Amoeblog > Tag > world music

Eclectica Moves To Wednesdays, New Latin Releases for March

Posted by Gomez Comes Alive!, March 4, 2013 07:26am | Post a Comment

Every first Sunday over the last three years and change, DJ's Reyes & Glenn Red have provided a great party called Eclectica. I have spent many Monday mornings groggy after a night at Eclectica, but it's a great way to kick of the work week.The name of the night says it all. If you like to dance to soul music from all over the world, this night is a great place to start. I've heard Reggae, Samba, Afro-Beat, Cumbia, R&B, Hip-Hop, Modern and classic Cuban music, Reggaeton, Balkan Brass bands, Bollywood classics. Its a chance for their guest DJs to stretch out and get away from the norm of weekend hits and the resident DJs always up to the challenge to match their diversity.

Starting on Wednesday, March 6th, Eclectica moves to every first Wednesday. For that reason, Eclectica is bringing out the big guns. Guests include DJ Sloepoke and Fresko, two deep crate diggers just waiting to be unleashed to any unsuspecting crowd. Be prepared for anything. I'm hoping the Sloepoke and Fresko are going to bust out their expansive Cumbia record collection.

Speaking of Cumbia, I'm not in the habit of recommending Rough Guide compilations. Although the people at World Music Network are no slouches to the World Music game, I often don't think about them when it comes to Latin Music. However, their latest foray into Latin Music is an absolute barn burner! The Rough Guide to Cumbia (Out now) and The Rough Guide To Latin Psychedelia (Out in April) were both compiled by Pablo Yglesias, a writer/graphic designer and DJ better known as DJ Bongohead. Yglescias has compiled collections for Vampisoul and Masstropicas and is the author of the book, Cocinando: Fifty Years Of Latin Album Cover Art. Each disc is full of classics and modern takes on the genres that work together seamlessly. Each release has a bonus disc of rare tracks by the likes of the Cumbia supergroup, Los Corraleros De Majagual (RG To Cumbia) and Peruvian Chicha masters Los Destellos (RG To Latin Psychedelia) My only complaint is that these two releases aren't slated to be released on vinyl as of yet.

Speaking of vinyl, the new Bomba Estereo, which has slowly become my favorite new release in the first part of this year, is now available on LP. Also on LP is the latest release from Cafe Tacuba, imported from Mexico. We only have a few so I wouldn't wait to long to get them.

Carla Morrison and Bomba Estereo Now At Amoeba Hollywood

Posted by Gomez Comes Alive!, February 18, 2013 07:25am | Post a Comment

Carla Morrison Dejenme Llorara First off, a belated congratulate to Quetzal and Lila Downs for winning Grammy awards last week. I wrote about both their albums, Imaginaries and Pecados y Milagros last year. I've also written in the past about the other nominees, Ana Tijoux, Los Cojolites, Sistema Bomb and Carla Morrison. Speaking of Carla Morrison, you can now order her album, Dejenme Llorar from the Amoeba website. Amoeba is one of a handful of stores carrying the physical copy of her album. Dejenme Llorar was in

demand months before it was released and subsequently is one of Amoeba Hollywood's biggest Latin Music sellers over the last two months.

Another album that has been in demand has finally arrived as a domestic release.

Bomba Estereo latest, Elegancia Tropical, was just released by Soundway Records. Elegancia Tropical was originally supposed to be released earlier last year by Warner Brothers before the band was dropped from the label. Unlike their previous album, Blow Up, which I loved instantly, Elegancia Tropical takes a few listens before sinking in. Once it does sink in, its a great listen, with a developed global sound that wasn't fully realized in their previous release. Unlike Blow Up, I tend to gravitate to the non-dance floor songs which are quite beautiful. However, the newer Kuduro influence dance tracks are pretty hot and I can see a completely sweaty dance floor erupting once these tracks are unleashed on the dance floor.

It's funny how Soundway Records, a label out of England, has become the "it" label for progressive World music, with excellent releases from Chico Mann, Batida, Bomba Estereo, Meridian Brothers, Ondatropica and Los Miticos Del Ritmo. as much as I like the reissues, it's always great to hear new sounds.

Other Minds 18 Festival of New Music: February 28 - March 2

Posted by The Bay Area Crew, February 11, 2013 03:49pm | Post a Comment

Other Minds, America’s only international festival of avant-garde music, returns for its 18th year with composers from the Faroe Islands, India, Spain, Canada, Sweden, and around the U.S. From bass recorder to bansuri, from Bang to Sachdev, Other Minds presents another incomparable aggregation of revelationary new music.

Amoeba Music is a proud sponsor of this festival, which includes three days of concerts, panel discussions, and symposia at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) from February 28th through March 2nd. Check out this action-packed, global line-up!

Thursday, February 28, 2013
Gaman (Denmark)
G.S. Sachdev (India/US), Bansuri
Swapan Chaudhuri (India/US), Tabla

Friday, March 1, 2013
Dohee Lee (South Korea/US), Eye Cello & Voice
Anna Petrini (Sweden), Paetzold Contrabass Recorder
Craig Taborn (US), Piano

Saturday, March 2, 2013
Amy X Neuburg (US), Voice & Live Looping Electronics
William Winant Percussion Group (US)
Michala Petri (Denmark), Recorder
Mattias Petersson (Sweden), Laptop
Paula Matthusen (US), Live Electronics
Pamela Z (US), Voice and Electronics

For tickets and more info, please click HERE!

Alan Bishop Of Sublime Frequencies Joins Discostan This Wednesday

Posted by Gomez Comes Alive!, January 21, 2013 08:08am | Post a Comment

Wednesday, January 23rd, Discostan invites you our first party of the year. We are proud to present two very special guests, Alan Bishop from Sublime Frequencies and Son Zoo of Ethio Cali.

Alan Bishop was the bassist of The Sun City Girls, a legendary rock/experimental trio that had hundreds of releases, from rock covers, surf instrumentals, psychedelic freak-outs, puppetry, Asian-inspired theater, just to name a few excursions. From the absurd to the most magnificent, the unpredictability of The Sun City Girls made music fans either love or hate them, but never left anyone lukewarm.

Alan is also the co-founder of Sublime Frequencies, a label that releases music from all over the world in the tradition of Alan Lomax. The music that Sublime Frequencies releases is not for the pretty, easy-listening Sunday morning "world music" set.
Likewise, it's collections of international artists performing western pop covers would make any ethnomusicologist cringe, which makes me like them more.

Whether it's music from North Africa, pop covers from Thailand or wedding music from Syria, it's music that would leave most people from those regions scratching their heads wondering, "why would you like that?" I always find the exchange of regional music fascinating. Whether it's westerners getting down to Dabke, Germans dancing to Norteño or Japanese having Chicano oldies nights, once we are exposed to a wider palette of music it only serves to enrich our lives past the mundane. It becomes a springboard for the love of other cultures and a deeper appreciation of ones own culture as well.

Also joining us is the always-dope Son Zoo from the group Ethio-Cali, who is ready to unveil a mother lode of hypnotic dancefloor bangers from east Africa for your pleasure. Get ready for the madness!

Co-Founder of ZZK Records El G In Los Angeles This Week

Posted by Gomez Comes Alive!, January 13, 2013 10:08pm | Post a Comment

Back in 2008, after reading many blogs about a happening party in Buenos Aires, Argentina that played Electro-Cumbia music, one of the persons responsible for that party showed up at Amoeba Hollywood with CD copies of The ZZK Sound Vol. 1-Cumbia Digital. We were the first U.S. store to carry any of their product and it quickly became one of my favorite releases of that year. Since then, ZZK Records has released many great CD/LPS/Downloads from such artists as Chancha Via Circuito, Fauna, Tremor and last year's excellent compilation, The Future Sounds Of Buenos Aires, which was my favorite release of 2012.

The sound of ZZK Records combines several electronic movements, such as Electro-Cumbia, Dubstep and other forms of experimental Electro with a sound that goes back to the folkloric groups of Argentina's past. If Atahualpa Yupanqui and Mercedes Sosa grew up listening to Dancehall Reggae, Cumbia Villera and Electro, maybe it would sound like this.

That person that came into the store back in 2008 is Grant C.Dull, also known as El G. He is currently on tour promoting The Future Sounds Of Buenos Aires and has three shows in the Los Angeles area. Be sure to check out one or all of them.

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