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Big sales? Not so much. Big beats? Yes. |
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Written by asap
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Tuesday, 05 December 2006 |
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Genre-busting alternative Latin bands have trouble finding a place on the radio. They're often too experimental for all-Spanish stations but too foreign for anywhere else. So don't expect to find them on the dial. But when you do bring them into your life, expect big, danceable bass lines and sudden swoops across musical styles. To help you track down some of the best in alt-Latin, check out our guide.
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 KINKY
Hometown: Monterrey, Mexico.
They are: A five-man electronica-flavored band that blends rock with disco and some traditional inflections.
Sounds like: What you'd get if you marooned Daft Punk and Moby on a Mexican ranch with electric guitars and a drum set.
Fact: While immersed in recording at a hillside LA studio, the band didn't realize the neighborhood had been evacuated due to heavy rain. The guys and some equipment were caught in a mudslide.
Latest: "Reina," their third studio album, is out now. It includes much more English than had been heard on previous albums, and some experimental bleeps and bloops.
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 MANA
Hometown: Guadalajara, Mexico.
They are: A four-man straight-ahead rock group that started out playing Zeppelin and Police covers. Now they've got one of the most respected drummers in the rock en espanol business.
Sounds like: U2 if Bono had been born some 5,000 miles southwest of Dublin.
Fact: With five Grammys and the allegiance of untold numbers of immigrants, the band's latest album went platinum in a week. But what are record sales without a key to the Southern California city of Huntington Park? They got one of those last month.
Latest: "Amar Es Combatir," their seventh studio album, is out now. Recorded at Miami's Hit Factory, it's the polished — if not exactly innovative — product of a veteran group.
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 LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela.
They are: Six talented, fun-loving players who insist on dance floor-friendly Latin pop that veers from disco to bossa nova.
Sounds like: Jamiroquai en espanol.
Fact: Tastemakers love 'em. A favorite on the New York club scene, the band has been mentored by David Byrne and worked with Masters at Work.
Latest: "Super Pop Venezuela," their fifth album, is out now. Produced by DJ Dmitri from Paris, it updates and mostly quickens the pace of their country's traditional tunes.
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 OZOMATLI
Hometown: Los Angeles
They are: A ten-man group including several multi-instrumentalists; the lineup evolved over years, once including Chali 2na and Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5.
Sounds like: Your radio dial stuck on an in-between frequency playing a blend of underground hip-hop, funk and ranchera.
Fact: Named after an Aztec god, the group revolves around political activism; founding members were affiliated with LA's Peace and Justice Center. Ozo start and finish most concerts by forming a conga line through the crowd.
Latest: "Don't Mess With The Dragon," the band's fourth studio album, is set for release in March. Members wrote it while essentially on display for two weeks at a community art gallery, where they talked with visitors about the creative process.
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asap staff reporter Ryan Pearson understands very little Spanish.
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