Tag Archives: uruguyan

“Just You And Me” by Limbo (Video)

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These foul-mouthed One Direction fans have got on my nerves. Ever since I mentioned their heroes when reviewing Casablancas’ “Please Don’t Be Like Me” and Federico’s “Los Amores Imaginarios”, they’ve sent me a barrage of e-mails, accusing me of every crime since the dawn of time.

Well, just to set the record straight:

1) I think these guys can certainly sing, and 2) I think they are releasing music that’s largely tasteful.

Yet:

1) Louis and Liam have NO REASON WHATSOEVER to be on the band, and 2) They are NOT good-looking. They are NOT. The Backstreet Boys were. N-Sync were. Boyzone were. The Wanted are (though a couple of them look like they’ve just gotten out of prison, and they’re about to star on the next “Fast & Furious” movie). One Direction are NOT.

Actually, there’s only one band member who looks any good: Niall. And how do I know? I know, because I’ve found irrefutable scientific proof online. I mean, see what I’ve managed to find on the WWW after incessant hours of research:


(I found it online, I swear. I didn’t come with this shit up. I’m a master troll, but my life doesn’t revolve around drawing hearts on pictures of members of One Direction)

You know, I’ve taken this very personally. The amount of abuse I’ve received from these directioners has been relentless. I can’t even concentrate, and do my job properly.
A girl went as far as to telling me, “my boyfriend is going to break into your house tonight, and bang your head against your keyboard!!!”.
Oh, yeah? Really, sweetheart?? Is that it??? It’s almost 2 AM and I’m still waiting for him. Tell him that when he xbnowdukrf jneirfh er ekwoigo hg wilrgjw oufvjs lfjowr pgj rgjrldig jrgarig 76irgirtjh gitrjhgit ur8yedhnf lkw fhuefgvu ierfg kdyv rurbgt dfpgrgiort krtgk jekh feuyfu eyfuef.

(Emilio wakes up 8 hours later over his keyboard, and rubs his forehead. He says in a hushed voice: “Man, my head hurts like shit! And for some reason I can’t seem to sit very well! Nevermind, I’ve got a job to do…”)

There’s this new Uruguayan band called “Limbo” that has recently issued their first demo. It’s one of these Uruguayan bands that sing in English (like my doobie brothers Casablancas, my northern siblings Soundays, and these soul ravers who make up The Bear Season). Yet, Limbo stands out if only because their songs deal with romantic matters. You know, boys who like girls, girls who like boys and people who can’t stand up for falling down. Continue reading →

Martín Barea Mattos (Uruguayan Artist)

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Martín Barea Mattos is a Uruguayan poet, musician and performer. He was born in 1978, and (to this date) Martín has released four books of poems. His most recent title is “X Hora X Día X Mes”, a collection of poetry he published in 2008. And that also happens to be the name of the band he currently fronts. X Hora X Día X Mes recorded “Odisea en el Parking Planetario” [Odyssey in the Planetary Parking] in 2010, and the band has been playing the album ever since, honing its live act.

I became acquainted with Martín last year, when he was a guest speaker at a poetry workshop I attended. His artistic vision and commitment made a deep impact on all the people who were there that day. And I have wanted to feature him on MusicKO ever since.

A month to this date, X Hora X Día X Mes played a defining gig at the Teatro AGADU in Montevideo. At around that time, Martín was interviewed by Cooltivarte. You can read an English translation of that interview below; the original is found here. It is an excellent way to become acquainted with his work, as he elaborates not only on his role as a musician but also as an artist.

In addition to Martín on voice and guitar, the band is made up of Facundo Fernández Luna on guitar, Pelao Meneses on percussion, Luján Fernández Luna on accordion, flute and vocals and Juan Tolosa on electric bass.

All the photos that you can see on this post come from Cooltivarte’s director, Federico Meneses.


For those who are getting acquainted with this project now, how would you introduce “X Hora X Día X Mes”?

“X HORA X DÍA X MES” is a musical project that keeps the emphasis on what’s being said. The texts themselves are what shape the music. The album can be downloaded at www.feeldeagua.net.

Is there a reason the album has been issued independently? Is that an artistic gesture?

The album has been issued independently because our art is not something that could be labeled as massive. It gives us the chance to do things as we see fit. Artistically, it enables me to lead the course.

At this point, what are your musical references?

Personally speaking, my references go from Charly García and Leo Maslíah to Fernando Cabrera and Darnauchans, and certain stages in the music of Jaime Roos and Caetano Veloso. Throw the Beatles and Kiko Veneno into the mix, and that’s it!

If you had to pick three songs that are representative of your work, and that you would recommend to someone who’s new to it, which would they be?

“Autocracia”, “Para los que Sueñan Despiertos” y “La Verdad de la Milanesa”. Urbanity, waltz and hypnosis. Continue reading →

“Antes Del Fin” by Walter Bordoni (Video)

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This is other of the music videos that are up for a Graffiti Award next week. “Antes Del Fin” [Before The End] is a song by Walter Bordoni, a Uruguayan musician that was born in 1962. His first album was published in 1990. It was titled “El Gol De La Valija y Otros Cuentos”) [The Suitcase’s Goal and Other Stories], after a much-discussed soccer incident that took place in 1933, and that’s an indelible part of Uruguayan folklore.

Walter Bordoni, as depicted on the cover of his second album, "Flor Nueva de Películas Viejas" (1994).

An accomplished piano and guitar player, Bordoni was involved in several artistic groups and collectives. He co-founded an artistic project in 1994 known as “Aguafuertes Montevideana” with Gastón Rodríguez, and the resulting album (published in 1997) still stands as a commercial and artistic highlight.

He is currently a member of the Kafkarudos, a band made up of the collective talents of Gastón Ciarlo “Dino”, Alejando Ferradás, Tabaré Rivero and the late Eduardo Darnauchans.

“Antes Del Fin” is a song is extracted from his newest album, “La Cifra Infinita” [The Infinite Number]. Its music video takes the form of an animated short that corroborates the leaping cadence of the lyrics word by word.

“La Cifra Infinita” has been issued by Bizarro Records, and it has also received two other nominations: one for “Best Production” (Alejandro Ferradas), and another for “Best Popular Music and Urban Song Album”.

This is Walter Bordoni’s MySpace profile. And this is his blog (in Spanish only).

“Perdiste” By Nemesis (Video)

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Nemesis is a Uruguayan band that was formed in 2004 by friends Martín Hosman (vocals) and Gabriel Fuchs (guitar). They had a revolving rhythm section for years, came close to recording an album in 2007 and then split up for the first time.
One year later, Nemesis regrouped with Jorge Lira on bass and Sebastián G. Quinteros on drums. This lineup recorded the band’s first album, “Subnormal” in 2010. The track “Perdiste” [You’ve Lost] was the first to be issued as a single. And you can watch the promotional video for the song below:

The start-and-stop structure of the verses might sound a bit formulaic to some, but there’s no denying the quality of the composition on the whole. The rhythm section knows how to sound imperative and make you prick your ears when needed, and the riffs in particular distil rock & roll. All in all, it’s a winning sound. If anything, it proves that in music you don’t need to be the first to do something. The one thing that truly matters is doing it well. And “Perdiste” is an essentially exciting slab at rock, combining the different influences of each band member (classic rock, hard rock, funk) into a song that’s easy to earmark.

I hope to get a copy of “Subnormal” soon and review it. In Uruguay, the album’s been released by Montevideo Music Group. Those of you who live elsewhere can listen to “Subnormal” online in its entirety here. And this is Nemesis’ official site, too.

The band currently comprises Martín Hosman on vocals, Jorge Lira on bass, Sebastián G. Quinteros on drums and Camilo Saralegui on guitar (Gabriel Fuchs left the band once recordings for “Subnormal” wrapped).

Nemesis touring "Subnormal" in 2011