Latin Alternative Music Conference with my friend Clara.  The headlining band, Superlito, were high school friends.  They were playing late and she was looking for someone to hang out with her for the evening.  Excited by the prospect, I happily volunteered.  If there's one thing I've learned it's that latin music always involves dancing, and well, I'm always up for dancing.  Plus, the prospect of seeing new music is always exciting.  As is hanging out with Clara. 

The line-up was long.  We wandered in and out of the band area, checking out the opening acts but ultimately going back to the bar area where she encountered a number of  friends, former band-mates and a group of new people sharing a common heritage.  At some point we stopped checking on the opening acts in leiu of conversation.  As we neared the time when Superlito was scheduled to take the stage, I was suddenly distracted by the sounds coming from the stage.

La Vida Boheme, from Caracas, Venezuela took the stage.  Looking post-punk in outfits smeared with (what looked like soot) their energy overcame the crown.  If Steve Albini had a Venezuelan dance band, this is what it would sound like.  The guitars screamed in discordance over an intoxicating bass line and drum beat.  The audience went crazy, dancing and singing along with their anthemic choruses.  They were one of the best live bands I have ever seen.

The next day I bougt a copy of their album Nuestra, hoping to recapture the moment.  The album does not disappoint.  The opening song "Radio Capital" is an infectious post-punk dance song that contains a creative use of the refrain "Gabba Gabba Hey."  Each subsequent song, some more down-tempo and contemplative always with fierce guitar sound and back beat.   The whole album just screams with passion.

Album of the day: Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years

I'm feeling nostalgic this week (if the Duran Duran review didn't tip you off).  In my search for music that fulfills the desire to look back while discovering something new I came across Cherish the Light Years.  This is my introduction to this band, and I have to say that the album meets my audio requirements.  With base lines and keyboard riffs that echo early New Order this is music that would fit nicely into the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie ... or the modern equivalent, which I suppose is the Twilight Saga.  The lyrics are moody, introspective and everything the lovelorn 16 year-old girl in me desires.

Blending the sounds of bands like New Order, Visage and Ministry Cherish the Light Years steps in line with bands like Ladytron and stellastarr* who manage to update the new wave.  The song "Villains of the Moons" could be a new gothic dance floor hit.  I first heard the band when the song "Confetti" played on the radio and it has been stuck in my head since.  Yes the music is derivative, but it's fun and as far as I'm concerned that's what really matters.

Album of the day: Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now

Knowing that this one sentence can shatter my “indie cred,” I’ll say it anyway: Duran Duran is an under-rated New Wave band.  Now I’ll qualify that statement.  No one can doubt their prowess when it comes to pop music.  The songs “Hungry Like the Wolf,” “New Moon On Monday” and “Notorious,” along with thousands of girls bought and cherished these albums (of which I was one) can attest to this.  But I’m talking about New Wave – the avant guarde, artsy music scene that was burgeoning in England during the late 1970s and early 80s.  I stand by the opinion that Duran Duran (the first one) and Rio are fantastic New Wave albums.     And they hold up to the test of time.  Listening to “Careless Memories” and “New Religion” they stand up to the most critically acclaimed obscure music of the time.

For me, Duran Duran was the gateway drug to the new music.  My love for their first albums led me to Spandau Ballet and Gary Numan, and then on to Krafterwerk and Depeche Mode opening the floodgates that led to the underground.  They allowed me to by-pass the Classic Rock phase most people experience during their teens.  And for this I’m grateful. 

As my musical tastes expanded, I lost track of Duran Duran.  The band had a quasi-break-up, which led them more into the pop realm.  And let’s face it; there was a lot of music to hear during the 90s.  But I would still pick up those first two albums and try to convince people that they had discounted musical gems.

When the band reunited a few years ago for the release of Astronaut, I was intrigued.  It was the original line-up and the album contains a few really solid songs.  Their next album, Red Carpet Massacre, however didn’t speak to me.  Produced by Timbaland, it seemed that the band was reaching to catch a new sound.  Hearing that they were releasing a new album after that, I was a bit skeptical.

But that God Mark Ronson!  A fan of their early sound, he produced All You Need Is Now, which feels like a real Duran Duran album without being derivative.  The album is great as a whole, opening with the title track, which has an updated sound – something new for the kids that fits within their oringal unique style.  “Being Followed” and “Leave A Light On” blends well with tracks from their original albums while “Safe” nods back to their Notorious days.  And they now seem aware of who they are and a bit cheeky about, which is a good thing.  The opening of “The Man Who Stole A Leopard” sounds haunting like the beginning of  “The Chauffeur” while it nods back to Roxy Music’s “In Every Dream Home a Heartache” (Roxy Music greatly influenced Duran Duran), it also acknowledges bands like FischerSpooner who were in turn influenced by New Wave.

With All You Need Is Now, I’m glad to hear the boys are back in true form.