That's right, this blog, or rather yours truly, was on the radio last night. KPFA, a community radio station in Oakland has a show called Rock en Rebelion. The host/DJ Eva, is a friend of a friend who I met at the Latin Alternative Music Conference, and she called me up a few days ago to interview me about my thoughts on the conference. My segment is just a brief part near the end, but the entire show is worth listening to because she interviews musicians from the festival and plays some of the featured music.
Here is the link, I believe it plays in both Windows Media Player and iTunes.
http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/62643
Monday, July 19, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Bakalao Stars at the Evening Muse
After a six month hiatus, we have finally heard back from the Bakalao Stars. On Friday night they played the Evening Muse in NoDa with Avion Sans Pilot opening the show. I journeyed to NoDa and walked around the gallery crawl where artists and craft vendors were presenting their wares on the sidewalks. I was a little early for the Bakalao show, so I ended up listening to a jazz combo playing outside at Salvador Deli's:
After running into some friends, I went inside to see Avion Sans Pilot perform. They play heavy metal and loud. It's nice to see a little gender equity with two women, the lead singer and guitarist, fronting the band.
Then Bakalao Stars took the stage, in this configuration with eight members, dressed in party outfits:
They played a few new songs, including one inspired by the trip by two of the band's members to New York for the Latin Alternative Music Conference. And they played a few of their older favorites, jamming out as the crowd danced. One thing that never fails, the Bakalao Stars always seem to bring an audience of people that are enthusiastic about their mix of ska, rock, reggae, and funk.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Latin Alternative Music Conference- Day 4
On Saturday, the Latin Alternative Music Conference wrapped up with a concert at Summerstage in Central Park by Ocote Soul Sounds, the Pinkertones, and Maldita Vecindad. Rain was threatening, but Daliz and I decided to go anyway and we were rewarded with a rain free afternoon of great music. Ocote Soul Sounds opened the concert with their laid back version of cumbia. Then, the Pinkertones came on stage and played some songs from their new album with a full band, adding some rock guitar and keyboards to their electronic compositions. Finally, Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio came on stage in zoot suits and the crowd went wild. A giant mosh pit formed and we hightailed it to the safer margins of the audience. The crowd surfing, the jumping, the excitement did not let up for the entire show. Maldita Vecindad played "Pachuco" and "Lo Pasado, Pasado," their version of Jose Jose's song (a personal favorite). They played "Fut Callejero" to remedy World Cup fever and they made a statement against Arizona's law. They generally rocked the house. Here are some photos.
Aztec Warrior
Gas Mask
Ocote Soul Sounds
The Pinkertones
Maldita Vecindad
Mosh Pit
Aztec Warrior
Gas Mask
Ocote Soul Sounds
The Pinkertones
Maldita Vecindad
Mosh Pit
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
LAMC Day 3
The third day of the 2010 Latin Alternative Music Conference began with a panel on the music industry where managers, label reps, and publishers talked about how bands should get their names out there. The debate was supposed to be "nonviolent," which hinted at some sort of underlying tension between labels and managers, but the panel agreed on mostly everything, from the importance of bands hiring a manager to how to present your recorded music (MP3s not CDs).
After lunch I caught the tail end of the second panel on how to market your music for TV, movies, and video games. The panel was different, maybe because the speakers were in advertising and TV, and seemed much more straightforward in what they were looking for from musicians.
Next, I attended the third and final panel of the day entitled "Cutting through the Clutter" which consisted of writers/publishers of online and print magazines about music. This panel sounded off on the amount of music demos they receive and how they don't listen to most of the stuff or even read all their e-mails. Several panelists said they don't usually consider an artist unless a knowledgable source, say in a blog or e-mail, recommends their music. In other words, you have to know someone to get coverage. One of the panelists kept harping about how she detests CDs and press kits because they are a waste of resources, bad for the environment, etc. At the Q & A session, a Colombian musician asked the panelists why, if a musician spends months and years of his/her life working on a CD, then why can't you spend a few minutes listening to the demo? The audience clapped and I thought it was a damn good question. One panelist gave a stock answer about not having time, getting thousands of e-mails, etc. Another panelist remarked that she discovers new music all the time at conferences and festivals like this one, again begging the question of how artists get chosen for the LAMC and who gets left out and overlooked.
Overall, I found the panels informative, but there was one theme that kept popping up- how musicians could get their music in front of somebody at a label, venue, magazine, etc. I found many of the panelists' answers to be condescending. It reminded me a lot of the dynamics of graduate school research proposals for granting agencies. The answers and explanations given by panelists began to sound the same as the rejection statements and advice I have received from funders: "No means Not Now;" "We get thousands of submissions;" "Keep trying;" "Stay true to your heart and something positive will happen." These are truthful statements, surely, but they reinforce the dependence of graduate students and struggling musicians on the opinions of a few gatekeepers who guard the ever-shrinking monetary and honorary pathways to institutional success. And these statements fail to alliviate the demographic pressures they readily acknowledge, if "record numbers" of applicants or demos of "high quality' appear, then why is not more effort made to open up wider avenues of access to the next level. Or perhaps we should begin to question the whole competitive nature of these contests, and encourage more collaboration in creative enterprise. Second, I was struck by how business focused the panels were. I wondered why there were no workshops on technical aspects, say a field guide to working with ornery sound men, or how to use new recording technology to get the "sound" you want.
Anyway, after the day's panels, I met Daliz and we traveled to Brooklyn for the night's concert at Prospect Park's Bandshell. There we met a few friends, ate some dinner and enjoyed the music of Toy Selectah, Fidel Nadal, and Ozomatli.
Toy Selectah is a DJ, he played some stuff to set the mood, did a good job.
Fidel Nadal is a reggaeman from Argentina. I liked his style and he had a few entertaining songs.
Ozomatli, a band from LA, is a multicultiral hodgepodge. They played myriad styles, from rap en espanol, early 90s R&B (they covered Color Me Badd), heavy metal, James Brown-funk, ska, reggae, pop, cumbia and even merengue. One of the singers showed off something from their recent tour of China and Mongolia, throat singing through a couple of numbers. One catchy song had this refrain, "Oye baby, oye mami, donde esta el afterparty?" The only song Ozo didn't play that I wanted to hear was their composition "Gay Vatos in Love." At the finale, like at all Ozo concerts, they came down from the stage and into the crowd, playing drums and horns and gathering everyone around them to chant. Then they paraded around the venue, bringing the crowd with them.
After lunch I caught the tail end of the second panel on how to market your music for TV, movies, and video games. The panel was different, maybe because the speakers were in advertising and TV, and seemed much more straightforward in what they were looking for from musicians.
Next, I attended the third and final panel of the day entitled "Cutting through the Clutter" which consisted of writers/publishers of online and print magazines about music. This panel sounded off on the amount of music demos they receive and how they don't listen to most of the stuff or even read all their e-mails. Several panelists said they don't usually consider an artist unless a knowledgable source, say in a blog or e-mail, recommends their music. In other words, you have to know someone to get coverage. One of the panelists kept harping about how she detests CDs and press kits because they are a waste of resources, bad for the environment, etc. At the Q & A session, a Colombian musician asked the panelists why, if a musician spends months and years of his/her life working on a CD, then why can't you spend a few minutes listening to the demo? The audience clapped and I thought it was a damn good question. One panelist gave a stock answer about not having time, getting thousands of e-mails, etc. Another panelist remarked that she discovers new music all the time at conferences and festivals like this one, again begging the question of how artists get chosen for the LAMC and who gets left out and overlooked.
Overall, I found the panels informative, but there was one theme that kept popping up- how musicians could get their music in front of somebody at a label, venue, magazine, etc. I found many of the panelists' answers to be condescending. It reminded me a lot of the dynamics of graduate school research proposals for granting agencies. The answers and explanations given by panelists began to sound the same as the rejection statements and advice I have received from funders: "No means Not Now;" "We get thousands of submissions;" "Keep trying;" "Stay true to your heart and something positive will happen." These are truthful statements, surely, but they reinforce the dependence of graduate students and struggling musicians on the opinions of a few gatekeepers who guard the ever-shrinking monetary and honorary pathways to institutional success. And these statements fail to alliviate the demographic pressures they readily acknowledge, if "record numbers" of applicants or demos of "high quality' appear, then why is not more effort made to open up wider avenues of access to the next level. Or perhaps we should begin to question the whole competitive nature of these contests, and encourage more collaboration in creative enterprise. Second, I was struck by how business focused the panels were. I wondered why there were no workshops on technical aspects, say a field guide to working with ornery sound men, or how to use new recording technology to get the "sound" you want.
Anyway, after the day's panels, I met Daliz and we traveled to Brooklyn for the night's concert at Prospect Park's Bandshell. There we met a few friends, ate some dinner and enjoyed the music of Toy Selectah, Fidel Nadal, and Ozomatli.
Toy Selectah is a DJ, he played some stuff to set the mood, did a good job.
Fidel Nadal is a reggaeman from Argentina. I liked his style and he had a few entertaining songs.
Ozomatli, a band from LA, is a multicultiral hodgepodge. They played myriad styles, from rap en espanol, early 90s R&B (they covered Color Me Badd), heavy metal, James Brown-funk, ska, reggae, pop, cumbia and even merengue. One of the singers showed off something from their recent tour of China and Mongolia, throat singing through a couple of numbers. One catchy song had this refrain, "Oye baby, oye mami, donde esta el afterparty?" The only song Ozo didn't play that I wanted to hear was their composition "Gay Vatos in Love." At the finale, like at all Ozo concerts, they came down from the stage and into the crowd, playing drums and horns and gathering everyone around them to chant. Then they paraded around the venue, bringing the crowd with them.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Latin Alternative Music Conference- Day 2
Day 2 of my attendance at the Latin Alternative Music Conference began with a panel on cloud streaming and the future of digital music. I'm not going to lie; it was kind of boring, maybe because I still listen to albums on CD and vinyl. I still prefer to go to a physical location, thumb through bins, come across a group I've never heard of or vaguely am aware of, and buy a few records. That's not to say that I don't buy CDs on Amazon or download an MP3 of a catchy tune by itself if I don't feel like purchasing the whole album, but there is nothing like the hit or miss of browsing- I've come across some of my favorite music this way.
Anyway, onwards and upwards, after a quick lunch at Grand Central station, I returned for the afternoon's panel on festivals and converts. This panel was more up my alley, since I help plan events with the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte. Included in this panel where Todd Patrick, who organizes concerts in Brooklyn and recently was featured in the NY Times for a rock festival he put on in Monterrey, Mexico. Also present were Andy Wood, who puts on the La Linea Festival in London, Laura Quinlan, who organizes the Heineken TransAtlantic Festival in Miami, and Erika Elliot, who choses the acts for NYC's Summerstage concert series. Something Mrs. Elliot said struck me as funny; she says she searches the world for up and coming artists and cutting edge acts, yet I've often been struck by how mundane and unoriginal the choice of featured artists at Summerstage has been. I'll give three examples:
1. The R&B and Rap artists featured at Summerstage are usually washed-up singers or over-the-hill rappers; where is the focus on finding young performers?
2. While the Latin musicians featured this week were outstanding performers, I noticed that all of them were from Nacional Records. All of them, except perhaps Ana Tijoux, hail from traditoinal centers of Latin music production, whether it be the Los Angeles metroplex, Mexico, or Spain. How alternative is that? Why, if one is searching the world over, can't you find talented musicians in Cochabamba, Guayaquil, Asuncion or Atlanta?
3. This one Mrs. Elliot said herself: Country music is not featured much at Summerstage. Wow! Now I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary country music, but I appreciate a good country song as much as I would a good South African isicathamiya performance or an Indonesian gamelan composition. She made it seem that the omission of country music was not because of a lack of space but through her bias or disdain for the genre.
But I digress, the panel was entertaining and informative, and afterwards I spoke with Laura from Miami about the possibility of collaborating on bring artists through Charlotte when they play in Miami.
After the panel, I met Daliz and we headed downtown for a quick bite to eat before the first concert of the night. At Le Poisson Rouge, I listened to an acoustic set where 10 different bands each played 2 songs. They were short sets to say the least, but the groups made the most of it, giving energetic performances. In particular, I enjoyed hearing The Pinkertones and other groups that rely heavily on electronics and technology show a different side. While other artists demonstrated how comfortable they are in a coffeeshop/lounge setting playing laid back gems and wooing the crowd. For singer-songwriter Alex Cuba, for example, the night show was just a continuation of an impromptu afternoon set where he played his guitar in the hotel lobby in front of gathered friends. While there were a few complaints from the crowd towards the end, I thought the sound man did a wonderful job changing out the bands in record time and getting almost all the equipment to work properly (There were more changeovers in 2 hours than in an all day festival). The barrage of music kept coming, and I barely had time to process one band in my head before another one took the stage. The sampler ended with Moderrato, a cheesy retro glam band playing, giving me a taste of what would come in their set later that night. Here are some photos, I apologize for the band's I don't label, help me out if you recognize them:
Locos Por Juana
Alex Cuba
Los Pinkertones
Moderrato
After the acoustic show, I headed over to the Bowery Ballroom where another concert was taking place. This was decidedly not an acoustic set, the instruments were electrified, mics turned up, and the floor was open, no lounging here.
The first group I saw featured a member of the Cuban group Orishas, Youtel, who now fronts his own rock band playing a heavy powerful style which mixes in congas and horns.
Next I listened as La Bien Quierida sang a gentler, pop style from Spain. The lead singer, Ana Fernandez-Villaverde has an intriguing voice and a few dedicated fans crowded the stage.
Isa GT, where do I begin with Isa GT. She plays an electronic funk that seems straight off the streets of Medellin and London, she dances around the stage with trememdous energy, but I was most fasciniated by her kick-ass Virgin Mary t-shirt. When she finished I wasn't sure if I liked or was intimidated by her music, but she definitely brings a stage presence.
For a few songs, an Argentine rapper crashed the stage. She had a gimmick, a rat-a-tat refain that she kept repeating, but I forgot her name.
Camilo Lara is Mexican Institute of Sound. He brought an electronic dance style to the stage with much enthusiasm. Everybody loved it and started dancing, the highlight of the night.
Moderrato- for some reason I love these guys, which everybody has already started to make fun of me for, but whatever. Apparently they started off in the late 90s playing covers of 80s hair bands for fun, and it turned into something more serious. But at 2 o'clock at the morning, I think it's sometimes better to rock some old covers rather than posture as a serious rock band. Besides the bass player had a machine gun bass and the drummer makes Ben Stiller model faces and wears make-up. What!
Anyway, onwards and upwards, after a quick lunch at Grand Central station, I returned for the afternoon's panel on festivals and converts. This panel was more up my alley, since I help plan events with the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte. Included in this panel where Todd Patrick, who organizes concerts in Brooklyn and recently was featured in the NY Times for a rock festival he put on in Monterrey, Mexico. Also present were Andy Wood, who puts on the La Linea Festival in London, Laura Quinlan, who organizes the Heineken TransAtlantic Festival in Miami, and Erika Elliot, who choses the acts for NYC's Summerstage concert series. Something Mrs. Elliot said struck me as funny; she says she searches the world for up and coming artists and cutting edge acts, yet I've often been struck by how mundane and unoriginal the choice of featured artists at Summerstage has been. I'll give three examples:
1. The R&B and Rap artists featured at Summerstage are usually washed-up singers or over-the-hill rappers; where is the focus on finding young performers?
2. While the Latin musicians featured this week were outstanding performers, I noticed that all of them were from Nacional Records. All of them, except perhaps Ana Tijoux, hail from traditoinal centers of Latin music production, whether it be the Los Angeles metroplex, Mexico, or Spain. How alternative is that? Why, if one is searching the world over, can't you find talented musicians in Cochabamba, Guayaquil, Asuncion or Atlanta?
3. This one Mrs. Elliot said herself: Country music is not featured much at Summerstage. Wow! Now I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary country music, but I appreciate a good country song as much as I would a good South African isicathamiya performance or an Indonesian gamelan composition. She made it seem that the omission of country music was not because of a lack of space but through her bias or disdain for the genre.
But I digress, the panel was entertaining and informative, and afterwards I spoke with Laura from Miami about the possibility of collaborating on bring artists through Charlotte when they play in Miami.
After the panel, I met Daliz and we headed downtown for a quick bite to eat before the first concert of the night. At Le Poisson Rouge, I listened to an acoustic set where 10 different bands each played 2 songs. They were short sets to say the least, but the groups made the most of it, giving energetic performances. In particular, I enjoyed hearing The Pinkertones and other groups that rely heavily on electronics and technology show a different side. While other artists demonstrated how comfortable they are in a coffeeshop/lounge setting playing laid back gems and wooing the crowd. For singer-songwriter Alex Cuba, for example, the night show was just a continuation of an impromptu afternoon set where he played his guitar in the hotel lobby in front of gathered friends. While there were a few complaints from the crowd towards the end, I thought the sound man did a wonderful job changing out the bands in record time and getting almost all the equipment to work properly (There were more changeovers in 2 hours than in an all day festival). The barrage of music kept coming, and I barely had time to process one band in my head before another one took the stage. The sampler ended with Moderrato, a cheesy retro glam band playing, giving me a taste of what would come in their set later that night. Here are some photos, I apologize for the band's I don't label, help me out if you recognize them:
Locos Por Juana
Alex Cuba
Los Pinkertones
Moderrato
After the acoustic show, I headed over to the Bowery Ballroom where another concert was taking place. This was decidedly not an acoustic set, the instruments were electrified, mics turned up, and the floor was open, no lounging here.
The first group I saw featured a member of the Cuban group Orishas, Youtel, who now fronts his own rock band playing a heavy powerful style which mixes in congas and horns.
Next I listened as La Bien Quierida sang a gentler, pop style from Spain. The lead singer, Ana Fernandez-Villaverde has an intriguing voice and a few dedicated fans crowded the stage.
Isa GT, where do I begin with Isa GT. She plays an electronic funk that seems straight off the streets of Medellin and London, she dances around the stage with trememdous energy, but I was most fasciniated by her kick-ass Virgin Mary t-shirt. When she finished I wasn't sure if I liked or was intimidated by her music, but she definitely brings a stage presence.
For a few songs, an Argentine rapper crashed the stage. She had a gimmick, a rat-a-tat refain that she kept repeating, but I forgot her name.
Camilo Lara is Mexican Institute of Sound. He brought an electronic dance style to the stage with much enthusiasm. Everybody loved it and started dancing, the highlight of the night.
Moderrato- for some reason I love these guys, which everybody has already started to make fun of me for, but whatever. Apparently they started off in the late 90s playing covers of 80s hair bands for fun, and it turned into something more serious. But at 2 o'clock at the morning, I think it's sometimes better to rock some old covers rather than posture as a serious rock band. Besides the bass player had a machine gun bass and the drummer makes Ben Stiller model faces and wears make-up. What!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Latin Alternative Music Conference- Day 1
I traveled to NYC this past week to visit Daliz, but also to attend the annual Latin Alternative Music Conference. I'm not one of those people who is quick enough on my blogging toes to write live from an event, so I've decided instead to give a day-by-day account, just after the fact. So pretend like it's last Wednesday and we'll start from there.
I started the day wondering just what "Latin Alternative" music means and hoping that with my $99 registration fee I was at least going to get something useful out of this conference. I juggled the conference and the world cup by watching the Spain-Germany match in the hotel bar and going upstairs at halftime to sign in and get my gift bag and conference badge. I wandered around and took some photos of the cool custom guitars they had out and then headed over to Central Park Summerstage for the evening's concert.
At the LAMC
Guitars:
It was HOT! On Tuesday the temperature reached 103 degrees (F) and Wednesday wasn't much cooler. Right away I ran into some friends, including a fellow graduate student, Oscar, doing his fieldwork on music as well. We chatted and half-paid attention to the first act, French-Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux, but to be honest she wasn't that impressive. She rapped in Spanish and had a DJ and another MC backing her up, and the only time the crowd got involved was when she played her most recognizable song "1977." This song starts with a sample of James Brown's "It's a Man's World," and the chorus is the title, she repeats "mil novecientos setenta (y siete)" over and over again.
Ana Tijoux
Next up was El Guincho, a musician from Barcelona who was joined on stage by two fellow musicians. He managed a little better, playing a rhythmic pop style. However, I overheard several people say that the live performance did not live up to the quality of his recorded material.
El Guincho
Finally night fell, a respite from the heat, and with it came the sounds of Nortec Collective Presents: Bostich+Fussible. Nortec brought a lot of energy and funk. I had seen them once several years ago as an opening act, but this time they had a greater impact. Two musicians manned computers (Ipads) while another two musicians, one on trumpet/sousaphone and the other on accordion, played along to the beats created on the computers. A video DJ flashed video and photo images on a large screen behing them in sync with the beats. It looked and sounded impressive; unfortunately I was only able to get a good photo of the accordion player.
Next: Day 2 of LAMC- way too much much to process...
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