La Onda Tropical - Latin Music Mp3 Blog

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Lo Mejor del 2008

Top 10 Albums of 2008

Calle 13 - Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Choc Quib Town - Somos Pacifico
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Aterciopelados - Rio
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Julieta Venegas - MTV Unplugged
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Acida - Greatest Hits
buy@iTunes review
Bajofondo - Mar Dulce
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Bostich + Fussible - Tijuana Sound Machine
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Plastilina Mosh - All U Need Is Mosh
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review
Orishas - Cosita Buena
buy@Amazon
I Like It Like That Fania Remixes
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon review

Best Pop Songs
Julieta Venegas - El Presente (MTV Unplugged) post mp3
Juanes - Tres (La Vida Es... Un Ratico) post
Chambao - Papeles Mojados (Con Otro Aire) post

Best Rock Songs
Le*Pop - No Tengo Calma post mp3
Café Tacuba - Esta Vez (Sino) post
Babasonicos - Pijamas (Mucho) post

Best Alternative & Indie Songs
Jóvenes y Sexys - El Reloj (Bruno EP) post mp3
El Guincho - Palmitos Park (¡Alegranza!) post
Plastilina Mosh - Pervert Pop Song (All U Need Is Mosh) post

Best Salsa Songs
NG2 - Ella Menea (Con Todas Las De Ganar) post mp3
Willie Chirino - Pa'lante (Pa'lante) post
Adalberto Alvarez - Gozando En La Habana (Gozando En La Habana) post

Best Urban Songs
Arcángel - Pa' Que La Pases Bien (La Maravilla) post
Choc Quib Town - San Antonio (Somos Pacifico) post mp3
Calle 13 & Café Tacuba - No Hay Nadie Como Tu (Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo) post mp3

Best Electronic Songs
Bajofondo & Julieta Venegas - Pa' Bailar (Mar Dulce) post mp3
Bostich + Fussible - Tijuana Sound Machine (Tijuana Sound Machine) post
Pibes Chorros vs DJ Uhn - Que Calor (Oro11 Mashup) post mp3

Best Video
Orishas - Bruja (Cosita Buena)

Best 2008 Phenomenon
Nueva Cumbiaaaaaaaaa Zizek Digital! post

Worst 2008 Phenomenon
The downfall of merengue music (save us, Juan Luis!)

Most Popular Download
NG2 - Ella Menea post mp3

Two posts in the last two months. A year-end top 10 with only 1 true 'personal discovery' (the rest was promo). A blog with no hosting and a messed up layout. And, frankly, not enough ganas to keep it going.

That's the sad balance of 2008 for La Onda Tropical. It's not that my interest and passion for latin music have faded, but the fun of writing about it is gone for sure. Blogging for me has always been cyclic - active writing (and enjoying it) followed by a pause (mostly because of lack of time) and then 'restarting' all over. This year, the pauses have been longer and the restarting seems harder each time.

So I pull the plug on what has been an extremely rewarding experience. Seeing that visitor number explode. Receiving those first well-funded comments. Getting in touch with the artists themselve. Feeling that, in a tiny dimension of humankind, my writing makes sense, contributes.

Who knows, I might start it all up again in a month or two. I won't stop listening to latin music, no way, so I'll probably feel the need to write sooner or later. Maybe over at Club Fonograma, if Carlos feels like it?

Thank you very much for reading. Listening. Interacting. I love you all and wish you the best.
I say goodbye with the most popular ánd most beautiful song of three and a half years La Onda Tropical.

Shakira - Despedida

Adios.

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Site Problems

Dec 2: The hosting problems are still unresolved, but the company guaranteed me everything will be okay again in 6 days. Let's hope so, I have a lot of posting to catch up with (but I'd rather wait until I can put the mp3s online for you)!

Dec 18: Ok fuck it, I guess I won't see those files ever again, so I'm gonna try and fix everything manually and find a solution for the mp3s. It'll be quiet for a while here, though I won't deny you my Best of 2008 list. Coming soon!

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Electronic: Señor Coconut

What do German techno pioneers Kraftwerk have to do with cumbia? Quite a lot, Señor Coconut proved us with his 2000 debut El Baile Aleman. His collection of Kraftwerk hits transposed to latin rhytms was more than just a novelty, but a great example of how a good idea can become musically attractive too.
In the same spirit, the German DJ/producer now released Around The World with latin reworks of dance classics by Prince, The Eurythmics and of course Daft Punk. Not an unispired sequel, but a well-thought selection of essential dance songs from all over the world.

Only the original rhythm of "Que Rico El Mambo" and "Pinball Chacha" is close to the Señor Coconut version, in all other tracks the elaborate process of breaking the track down and rebuilding it step by step with his live band gives them that hard-to-define Coconut style. They sound familiar yet refreshing, charmingly old but at the same time trés hip. Belgian electro band Telex is honored with a brass-rich version of "Moscow Discow". Prince's timeless hit "Kiss" is given the latin touch by crooner Louie Austen (a special mention for the bass & percussion here). And Daft Punk's club anthem "Around The World" is the glue that holds everything together.

Most of all, it's just wonderful to see how much all those different musical genres have in common rhytmically. Who would've thought that Laid Back's "White Horse" makes an excellent merengue? Or that the Eurythmics classic "Sweet Dreams" is rhythmically and melodically a perfect chachacha? Around The World is a quirky mix of some great songs that will truly impress anybody.

Señor Coconut - Moscow Discow mp3
Album: Around The World (Nacional Records)
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon myspace

(PS: El Baile Alemán is being reissued digitally & physically to coincide with the release of Around The World!)
(PPS: Images and audio will be added as soon as my hosting is fixed!)

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

En La Misma Onda

The 9th Latin Grammys sucked. Bigtime. And for only one reason: Juanes sweeping all five categories he was nominated for - okay, La Vida Es Un Ratico is an okay album, but Album ánd Song of the Year goes a little to far for me. I was also bummed by Tego Calderon losing to Wisin y Yandel and Nigga, even if his latest album wasn't his best he's still miles above the commercialism of those competitors.
Café Tacuba and Julieta Venegas walked away with two awards each, and Marc Anthony and Gloria Estefan won in the categories I praised them in last year, so it's not all bad. Still, I guess you know who won't be on my best of 2008 list ;)

Hector 'El Father', who used to be one of my reggaeton idols thanks to the Hector y Tito classic "Baila Morena", just made the worst album of 2008. Juicio Final is a mess of religious nonsense, brainless hiphop and toe-curling ballads. But at least he seems to realize that himself: Hector says farewell to music and devotes his life to God now. At least we won't have to listen anymore! (via Latin Gossip)

The Latin Americanist had a small interview with Aterciopelados' Héctor Buitrago. They discuss politics, fatherhood, and of course the beautiful new album Río.

Rock en las Americas compiled an all-time latin rock & alternative top 20 as the conclusion to his elaborate 'Evolution of Latin Rock & Alternative Music" series (in Spanish). All top quality songs and a great introduction to the previous work of many bands we write about on La Onda!

A highlight from the abundance of latin indie reviews on Club Fonograma this month: No Somos Muchos Pero Somos Machos organize dirty electroclash parties in Mexico DF, but appartently enjoy making a greasy beat of their own as well. The remix they did for Mexican Institute of Sound is fabulous, check it out.

And finally, after the closure of Fat Planet (now replaced by the more 'Western' Discontent) we have to say goodbye to yet another recently discovered blog: Turn That Shit Off got, ahum, turned off. Venezuelan indie popstar Nuuro dedicated a funky song to the team behind the blog. So long, farewell, adiós, y muchísimas gracias!

PS: the layout, image and audio problems should be solved by the end of the week, according to my hosting company. Apologies!

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Calle 13 - Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo

Calle 13 New Album Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo Latin Urban Reggaeton Hiphop Alternative Music Que Lloren Cafe Tacuba No Hay Nadie Como Tu Ruben Blades La Chilinga La Perla Puerto Rico
UPDATE: songs online.

Let's set some things straight first. Calle 13 doesn't make hiphop. And certaily no reggaeton either. It's kick ass music, and that's all that matters. Also, Rene Perez aka Residente is not a rapper. He's a poet. So before you go comparing the club potential of, let's say, Wisin y Yandel to the new Calle 13, understand that they're in a totally other league.

And to make that point very clear, the opening song on their new album Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo is one big diss to 'commercial' reggaeton and its exponents. But where tirarea between rappers is usually limited to who has the biggest number of cars, guns and women, "Que Lloren" is a hit under the belt. The whole commercial system around modern reggaeton is made ridiculous in the characteristical Residente style, mixing poison with humor.

Te cojio de pendejo una disquera [...]
Tu eres un producto enlatado
Encima de un anaquel, antes cantabas rap
Y ahora eres pop como Luis Miguel [...]
Tu te vendiste mas barato que una prostituta en la autopista
Esto es la diferencia entre un negociante y un artista

The rapping might be too spoken word to keep the rhymes flowing, but it kinda matches the anger that's in the song. Still the chorus is quite catchy, and musically the best description I can find is 'norteño hiphop' - those horns!

So, no reggaeton ballads. But apparently there is room for love and romance on Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo. The first single "No Hay Nadie Como Tu", with alternative icons Café Tacuba, is nothing but a rock ballad a lo latino. The song needs some time to grow on you, but it's a successful collaboration between two unconventional bands. The music reflects that, it's a bizarre mix of rock, rap and traditional instruments (didgeridoo, accordeon) driven by Luis Ledezma's drums. And again, the horns play a big role in setting the mood. A future classic. More love on "Electro Movimiento", graced with English vocals by an unknown talent. Visitante goes haywire with cheap synths, totally 80s electro. Over the top, as it should be, and the track doesn't feel out of place at all. "Todo el mundo con el paso del robot!"

Another theme is craziness. Figuratively, as on "Fiesta De Locos" (according to Residente inspired by an Emir Kusturica concert), or literally on "Jhon El Esquizofrenico". The latter shows the lyrical capacity of Residente, telling the tale of a 13-year old boy that collects corpses. Visitante creates a mystifying mood with strange fairytale music - think Edward Scissorhands. It's also reflected in the intro and outro, where a demon named Residente takes over the body of Rene Perez.

"La Perla" is an ode to the beauty of the roughest neighborhood in Puerto Rico. The song starts with subtle afro-latin percussion, and builds to a beautiful chorus with Rubén Blades and La Chilinga singing "La noche me sirve de sabana". Ever heard Rubén rapping? Here's your chance. Another collab worth mentioning is "Esto Con Eso", with superstar Juanes singing the chorus. It's catchy bass and funky guitar will get your caderas moving without a doubt. Though it seems a little strange dissing commercialism on the first track, and then inviting Juanes to sing.

In general, Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo has both Residente and Visitante doing more what they want. The rapping is more poetry than enything else, sometimes like spoken word. The lack of flow isn't because his lyrics don't allow it (on the contrary, they rhyme brilliantly), it's his voice that's a bit too monotonous. But once you get over that, pay attention to the inventiveness of the music. Visitante made a musical work of art, with delicate tension building on every song and an incredible attention to detail. The emotion of the song is defined by the trumpets, who come in all forms and tones: melancholic ("No Hay Nadie Como Tu"), jazzy ("Ven Y Criticame"), salsa ("La Perla"), pompous ("Que Lloren"), even army-style ("Los De Atras Vienen Conmigo"). Which makes this the first latin urban album that feels as a whole, instead of a bunch of songs thrown together. Give it some time, and Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo will become a new best friend.

Calle 13 & Café Tacuba - No Hay Nadie Como Tu mp3
Calle 13 ft. Rubén Blades & La Chilinga - La Perla mp3

Album: Los De Atrás Vienen Conmigo (Sony)
buy@iTunes buy@Amazon myspace

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Electronic: Acida - The Greatest Hits

Acida Greatest Hits Tweety Gonzales Alina Gandini La Vida Real Nadie Como Vos Burbank Latin Alternative Lounge Electronic Music
It's been a long time since I was so pleasantly surprised by a band I didn't know. Acida was the musical partnership of two of Argentina's most talented latin pop artists, singer-songwriter Alina Gandini and her producer husband Tweety Gonzales (yes, from the superstar rock band Soda Stereo that's making its comeback now). I seriously regret that a digital-only Greatest Hits compilation is my first contact. You get it: I like Acida a lot :)

Their music can best be described as dreamy electronics for an indian summer in the city. "Música para fumar y olvidar", sings Alina on the emblematic "Nadie Como Vos", and I can vividly imagine her sitting lonely at the bar, on a gloomy night in Buenos Aires. Acida's songs are drenched in the kind of cosmopolitan atmosphere you can only evoke with impeccable sampling and crystal-clear production like Tweety's. Think Groove Armada and Massive Attack.

He couldn't have found a more suiting voice than Alina's, sultry and girly at the same time. She makes "La Vida Real" and most of all "Burbank" sexy, smooth and soothing. But on the funky "Presente Permanente" is she's playful, just like on "Destino" with its cheery 90's synth piano.
And melancholy... the emotion that seemes to drive Acida, and undoubtedly created their most beautiful songs. "Yo Nunca Te Doy Paz" starts off with a moving piano solo by Alina's father, Gerardo Gandini, musical director for the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra. And is it a coincidence that Gustavo Cerati, the master of gloomy guitars, plays bass and sings backings on several tracks?

As a treat for those who already know and love Acida, the album comes with a collection of five remixes. The Federico Aubele mix of "Nadie Como Vos" highlights a nice little guitar loop, but the rest is totally obsolete. Another small minus: the jazzy drum 'n bass and repetitive vocals of "Las Palabras" don't mix with the sensitivity of the other tracks. The same for the crazy psychidelics of "Perdida" - think sitar, bass synth and lots of echoes. But overall, this is a must-have for any latin music fan who thought he knew all about electronica in the Americas. The old fans, well, they're just lucky bastards they have the original CDs :)

Acida - Nadie Como Vos mp3
Acida - Burbank mp3
Album: The Greatest Hits (Sonic 360)
buy@iTunes myspace