Songwriting, Producing & Vocal Arranging
VA – Spain in My Heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War (2003)
The Spanish Civil War drew some three thousand volunteers from the international leftist community to join the democratically elected Spanish government in its fight against the fascist troops of Francisco Franco, a struggle that proved ultimately unsuccessful and set the stage for World War II. Many of the songs composed and sung on those Spanish frontlines became popular during the early years of the folk revival nearly 30 years later and are presented in this collection in newly recorded versions, along with original material inspired by the short-lived Spanish Republic. The venerable Pete Seeger opens the album with a spoken […]
VA – A Fair Forgery of Pink Floyd (2003)
Why the hell do we need yet another Pink Floyd tribute album? Because we desperately needed this one. First of all, this is a localized project involving bands from the U.S. West Coast that all recorded their versions in the same studio, ensuring steady quality standards. Second, the artists come from various backgrounds, anywhere between metal and country-folk. Third, they cover all of the group’s career, not just the sacrosanct trilogy (Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall, in case you really needed to ask), including many of Syd Barrett’s buried treasures (“Lucifer Sam,” “Bike,” […]
Quetzal – Sing the Real (2002)
“…Sing the Real is ripe with Mexican roots and Afro-Caribbean music merged with rock, folk, and jazz influences. Given the diverse backgrounds of the members–including a Brazilian percussionist and a guitarist of Japanese-Mexican heritage–such variety comes naturally. These sensual, earthy, and generally slow songs feature passionate vocals with stirring melodies and address issues of personal struggle and maintaining one’s dignity and identity. Queztal brings their musical traditions into the current century by subtly integrating modern influences such as rock and R&B (“The Social Relevance of Public Art”), hip-hop (the vocals of “20 Pesos”), and jazz (“Emotions”), and by mixing older […]
Los Lobos – Good Morning Aztlán (2002)
After 25 years together as a band, you’d expect Los Lobos to be spent creatively. Not so, though this East L.A. institution has settled into a perhaps too-comfortable groove with its past couple of albums. No longer the studio experimentalists of Kiko (still the group’s best album), nor the Mexican roots-music purists of La Pistola y El Corazon, the band now offers a reliable mix of styles on each album–a smooth concoction that is equal parts roots-rock, blues, R&B, and Latin dance music. Although paired with new producer John Leckie (Radiohead, XTC), the band doesn’t venture into much new sonic […]
VA – Mexamerica (2001)
Release Date: August 21, 2001 Number of Discs: 1 Label: Angelino Track Listing: 1. Breaking Down the Borders (Luis Güereña/Aztlan Underground) 2. Bandera en el Cielo (Jesús Hernández/Ruben Martinez) 3. Tener O Ser (Quetzal/Nona Delichas) 4. Como Has Cambiado Tia Juana (Calavera) 5. Spokenworld (Richard Montoya) 6. What They Do (Bostich/Blues Experiment) 7. Mexica Xicano Connexion (Los Hijos del 5 Patio/Slowrider)
Rick Trevino – Mi Son (2001)
As a budding country star in the mid 1990s, Texas-born Mexican American Rick Treviño always found a way to blend his Latin heritage with his country leanings, even recording many of his albums in both English and Spanish. His membership in Los Super Seven has allowed him to explore even more deeply his Mexican roots and has reminded music fans just how wonderful, versatile, and emotionally powerful a singer he is. Focusing on traditional Mexican folk music, Mi Son features many of his Los Super Seven cohorts, including Los Lobos’ Cesar Rosas, David Hidalgo, and Steve Berlin (who produced). Clearly […]
