Category: music

Best of Banda 2011

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I listen to a lot of the local Banda/Norteno/Ranchero/Cumbia stations here in Los Angeles – there are quite a few! My favorite station is La Rockola 96.7 from Santa Ana, unfortunately their signal strength is not always reliable way up here on the Eastside. La Rockola station seems to have a “no Grupero or sappy love song” policy (unless it’s Pitbull or Aventura) which I quite appreciate because nothing gets on my nerves more than a sappy Banda ballad. Despite this, there are a couple of Banda ballads in this bunch, the vocal styles overcome the deficiencies of the genre.

I like the fast stuff, the music you can dance to, double beats, twiddling accordions, big tamborazo sounds and snappy tuba rhythms. The weird thing about Spanish radio is they never tell you the name of the song or the artist’s name. You are just supposed to KNOW. Where you find out, I’m not quite sure. The swapmeet? El Mercadito? Letreros on light poles announcing the latest show at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena? I’m saying this because there are songs I would have liked to include here but didn’t include for lack of information. For instance, there’s this song La Rockola plays about a “Toro Loco.” Anyone?

Below is a small offering of some of my favorite Mexican tunes from this year. The lyrics are horrible, I’ll just say that straight off the bat, all bling bling (lumi lumi), show off-y, bad ass womanizing drug dealing kinda stuff. My dream for 2012 would be a feminist and political themed detournment of Banda. Now that would be something!


Banda Los Recoditos – A Toda Madre
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Best Songs of 2011

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Hehe

I’d like to include some kind of literary musical tribute to the past year but my writing skills are out of practice and I’m afraid my words would make no one happy, so it’s just the music folks!

Some of my favorite songs this year were released in previous years and time willing, I’ll post those up sometime in the next few days.

For now, take a listen and let me know if any of these were you favorites and please, tell me which songs I missed.

Cheers and Happy 2012!

2011: “Where the concrete meets the river”


Austra – Beat and Pulse (extended)
The beat is pure old school cold wave electronica, the pulse relentless and the amazing vocals by Katie Stelmanis are flavored with Siouxsie-like echoes combining to create an overall sinister kind of mood.


Brenmar – Done (Don’t Luve Me No More)
A last minute addition, awesome track. First heard from one of my favorite music curators/DJs/Record producers, Disaro. Their label is putting out some amazing music.


Burial – Halo
What can you say about Burial? He’s amazing, just listen.


Cassius-I Love You So (Skream remix)
Nu-Jungle or J-Tek (Jungle Tekno) and it’s massive! (to borrow a British term). This track has everything 90s electronic music did well, plus some: diva vocals, anthemic hooks, addictive sing-a-long lyrics and the beautiful 140 rpm Amen Break.

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Girls At Our Best

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Girls At Our Best – Warm Girls (1980)

Despite this tune being from 1980, there is something so fresh and fine sounding to the ears about this song. It could be the production quality of the song, for a post-punk band from the 80s, the engineering is really quite good. The guitars are crisp and heavy, the bass just slides right along with it, creating a perfect rockin’ balance. It’s apparent how influential this early 80s post-punk sound is on current punky musicians.
I sometimes think I’ve heard everything, that there is little music from the 80s that I missed but discoveries like this will keep me searching for more.

The Girls At Our Best album has just been re-released. Link here.


Girls At Our Best – Politics!(1980)

El Bicho

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El Bicho – Letras

It’s been awhile since I’ve heard a Flamenco song that’s captured my attention in any sort of passionate way. Perhaps, I’ve just lacked passion for Flamenco in general these past few months but this song by El Bicho stirred the lingering Gitano embers into a pleasing buleria bliss.

Mancho las hojas con letras sin sentío
letras de lástima y pena, letras de olvido
letras que cambian el blanco y hasta el color d las letras
letras de pena que yo he perdío.

En el tiempo busco los días
desde la luz poder ver tu camino
y es tan difícil encontrar la soledad
yo voy a estar solo, solo contigo.

Tengo la mañana
y oscura y como la noche
cuando despierta mi soleá
cuando, cuando amanece y tú no estás
que no, que…
bis.

Se murieron de pena tus penas
que se murieron y no fuiste a llorar
que se mueran de pena tus penas
que se mueran yo no lo voy a llorar.

Porque tengo la mañana
y oscura, y oscura como la noche
cuando despierta mi soledad
y cuando, cuando amanece y tú no estás
que no, que no…
bis.

Infamous Toughies

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Dawson – Infamous Toughies, Infinite Toffees

I’m not crouched in the corner
I’m not cowering in the corner
I wont apologise
Because I think you’re wrong

I’ve come so far
I’ve learnt so much
Surrounded by static
A huge hand on my back

I used to correspond with the lead singer of this band. His letters were quiet with an undercurrent of sadness. When I went to Glasgow and asked if we could meet, he declined. The grayness of Glasgow, the alcohol that poured freely from every which way, the dampness…I’d discovered the source of his moroseness.
Dawson is the only band to ever thank me in their album credits and this for artwork that was not even mine but that I had merely passed on.

El Llorar con Picardia

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Anonimo- Huapangos con picardía- El llorar

I am always on the hunt for versions of El Llorar, my favorite song, the most wonderful song ever created by Mexicans. The perfect synthesis of our musical ethnic heritage: African rhythms, European instrumentation and the heart and soul of our indigenous/Native ancestors vocalized in every note. In this mellow suave version, the vocalist lingers here and there on the notes, making light of the rhythm. But it’s in the falsetto is where he lets loose, every little crack of his voice making me feel as if I’m melting into the floor. Add in the scratchy, heart-string pulling fiddle that makes Son Huasteco my favorite son of Mexico and we have another excellent interpretation of this bittersweet song.

Previous El Llorar/Son Huasteco posts:
Mexico Son Huasteco
El Llorar

35 Summers

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Plaid – 35 Summers


Plaid’s new album is due out September 23rd and a concert at the El Rey on November 27, 2011 is also scheduled. Finally, something to look forward to in the fall!


Plaid – Missing

Wavy chord flows, harpsichord melodies, synthy vocals, nods to various beautiful musical pieces that came before it and little familiar notes peaking in at the edges make this one of my favorite songs of the summer.

Energies accumulate in unwanted places and are deflected through practice and patience.

Max & Intro

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Max & Intro – Beogradska Devojka

Freestyle electro Eastern European style. It works.

From the tumblr blog Coldwaves:

‘Beogradska Devojka’ translates as ‘Belgrade Girl’. And it appears in a great looking ‘Christiane F’ type film called ‘Pejzazi u Magli’ about a girl in Belgrade and her friends doing heroin in the mid-eighties. The girl was played by a young actress named Anamarija Petricevic…