Spanish

Possible Lives (Las Vidas Posibles)

mandy — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:00:00 +0000

As a geologist, Clara’s husband Luciano often travels to Patagonia for work. After calling Clara from the road, he stops answering his cell phone. Once she’s confirmed that he failed to check into his hotel, Clara leaves a note and sets out to find him. Thousands of miles from home, she checks into the room herself. She meets with a police inspector and asks for help finding her husband. “When the weather improves,” he assures her, noting that in such inclement conditions, there are many accidents.

While biding her time in the middle of nowhere, Clara meets a real estate agent who bears a striking resemblance to her missing spouse. She feigns interest in buying property to spend time with him, despite the fact that he has a wife. She prowls around his house at night. She asks awkward questions about his personal life and, eventually, she even ignores information from the police about her husband’s actual disappearance.

Possible Lives, a sleepy eighty-minute film in Spanish with English subtitles, is an interesting concept but lacks suspense. Though pretty, it isn’t terribly eventful. Without much time to learn about the characters’ relationships, it’s difficult to feel connected to their problems, to Clara’s fright and grief; yet it’s always quite easy to discern what is happening in what could be an elegant mystery about losing one’s mind and losing one’s partner. It’s a perfectly fine film to catch along with a series of other during a festival showcase, but you shouldn’t rent it expecting a riotously entertaining drama.

Written by: Brittany Shoot, January 23rd 2011

Speaking in Tongues

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Directed by Marcia Jarmel, Ken Schneider

PatchWorks Films

The award-winning documentary Speaking in Tongues spells out an intriguing paradox of America’s identity: Although we’re a nation that prides itself on diversity, we also militantly cling to monolingual education at the expense of culture, communication, and even academic achievement.

Speaking in Tongues follows four San Francisco children, all of whom attend either a Spanish or Chinese immersion public school: a young African-American boy who lives in public housing but is gaining fluency at his Chinese school; a Chinese-American girl who is one of the only people in her family who can communicate with her grandmother; a Caucasian boy who tests out his Mandarin on a trip to China; and a Mexican-American boy who is the first in his family to learn to read and write Spanish, in addition to English.

The naysayers of immersion programs—at least the ones quoted in this film—warn about the United States becoming a Tower of Babel, or that learning other languages is a waste of tax dollars when children should be learning English. But what this film shows, mostly with statistics and interviews with experts, is that kids who continue academic learning of their mother tongue learn better English, perform better academically overall, and are much less likely to drop out of school. There’s also a huge distinction between speaking another language at home and learning that language academically. Students who have oral bilingual skills are doubling their proficiency if they learn their native language academically instead of just informally. And children whose mother tongue is English benefit academically from early bilingual education, too. They’ve acquired language skills early in life that will be sought-after when they enter the workforce.

The film makes great arguments—illustrated by lovable kids and their earnest families—for why bilingual education should be a priority in the United States as it is in other countries. The film uses interesting quotes about immigration, English-only legislation, and education against eye-catching graphics. A segment of educators talking about the languages spoken in their school systems, animated onto a map of the United States, was an especially interesting visual.

From a feminist viewpoint, it’s impossible to know why the filmmakers chose to follow three boys and only one girl. Surely they had their reasons, but it would have been nice to see the experience of a Latina or African American girl, especially since the education achievement gap is currently skewed for both ethnic groups, on top of the achievement gap between girls and boys.

Regardless, Speaking in Tongues is a great film that focuses on the benefits of being bilingual without delving into other, potentially more sensitive political issues like immigration, racism and xenophobia, all of which intersect with English-only politics.

Written by: Hannah Moulton Belec, August 5th 2010

Bionic

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By Christina Aguilera

RCA Records

Christina Aguilera has been a polemic figure since her breakthrough hit "Genie in a Bottle". She has a sexual aesthetic similar to a young Madonna’s, fashion sense like Cher’s, and raw vocal power comparable to a younger Whitney Houston’s. Her albums contain raunchy sexed-up tracks that appeal to sexually blossoming young adults and stately ballads that appeal to their post-menopausal mothers. Power pop, pop rock, R&B, hip-hop, dance, and even a little alt-rock have been found in some form on her albums. It’s a curse and a blessing for Christina that she can sound like anyone and sing almost anything. She’s always been difficult to categorize. Her ability to be so many things has caused critics to chastise her for not having her own unique presence.

The campaign for the collaboration-heavy Bionic began in the blogosphere with the declaration “Aguilera goes indie.” Ladytron, Le Tigre, Goldfrapp, M.I.A., Santigold, John Hill, and Sia all stepped up to the plate when an apprehensive Aguilera (convinced by her husband) reached out to them. The end result is an album that finds Christina caught between two worlds. Before, she seemed to be making the choice between being a serious singer or a pop star. Now, Christina Aguilera must chose between either being an “indie” darling or being the radio star. In the end, she is seemingly much more interesting doing “indie” impersonations than she is making radio ready pop.

The mainstream songs dominate the eighteen-track standard edition of the album and are, unfortunately, the weakest offerings from the Bionic sessions. Tricky Stewart never really replicates his production magic on his hits like “Umbrella” or “Single Ladies.” The Spanglish “Desnudate” sounds as if J.Lo, Pitbull, and Gloria Estefan went on an all night coke binge and decided to log some studio time in the process. The clunky Spanish translations, which seem to have been lifted directly from an online search engine, cause the track to sink even further. "Glam," touted as a modern "Vogue," is a cute but innocuous gay-friendly track that brings to mind Paris is Burning and Sex and the City. “Prima Donna” is slinky, urban, club fodder salvaged only by a confident hood delivery from Xtina, whose singing eerily sounds more and more like Michael Jackson by the bridge of the track.

Polow Da don’s tracks don’t fare much better. “Woo Hoo” (feat. Nicki Minaj), an ode to Christina’s lady parts, is fun, but the production is too sparse and predictable. “I Hate Boys” is a bratty, juvenile kiss-off that is the biggest stylistic misstep for Christina. It’s whooshing, grating production and taunting melody make it seem as if she’s trying to bite at the heels of Katy Perry and Ke$ha. But, this is a Christina Aguilera album, and with a deluxe version boasting twenty-four tracks in total there is still much more here to be examined.

A feel good collaboration with Le Tigre, “My Girls” is delightfully similar in its levity and playfulness. It combines Le Tigre’s penchant for female assertiveness and Christina’s stiletto wearing, ruby-lipped brand of third wave feminism. The product is a funky, lo-fi, disco-y, '90s, Girl Power pop with a Peaches feature and an adorable riot grrrrl shout-out to her collaborators.

With many of these collaborations Aguilera has been criticized for lacking a true identity and “ripping off” these artists, which I think is somewhat unfair. Can you call it “ripping off” if there is a consensual collaboration involved? In my opinion Xtina has been unable to maintain a clear musical identity out of sheer boredom and dynamic virtuosity. Yes, her voice is the only distinguishing feature that ties her albums together, but in her defense, why do one thing when you can do everything?

One burning question remains. How does one listen to such an album with such extreme stylistic differences from song to song? I’d say treat it like a mix-tape. With this number of tracks, various styles, and collaborators it’s safe to say that Christina Aguilera has made an album for the digital age. There are multiple ten-fifteen track albums that can be created from this lot for everyone to enjoy.

This is an excerpt from a much longer, more detailed review that can be found at Electroqueer

Written by: Javi, June 14th 2010

The Marien Revelation

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:00:00 +0000

By Miguel Santana

Alligator Press

Miguel Santana's latest book, The Marien Revelation, which he simultaneously wrote in both English and Spanish, is not your Sunday School version of the Gospels. The reader picks up on that almost immediately when confronted with the two verses preceding the Prologue, regarding the evening before Jesus was arrested: the Secret Gospel of Mark and Mark 14:51-52.

These verses, mind you, precede a chapter wherein a Jesus-in-the-process-of-being-crucified recounts his experiences with a male lover whilst forsaking god: "Oh Father, how I begged you to stay away from me."

Thus does Santana present the reader with the first storyline, that of Mary and her son, Jesus. Jesus' request on the cross resonates throughout the book, especially when interwoven with the parallel story of the modern-day woman, Marien Valbuena, a "radical feminist" theologian who is in an abusive relationship with a former Catholic priest and who was sexually abused by her Mormon father.

It is always bold to revisit "the untouchable paradigms of our western civilization," as Santana refers to them, and infuse them with circumstances that are highly controversial. Undoubtedly, and unfortunately, critics will reject this book without reading it, because of the audacious idea that Jesus might have had a male lover. Yet, Santana's book, far from being a gimmick, is a beautiful combination of intellect, poetry, emotion, and re-contextualized passages of the Bible and other sacred/mythical texts.

From a feminist perspective, the divine feminine is fully present in Santana's Mary and, indeed, many elements of the novel reject an (arguably Judeo-Christian) obtrusive, authoritative god/father who imposes himself on unwilling humans. Mary, as a teacher of the Isis Mysteries, is at least as divine as her son in a world in which multiple mythologies co-exist and influence one another. Indeed, although the disciples venerate Mary for being the vessel from which Jesus was born, her aunt also baptizes her in the name of the Holy Mother, Isis, saying: "I'm Isis, sovereign of the world, the one who set forth laws and set what cannot be changed...I'm the queen of the rivers, the wind, and the sea. I'm the Lady of War, the Lady of Thunder. I have conquered destiny. Destiny obeys me. Blessed is Egypt, for it sustains me." Although, afterward, Mary confesses to having visions of sadness from Isis, perhaps signaling the coming of the male monotheistic god who will "reign over" her.

Within the interwoven Mary/Marien stories are many layers and interpretations. The two protagonists have much in common, despite the roughly 2000 years that separate them. They both want more than the "subjection and motherhood" that their birth religions require of them. And, presenting Mary as a mother who is both aware and accepting of Jesus' sexuality, Santana gives us a progressive model of ancient motherhood. Although, if Jesus took a male lover, what devout mother could be anything but accepting? Perhaps that is part of the conversation Santana was trying to stimulate.

To end, the novel is not linear, parts of it are ambiguous, and the shifts in point of view can be confusing at times. But in Santana's hands, the novel manages to come together in a coherent, lyrical revelation that is, perhaps most importantly, a personal one.

Written by: Fannie @ Fannie's Room, April 16th 2010

Chica Busca Chica (Girl Seeks Girl)

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Sonia Sebastian

Wolfe Video

For all those who have complained about the suburban whiteness of The L Word, meet Chica Busca Chica (Girl Seeks Girl). Chica Busca Chica is a new Spanish television show with a lesbian perspective. Although obviously inspired by Showtime’s The L Word, Chica Busca Chica is a pleasant inclusion in a genre that likes to paint lesbians as being almost exclusively white, skinny and beautiful and living perfect, power lesbian lives.

Meet Monica, a former Judo champion with self-destructive tendencies that cause her to ruin relationships. Then there is her former roommate Carmen, the token straight friend in the group, who is struggling with her relationship with the cheating Jorge. Monica’s current roommate is Ana, the innocent girl from the country who leads the audience on hilarious escapades as she attempts to learn about the wide world of lesbian sex and culture. Finally there is Nines, the flirtatious and confident lesbian who uses her sex appeal to get what she wants.

Chica Busca Chica is also the name of the lesbian nightclub in Madrid where Nines tends bar and the group hangs out. Many scenes find the women at the club getting tipsy over many less-than-successful quests as the twenty-something women navigate careers and relationships.

Above all, this show is fun to watch. Much lighter than The L Word, and with more lovable characters, Chica Busca Chica is truly a feel-good show, with hilarious scenes and situations. One memorable scene finds Ana on her first date. Apprehensive about making a good impression, Ana decides to cook for her date and a friend advises her to cook something exotic. The friend suggests something with curry. The next scene finds Ana serving her date canned sausages with copious amounts of curry, so much that her unassuming date is unable to eat it.

Of course Chica Busca Chica does include the predictable storyline of the overly confident, overly sexy lesbian (Nines) who becomes attracted to the straight girl (Carmen) who is trapped in a dead-end relationship with Mr. Insensitive. The sexual tension rises between the two women until it becomes obvious that it is only a matter of time until the two find themselves in bed together. Unfortunately, the season ends before the love triangle reaches that point.

Apparently the formula for a show about lesbians is a rigid one. Each episode of the award-winning show is a half-hour long and includes English subtitles. The show is for anyone who is looking for something different and fun in their pop culture portrayal of young lesbians.

Written by: Janice Formichella, January 12th 2010

Cupéro

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Clarissa Cupéro

When I found out Clarissa Cupéro was only nineteen years old, I did a double take. Her gritty alto is substantial, forceful; it speaks of experience. Cupéro, a New York state native, is currently a student at Sienna College, and in addition to taking classes, she performs her songs for campus benefits (including concerts to aid student organizations such as Students Active for Ending Rape). She is still unsigned to a label, but self-released her self-titled EP last year through The Cutting Room in Greenwich Village.

This bilingual album is pervaded by driving rhythms, aggressive yet playful guitar riffs, and of course, Cupéro’s meaty vocals. The influence of classic rock artists is evident in the guitar-centric instrumentals, but her self-assured lyrics make it her own. The first track, “I’ve Got Your Number,” prompted me to dance around my apartment the first time I popped the disc into the player. The lyrics speak of experience beyond her years with a confidence and independence that is believable:

I’ve got your number, baby, I’m not digging the way you’re steering me, You’re changing me... I believe in what I stand for, Dignity, oh can’t you see?

This track, which has elicited unexpected success, is this generation’s cure for the epidemic of dependence women often feel towards any lover that will give them attention. Cupéro is strong enough to recognize a toxic relationship, and joyfully maintains her independence, asserting her agency.

Her love for Colombian rock artist Juanes is evident in the track “La Sombra”, whose Latin flair shows her flexibility as a musician to combine various styles, and once again, make this self-proclaimed wallflower get the urge to dance. Cupéro lays down a contemplative piano track on “Life is a Moment,” which along with the addition of strings, adds a thoughtful depth to the EP. “You’ll Never Be There” treats the age-old ailment of unrequited love with a positive, almost flippant attitude; as the last track, this piece rounds out the album nicely, leaving the listener with Clarissa’s sense of self and empowerment.

All six tracks exhibit an aspect of Cupéro’s resilient, albeit human personality, and display her lovely voice in concert with riffs that are simultaneously catchy and classic. I definitely look forward to hearing more from this young woman in the future. Her drive and tenacity got her noticed by two producers in the small Greenwich Village recording studio, so I am certain that as she matures and finishes her studies, she will have more music to share, and won’t stop until she gets the big break she deserves.

Written by: Cristin Colvin, January 5th 2010

Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces)

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:48:00 +0000

Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

Sony Classics

The latest Pedro Almodóvar film is very much what we expect, but it’s also what we don’t expect. One of the many things I love about Almodóvar is that he has normalized some of the most marginalized and oppressed people in our society in his films (i.e., Transgender Latinas, mentally ill communities, and queer communities). I also love that he creates relationships with all the people in his cast and allows them to demonstrate their acting range as he cast them in other projects in completely different roles. I will let you know that Almodóvar is one of my favorite screenwriters and directors (Takashi Miike and Karyn Kusama are also on that list).

As a result, Almodóvar’s “usual suspects” are cast in Los Abrazos Rotos: Penélope Cruz (Volver) as Lena, a sex worker turned secretary who seeks to become an actor; Lluís Homar (La Mala Educación/Bad Education) as Mateo Blanco/Harry Caine, a screenwriter and director; Blanca Portillo (Volver) as Judit García, the agent of screenwriter Mateo/Harry; José Luis Gómez (Goya’s Ghosts) as Ernesto Martel, a wealthy Spanish man who produces Mateo’s latest film; Rubén Ochendiano (Che: Part 2) as Ray X, Ernesto’s gay son whom he ignores; and Tomar Novas (Goya’s Ghosts) as Diego, Judit’s son who helps Mateo/Harry.

The film takes place in two parts: 1994 and 2008. We meet Harry Caine, a well-known Spanish screenwriter and director who is blind in 2008. His agent Judit and her son Diego have been friends for decades and ensure Harry lives the independent life he desires. One day Harry has a visitor, Ray X, who seeks to write a screenplay with him about a son who was ignored by his wealthy father because he was gay and upon his father’s death the son can finally find the healing he seeks. Ray X pitches his story to Harry, but Harry declines. Harry is suspicious that Ray X is the son of recently deceased Ernesto Martel. As Diego inquires about the resistance to work with Ray X, Harry reveals how he knew Ernesto Martel.

We are taken back to 1994 when Harry went by his birth name of Mateo Blanco. We are introduced to Ernesto Martel who is working in his office and his secretary is Lena. Her father is dying of cancer, and Lena’s family needs help. She asks her wealthy employer Ernesto for assistance and he agrees. Ernesto covers her father’s medical bills by sending him to a private doctor and facility for treatment. Upon this assistance, Lena partners with Ernesto. It is through Lena that Ernesto is reunited with his son Ernesto Jr. (Ray X) who has told his father he is gay which increased the distance between them. After two years together, Lena decides to pursue her original goal of becoming an actor. She takes Ernesto Jr., an aspiring filmmaker, with her to an audition for Mateo’s current film. Mateo is immediately struck by Lena and after two auditions hires her for the lead.

Ernesto Sr. is not encouraging or supportive of Lena’s decision to “work” outside the home. He is obsessed with Lena and seeks to keep her followed/watched at all time. In order to do this he produces Mateo’s film, and asks his son to film production of the movie for a documentary and show him the footage each day. Ernesto Sr. discovers that Mateo and Lena begin a love affair and he is not happy. Ernesto Sr. does not allow Lena to leave him and becomes abusive and violent towards her.

Throughout the film we discover how the intimacy between Lena and Mateo lead to their current status (i.e., Mateo taking his pseudonym Harry and losing his sight). It is in this space that Almodóvar gives us some of the most stunning cinematography of his native Spain: black sand beaches, Spanish architecture, and massive forms of art that are sprinkled all over the country. We witness Judit’s relationship with Mateo and how it morphs after his relationship with Lena, and how Judit’s son, Diego, sees the ocean for the first time. I loved that story line, seeing the ocean for the first time, because as someone who was not raised near water, I remember what it was like to come into contact with water for the first time.

I truly appreciated Almodóvar’s way of normalizing sexuality among people with disabilities. The first scene of the film is of Harry flirting with and having sex with a young woman. Almodóvar also demonstrates how people with disabilities can live an independent life as Harry lives alone, travels alone, and uses technology to continue his field of work as a writer. For many people, seeing a computer that speaks to a blind person (in Spanish) may be a very new visual, as this is a daily practice for some blind people that I have not ever witnessed being included in media.

Prior to seeing this film I chose to visit the film website. I read a few of the reviews of the film, which honestly rarely give me what I really want to know about a film. You see, I’d call this a film that is lacking female leads that are not pitiful. I’m not speaking of the performances, as I believe Cruz is amazing in Spanish cinema (and not in that wannabe Spanish cinema way, a la Woody Allen nonsense). Instead, all of the female characters are created in a very weak way as many of them get beaten, abused (emotionally, physically, psychologically), are purchased, scared, must get saved by male characters, or in some way represent stereotypical characteristics we see all too often. Compare these female characters to the all-female cast in Volver and it’s a totally different set of characteristics.

I find it interesting film critics call this "film noir." Is that the nice way of saying international films create similar images of women that we have here in the US? Or maybe that’s the new way to eroticize non-US cinema? Because nobody is calling Seven Pounds, Obsessed, or Sin Nombre “film noir” and the female leads are just as stereotypical, if not more.

Along the lines of the “usual suspects” and stunning cinematography, Almodóvar also keeps with the imagery we are familiar with: bright colors, costumes that make me wish I knew how to sew better, interesting artwork from all over the world, hilarious lines delivered by each character, a strong conclusion to end the film, and an amazing soundtrack. This film, with its obvious flaws that surprised and saddened me, was worth every bit of the money I dished out for my Junior Mints. If it’s not in your area yet, it’s coming soon.

Cross-posted from VivirLatino

Written by: Bianca Laureano, December 3rd 2009

Selenidad: Selena, Latinos and the Performance of Memory

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:58:00 +0000

By Deborah Paredez

Duke University Press

“This is not a book about Selena, but about what it means to remember her,” explains the author in the opening statement of her book. Remembering Selena is a remedy that releases the emotions of her grieving family, her fans, and those who became engaged in her music only after discovering the impact that she had on Latino communities.

Selena, a pop diva from Corpus Christi Texas, was murdered by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar on March 31, 1995. Instantly, Selena became a posthumous icon—a symbol—the object of adoration by many. Selena’s museum was erected in her honour in Corpus Christi, and Selena’s monument graces the downtown area of her native city. Selena: A Musical Celebration of her Life _(2001), the film _Selena (1997) with Jennifer López, and even A Conversation with Academics about Selena that aired on television (1999) explore her life and how she changed the perception of Latino music. In 2003, Selena Live - The Last Concert, which included her famous hit "Como la Flor" (Like the Flower), was released on DVD in her memory. It also served as a method for experiencing latinidad as an effective mode of belonging.

Who was Selena? Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, lead singer of Selena y Los Dinos started singing at the age of five. She was a U.S.-born Latina who grew up speaking English in a working class family that had lived in Texas for several generations. Her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr. forced her to learn Spanish so she could further her career. Selena was voluptuous, had a Latina’s features and exuded a sexual charisma on stage. Her famous glittering purple pantsuit hugging her hips was a signature of Selena’s skill as a performer. She gained popularity through musical performances of a Tejano music that was often ignored by the mainstream and even by Latino communities. At the age of twenty-three, she was worth over five million dollars.

What does it mean to remember her? When she was murdered, Selena became the ‘Tex-Mex Madonna’ and the focus of collective suffering on both sides of the border. She also became the unquestioned queen of mestizo pop music. Many Americans invested emotionally, politically and financially in Selena’s posthumous life as they had previously in the lives of Evita and Frida Kahlo. The films made about them attracted the attention of people all over the world.

Through remembering them, a Latin explosion or boom promoted the mourning of collective memories; it also capitalized on the cultural, economic, and political concept of latinidad _in the United States. Selena launched not only _latinidad, but also initiated the Latin music boom that emerged in the 1990s and created Latino mega-stars.

Deborah Paredez’ study on Selena’s posthumous importance is well written, engaging, and timely. She reveals the cultural, political, and economic dynamics of some commemorations of Selena. She further explores the reactions of Latinos and mainstream Americans after Selena’s death. Selenidad enables—if only for a moment—a sense of belonging to communities of the living. A great and easy read coupled with a selection of interesting photographs.

Written by: Anna Hamling, November 14th 2009

My Heart’s Desire

admin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:44:00 +0000

By Margo Reymundo

I’m tossing my reviewer’s hat on the floor for this album because it’s hard to be objective about a record that I loved from the first time I played it. I tend to associate certain albums or songs with a memory or time that stands out in my mind, and I will always associate this one with summer 2009.

When I listen to Margo Reymundo’s music, there’s a lightness and carefree quality to it that makes the day seem just a little brighter even on an overcast day. It’s almost like taking a mental vacation and imagining yourself on a tropical beach drinking margaritas. But don't mistake that lightness for a lack of substance because Reymundo is no artistic slouch when it comes to her vocals and instrumentation.

Reymundo describes her sound as “Organica.” She describes Organica as “articulating a world constructed of unfettered vocals that rivals anything created with a synthesized sound.” Whether it’s the jazzy pop sound of the title track “My Heart’s Desire,” or her unique take on Sting’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” Reymundo has a unique appeal that transcends artistic and cultural boundaries. My favorite song is “You Belong to Me,” a Euro-rhythmic version of the Carly Simon classic. Reymundo’s Mexican roots are apparent in her bilingual lyrics and the guitar instrumentation that is reminiscent of the Gipsy Kings. Reymundo isn’t afraid to tackle these classics and make them her own while somehow remaining true to the original. For example, hearing her sing “Ain’t No Sunshine” makes you forget that the song is about a man missing a woman. I don't think I’ve ever heard a woman cover that song before, but by the end of the song, I’m a convert.

Reymundo has an interesting life story. She is a classically trained singer who has been singing since the age of four. Her father, a cliff diver in Acapulco and her mother, a flamenco dancer, came to the states (Dallas, Texas) when Margo was one year old in search of a better life. The rest, as they say, is history.

Written by: Gita Tewari, July 10th 2009

Gaudi (1987 Expanded Restoration)

admin — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:26:00 +0000

By The Alan Parsons Project

Legacy Recordings

The Alan Parsons Project music can be defined as mainly rock. They create concept albums revolving around different ideas or people, such as Edgar Allan Poe, and for this particular concept album Antonio Gaudi served as the inspiration. Gaudi was a Spanish modernist architect whose buildings still stand as monuments of his genius. Among his very impressive work is La Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona, which is considered his masterpiece even though it remains unfinished. Several musicians and singers contribute to the Project’s vision. It is for a very specific audience as the music varies.

This project was originally released in 1987 and you can definitely tell. It’s filled with power rock ballads, and not the timeless type of power rock. Traditionally, The Alan Parson’s Project has several artists contribute to the albums, not the album as a whole but to individual songs. The Gaudi project is no exception. This amalgam of talent can prove divisive and incoherent yet at the same time it works. As a whole the album does have too many styles but if taken individually, the songs are good within their own right.

The Gaudi project can be described mainly as power rock. Some tracks are instrumental but what’s consistent is the intensity that keeps building. The lyrics are a bit obvious, sticking to the main theme, Gaudi and his work La Sagrada Familia. In fact, the album begins and ends with an eight-minute instrumental track by the same title. None of them really seem to capture the magnitude and complexity of Gaudi’s work. The last song “Paseo de gracia” is perhaps the only one that obviously reflects their inspiration. It features an acoustic Spanish flamenco style that is reminiscent of their inspiration while remaining conceptual. As for the other tracks, they are all very different and the lyrics seem to take the idea in a more liberal sense.

The Alan Parsons Project’s Gaudi is an album that established fans probably will truly enjoy, but it might be a bit difficult for those not familiar to understand.

Written by: Jessica Sánchez, May 18th 2009

Seconds from Sunrise

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:03:00 +0000

By Soundside

Mystery Sound Records

Soundside is a group of four high school friends from Long Island. They’ve had mild success on the east coast since they teamed up in 2004. Seconds from Sunrise is their third full-length album and it appears that they are continuing on the track of commercial success.

Overall, Soundside has mastered harmonious vocals by belting out melodious pop songs that all tend to blend together for anyone who’s not of fan of the genre. Having already had some radio air time, it’s easy to see how they would fit into a set-list quite nicely between music like Nickelback and Better Than Ezra.

However, one aspect of their music that makes them stand out from the rest of these other alt-rock groups is their extension into the Latin market. The Spanish traces on Seconds from Sunrise can be heard in their synchronized melodies. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to see how they take their music in that direction because their first bilingual album is set to come out soon. It will be interesting to hear how their new path will progress their sounds stylistically and drive possible variations into their otherwise generic tunes. One can see from [Seconds from Sunrise](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MG3EKY?ie=UTF8&tag=feminrevie-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001MG3EKY) that Soundside has the ability to write pleasing pop songs that range from the more drum and bass tracks like “Driving on Empty” to the piano accompanied ballad “Right to Your Insides” isn’t lacking in style. Unfortunately, at this time, they’re not really doing anything we haven’t heard from other bands many times before. This group seems fated for stadium-sized shows or doomed to be a forgettable opening act. Sometimes luck has more value than talent in the music industry.

Written by: Sara Custer, April 14th 2009

Nectar

admin — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:18:00 +0000

By Natalia Clavier

ESL Music

There are some records that are meant for rocking out with all the windows down as you go flying down the highway, and others that are perfect background music for a chill, low-key evening with friends. Natalia Clavier’s Nectar is definitely in the latter category, and in a good way. In her solo debut, the native Argentinean infuses trip hop and lounge music with a distinctly Latina flavor to create the perfect soundtrack for a summer dinner party or margaritas-and-mojitos cocktail gathering.

Trip hop isn't often known for variation, and a number of the songs on Nectar are pretty similar in sound and feel. Many of the tracks, which were produced by Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation, feature a similar laid back groove and ethereal vocals, and it’s difficult to tell one from the other on the first few listens. Still, the album includes enough twists and variations to keep it from becoming a wall of monotonous (if lovely) sound. “Azul” brings in echoes of the tango of Clavier’s homeland, and “Confusión” and “Mi mentira” trade in a little of the electronics for a return to “real” instruments like piano and guitar.

The lyrics on Nectar are sung (and printed) in Spanish, and since I don’t speak or read the language (and couldn’t find any translations), I can’t really comment on them. Despite the language barrier, however, Clavier’s voice creates a vivid emotional tone for each song - whether dancing over the beats of the more “chill” tracks or rising with passion on the classic Argentinean folk song “Tue que peudes vuélvete.” The vocals combine with the groove to create a cool, sensual record that’s perfect for easing into the heat of summer.

Written by: Rochelle Mabry, June 19th 2008