B-Side Players – Fire in the Youth
The San Diego-based B-Side Players had been giving the revolution a groove for almost 15 years when 2007 arrived, playing music like Rage Against the Machine meets War with a heavy injection of son and some other Latin flavors (the “B” stands for “Brown”). With Fire in the Youth, vocalist and leader Karlos Paez has grown up without clamping down by smoothing down some of the punky rough spots found on the band’s earlier albums while upping the funk and melody. While this tactic may not be as instantly gripping, it lets much more of the Latin flavor through, creating a richer experience that sticks to the ribs long after the initial “wow” is gone. With funky horn blasts, conga beat, and lyrics that focus on mankind’s demise, “Unplug This Armageddon” is an NPR feature waiting to happen but it deserves much more. Paez’s observation is that furiously scrounging for friends on MySpace as others furiously scrounge for food in their war-torn countries adds up to a sick global society. That it comes with a memorable melody and good beat you can dance to makes it all the more fascinating, and in many ways much more subversive than when the band played more fast and dangerous. Contrast the lazy stroll of “Nuestras Demandas” with lyrics that damn the “financial rats of Babylon” along with “those who kill to control the oil” and it becomes apparent that the Bob Marley method of wrapping rebellion in smooth tunes is in effect. With Fire in the Youth, the B-Side Players are making bitter pills easy to take. Anyone who loves revolutionary music will be seduced. — David Jeffries, AllMusic.com
Release Date: July 10, 2007
Label: Concord Records
Credits: B-Side Players Primary Artist; Michael Cannon, Drums, Group Member; Robert Carranza, Engineer; Cesar Castro, Guest Artist, Jarana, Requinto; Chris Constable, Engineer; Ivory Daniel, Executive Producer; Devin DeHaven, Photography; Chris Dunn, Executive Producer; Quetzal Flores, Bajo Sexto, Composer, Guest Artist, Guitar, Jarana, Producer, Requinto; Mike Gassel, Package Design; Edson Gianesi, Guest Artist, Percussion; Gabriel Gonzalez, Guest Artist, Vocals; Martha González Composer, Guest Artist, Vocals; Bernie Grundman, Mastering; Rocío Marron, Guest Artist, Violin; Kevin Nolan Flugelhorn, Group Member, Trombone, Trumpet; Karlos Paez, Composer, Guest Artist, Guitar, Producer, Vocals; Dante Pascuzzo Composer; KC Porter, Composer; Seth Presant, Mixing; Asdrubal Sierra, Composer; Francisco Torres, Guest Artist, Trombone
Tracklisting:
- Alegria (Karlos Paez)
- Unplug This Armageddon (Martha González / Karlos Paez)
- Mascara (Quetzal Flores / Martha González / Karlos Paez / Asdrubal Sierra)
- El Comal (Martha González / Karlos Paez / Dante Pascuzzo)
- Pleasure and Pain (Karlos Paez / KC Porter)
- Nuestras Demandas (Karlos Paez)
- Micaela (Martha González / Karlos Paez)
- Fire in the Youth (Martha González / Karlos Paez)
- Crossroads (Karlos Paez)
- Taquerito (Martha González / Karlos Paez)
- Warrior Culture (Karlos Paez)
