DOWNLOAD: Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo
Seeing Rodrigo y Gabriela live is the type of mind-blowing experience that gets your pulse up, your heart beating faster, your endorphins churning, your senses sharpened and depending on your attitude, impels you to move to your dream climate, climb mountains, and/or jump out of planes. i.e. It's the guitar equivalent of a shot of espresso. The Mexican natives, who moved to Dublin broke and started playing at small dive bars, have slowly yet impressively taken the world by storm with their frenetic Latin and thrasher-rooted finger plucking. To get the day jump started, we're bringing you a track of their new CD ‘Live In Japan.' No translation necessary.
Sounds Like: The Gipsy Kings, Kaki King, Paco de Lucia
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Diablo Rojo
Rodrigo Y Gabriela's
EXCLUSIVE NEW DOWNLOAD: Las Palabras - Salmos
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It's amazing to hear what Rafael Cohen, the man behind Las Palabras, can create with nothing more than a guitar, a woodblock and a set of lips. This exclusive new track fades in to the sound of a one-sided musical conversation, with call-and-response vocals, staccato exhalations, and even some tasteful whistling. Download for the skittering melodies and cascading guitar patterns, but be sure to stick around through the credits. If "La Primera Vez" was the soundtrack to a short film, "Salmos" is a field recording of the wrap party.
Sounds Like: Caetano Veloso, El Guincho
Exclusive Download: Las Palabras - Salmos
Previously:
DOWNLOAD: Cordero - Ruleta Rusa
What do you get when you mix members of Calexico, Antibalas Afrobeat and Sparklehorse with Puerto Rican mamicita Ani Cordero? down-tempo indie rock with seductive Latin flair. Ani lets her voice snake in and out of each verse- a bit sexy, a bit melancholy. Since the rumor is she wrote most of this second album "De Donde Eres"'s songs on her mother's guitar after a string of personal crises, there's indeed added drama in each the tracks. (Psst...the album is out in stores now.)
SOUNDS LIKE: Lhasa, Juana Molina, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (in slow mo), El Vez
Download: Cordero - Ruleta Rusa
DOWNLOAD: Federico Aubele - En El Desierto
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Federico Aubele is a young Argentinian singer and songwriter with an old musical soul. This track from his new album "Panamericana" was produced by D.C.'s Thievery Corporation and released on their ESL Records label. Aubele's classical guitar meshes surprisingly well with the track's dub bass and insistent ska riff to create a sound that sits nicely in the back of your head, but reveals greater depths on repeat listens. It all adds up to a choice spot on your next dinner party playlist.
Sounds Like: Thievery Corporation, Bebel Gilberto, Manu Chao
EXCLUSIVE NEW DOWNLOAD: Las Palabras - La Primera Vez
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When I tagged along to see Rafael from El Guapo/Supersystem's solo project Las Palabras a few months ago, I was expecting something along the lines of his previous bands' output on Dischord and Touch & Go. Instead I found him with an acoustic guitar (and a toy guitar he got when he was five) singing beautifully in Spanish about car rides, relationships and life in general. I've been after him ever since to a) record an album, and b) give me a song to post here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed about the album, but the wait is over for the first single: "La Primera Vez," freshly mixed by the man himself. Download and listen as the guitar, organ and percussion chase each other in circles right up to the near-psychedelic climax, where the layered vocals drift off into space. Every time I hear it I'm scoring the next Almodóvar film in my head.
Sounds Like : Caetano Veloso, El Guincho
Download: Las Palabras - La Primera Vez
EXCLUSIVE DOWNLOAD: Plastilina Mosh - Arriba Dicembre
What happens when a Mexican from a thrash-metal band plays Super Nintendo with a Mexican who's in an avante-garde group and likes classical music? If you're lucky they decide to join forces and start a band.
Such is the fairytale story of the duo Plastilina Mosh. Three albums later, they're ready to release " All you need is Mosh," out in August. The album melds rock, electro, grind, and pop into one funked out disco ball - under eclectic titles including "Pervert Pop Song" or "Comeback Bitch." Our dancing shoes prefer the electronic lacings of "Arriba Dicembre," with its ring-tone beats, zaps, female whispers, and fuzzed-out synths. But what really sold us is mid-song, a deep male voice rolls off something seductive in Italian. The only two lines we catch are "Tutto Bene" and "Sexy," and that's enough for us to buy a plane ticket. The only question is Italy or Mexico.
The other track below "My Party" is pretty self-explanatory; it's a god-damn riotous party track- with serious Latin flair. Better than the macarena but just as fun and infectious- it's got rap and electro beats mixed with classic salsa beats and references to Paris Hilton. Priceless.
Sounds Like: Ozomatli, Kinky, Jumbo, Volován
Exclusive Download: Plastilina Mosh - Arriba Dicembre
Stream: Plastilina Mosh - My Party
DOWNLOAD: Pacha Massive - Don't Let Go
Pacha Massive's music can at one moment serve as impetus for an immense neighborhood dance party- while another moment provide a sleek groove for some cathartic chill time- preferably with cerveza in hand. Finessed by the Bronx based team of Dominican-born Nova (keys / guitar/ writer/ producer) and Colombian-born Maya (writer/bass), Pasha Massive's rhythms mix reggae, Colombian cumbia, Dominican palo, dancehall, dub and electronica like a skilled bartender mixes tequila concoctions - ingredients melded into one thrilling, yet distinctly unique elixir of sound.
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