Rockeras
Mexico and Spain 'hablan' behind your back
By Belinda Acosta, Fri., Feb. 22, 2008
Those people speaking Spanish behind your back are talking about you, aren't they? Get over yourself! If you're really wanting, longing, hurting to know what those Spanish-speaking rockeras, headbangers, and crooners are singing about, you'll be happy to know that many of the acts coming to South by Southwest 08 from south of the border and Europe are singing in English as well as Spanish. And they're still not talking about you – unless, of course, you've ever fallen in love, been jilted/angry/hurt/bruised, and lived to tell.
Remember the first time you made love to the one you love? Loved, then lost? Fell into bed with a friend, an ex-lover, or someone plain wrong, wrong, wrong? Lost a friend? Made friends with a former lover? Wrote someone a love song? Told someone to go to hell? Begged someone to come back? Thanked someone for being there? Lived with your head in the clouds?
Music is like math. It's multilingual.
This year's lineup is heavy on rockeras, but of various stripes, from die-hard headbangers to pensive, emo-crooners that you can groove to without spilling your drink. The Spanish bands, particularly those from Barcelona, are the most enticing, but some reliable rockeras from Mexico are well worth stepping out for, too.
Hermanas Are Doing It for Themselves
While her South by Southwest 07 showcase was marred by sound problems, Tijuana's charming Ceci Bastida returns to showcase her pliable tunes that bend with ache, perk, and sassiness. Guadalajara's Elis Paprika flips her sweet-and-sour voice like the hem of a schoolgirl's skirt, an amusing match to sometimes acerbic lyrics, as in (go to) "Hell." The queen of this trio is Spanish badass Mala Rodriguez, whose sweet image belies her power as a rapper. "Toca Toca" will get the blood flowing.
Spaniards Chanclean!
You might think Barcelona's Tokyo Sex Destruction belongs on the Japan Nite lineup, but no. Their Black Noise and hard jammin' funk, soul, and punk influences, with vox channeling Marvin Gaye, Tom Jones, and Little Richard, is here and now. For more funky fun, check Madrid's Right Ons, while Zarautz's Delorean turns techno to pump up the danceable tunes.
¡Otra! ¡Otra!
These rock en Español bands deliver, all having played SXSW in the past, with the exception of Monterrey's Album, which brings a welcome electronica flair to their alt-rock format featuring highly danceable tunes.
Allison
Panda
Los Llamarada
Album
Night Caps
There's a distinctive late-night, afterparty sense from these bands that range from that VIP lounge, the night is still young vibe to "narcotica," that welcome, soft landing after a long, hard night of partying: Fobia, Les Aus, Num9
Rockeros con Pop
Pop takes on a sophisticated flair in the hands of those boys in Barcelona's Love of Lesbian. While the band's playful name elicits a double take, its tunesmithing means business. Check out "Los Colores de Una Sombra," which brings together a provocative pop arrangement with pensive vocals. Tijuana's Delux pops equally powerful, while the proverbial Dictionary of Musical Knowledge surely has Barcelona's Veracruz and Mexico City's Los Dynamite listed under "Rawk!" And for true, head-banging, devil heavy metal, turn to Mexicali's Lipstick Terror.
Punkeros y Mas!
Descartes a Kant
Mockinpott
Hong Kong Blood Opera
Roca Classica
Thermo
La Gusana Ciega
Hey Besala
Mexico
Album, Monterrey, www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=33279, Friday, 9pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Allison, Mexico, www.myspace.com/allison, Saturday, 1am, Spiros
Bam Bam, Monterrey, www.myspace.com/dalebambam, Thursday, 8pm, Flamingo Cantina
Ceci Bastida, Tijuana, www.cecibastida.com, Thursday, 11pm, Flamingo Cantina
Chikita Violenta, Mexico City, www.chikitaviolenta.com, Saturday, 12mid, Maggie Mae's
Delux, Tijuana, www.myspace.com/delux, Saturday, 12mid, Spiros
Descartes a Kant, Guadalajara, www.myspace.com/descartesakant, Wednesday, 8pm, Opal Divine's
Elis Paprika, Guadalajara, www.myspace.com/elispaprika, Thursday, 10pm, Flamingo Cantina
Fobia, Mexico City, www.myspace.com/fobiaoficial, Wednesday, 1am, Opal Divine's
Hey Besala, Ciudad Juarez, www.myspace.com/heybesala, Friday, 8pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Hong Kong Blood Opera, Hermosillo, www.myspace.com/hkbo, Thursday, 8pm, Bourbon Rocks
Juan Son, Guadalajara, www.myspace.com/juansonmusic, Saturday, 11pm, Maggie Mae's
La Gusana Ciega, Mexico City, www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=110596, Friday, 12mid, Dirty Dog Bar
Le Baron, Mexico City, www.myspace.com/lebarondf, Wednesday, 9pm, Opal Divine's
Lipstick Terror, Mexicali, www.myspace.com/lipstickterror, Saturday, 8pm, Spiros
Los Dynamite, Mexico City, www.losdynamite.com, Wednesday, 11pm, Opal Divine's
Los Llamarada, Monterrey, www.myspace.com/losllamarada, TBA
Mockinpott, Monterrey, www.nenerecords.net/bandas/mockinpott/mockinpott.htm, Friday, 10pm, B.D. Riley's
Niña, Monterrey, www.todomimundoacolor.com, Friday, 11pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Panda, Monterrey, www.pandasux.com, Friday, 1am, Dirty Dog Bar
Sussie 4, Guadalajara, www.sussie4.com, Wednesday, 12mid, Opal Divine's
Thermo, Guadalajara, www.thermorocks.com, Friday, 10pm, Dirty Dog Bar
Spain
Delorean, Zarautz, www.myspace.com/deloreandanz, Wednesday, 10pm, Maggie Mae's
Dorian, Barcelona, www.webdorian.net, Wednesday, 12mid, Copa
Jet Lag, Madrid, www.myspace.com/jetlagsound, Wednesday, 8pm, B.D. Riley's
Les Aus, Barcelona, www.ozonokids.com/lesaus.htm, Thursday, 10pm, Red Eyed Fly
Love of Lesbian, Barcelona, www.lacoctelera.com/loveoflesbian, Saturday, 1am, Fadó
Num9, Madrid, www.num9.es, Friday, 8:20pm, Habana Calle 6 Annex
Remate & Loco Band, Asturias, www.rematemusic.com, Friday, 10pm, Habana Calle 6 Annex
The Right Ons, Madrid, www.therightons.com, Thursday, 9pm, B.D. Riley's
Mala Rodriguez, Cadiz, www.malarodriguez.com, Thursday, 1am, Flamingo Cantina
Tokyo Sex Destruction, Barcelona, www.tokyosexdestruction.com, Thursday, 11pm, Red Eyed Fly
Veracruz, Barcelona, www.myspace.com/losveracruz, Thursday, 8pm, Red Eyed Fly
We Are Standard, Basque Country, www.wearestandard.net, Saturday, 10pm, Habana Calle 6 Annex
