blues from down below.

streetlightsandcigarettes: This guy in my spanish book is...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 13:00:02 -0400

streetlightsandcigarettes:

This guy in my spanish book is having the best taco of his life

Paula Pogranizky

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:38:00 -0400

paula pogranizky, artist

in her studio, 14 Mar 2012

Extranjeros #1 - Estefanía and Paz

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:31:00 -0400

originally published on WhatsUpBuenosAires.com

We love new article series! I´ve been dreaming of beginning this one for a while now. As an expat myself I can´t help but feel linked in a long and tangled chain to every other foreigner in this city. Paz Olivares-Droguett and Estefanía Salas couldn´t exemplify that more. It started with a Canadian named Lindsay who I met outside of a lecture about music and technology led by Gaby Kerpel. He invited me to have dinner at his house where I met Paz and Estefanía, two Chilean exchange students who he had met through some Colombian dancers. Phew. These two smiley young creatives told me about their photographic project Ame, which is a kind of cool-hunting for love. After a long chat I knew they would be perfect pair to open up the series. So without any further adieu:

Where are you from, what did you do before you came here?

Paz: I was born and raised in Valparaíso, Chile. Over there I did more or less than same as here, independent projects like illustrations or books and different photography projects.

Estefanía: I´m from Valparaíso also, I graduated with a degree in History and Political Science. I love art and design, I´m a beauty junkie, I love to see and do beautiful things and share and enjoy them, being able to live from that is my finish line.

How did you two meet?

Paz: Estefanía and I met in an art direction class here in Buenos Aires, the strange thing is that we both live in Valparaíso and we never met each other although we have a lot of mutual friends.

Estefanía: We began to talk and when I told her that all I wanted to do was a project related to creating D.I.Y celebrations, weddings with an audiovisual and photographic focus I was shocked when she told me that she had won a prize in Chile for the same exact thing. Then and there we realized that we we´re going to do things together. But since we´ve just started the project, we haven´t had an opportunity to plan a wedding celebration. So we decided, in order to get ourselves out there and show our work, to start doing photo shoots of interesting couples, and also decorate for events whenever we can, like for the opening party of Incan Feather Gang.

Paz: The project is called Ame. It´s always changing, I think that´s the positive thing about the project itself, every time something new comes up we are able to develop it from a fresh look. We aren´t predisposed to doing everything any one way. Wedding planning is so restricted. The bride has to wear a dress that looks like a costume and that she´ll never put on again. The photos have to be a certain way, always with the guests seated at their table, which I absolutely hate. No one thinks to do something more creative, explore other options. In class when you offer a different idea they look at you like you´re crazy. I want people to know that the possibilities are as infinite as people are and that whatever you have in your mind is possible.

How do you guys find the people you take photos of? Is there a certain type or look you search for?

Estefanía: When we´re walking around, we pay attention to the couples walking around. We talk about their look, the aesthetic, the idea is that they transmit something. They could be hippies or hipsters, or maybe even an old couple, it doesn´t really matter. But when we say “that one!” one of us has to go up to them and explain our project and ask if they are willing to have their photo taken. There´s been some couples that think it´s strange and you can see they are uncomfortable, others that laugh and relax.

Paz: I don´t think the project is defined by an established aesthetic. It´s an energy that someone has, who cares if you´re beautiful or not, it´s a celebration of love, you don´t have to be a model to have beautiful pictures taken of you. I think that independent cinema has given us a great gift, because before they filled your head and the screen with this non-existent idealism, but in independent movies you can see yourself or your friends, you feel represented and realize that beauty is all around us, and with a well positioned camera you can start to see the world from a different perspective.

How do you envision your future wedding?

Paz: First we need boyfriends! But when I get married I would like a ceremony that makes sense to both of us.

Estefanía: Yeah that part is necessary! No, I don´t really know, something intimate, during the day, I would love to have it in the country or on the beach. Relaxed, rustic, underneath the sun with all the people I love, and fuchsias to decorate, pretty pictures and video on a Super 8. I don´t think I´d need anything else.

Let´s talk about Buenos Aires, what do you like about the city, and what are things you miss about Valparaíso?

Estefanía: I love the energy that the city has. There are a lot of people that want to do things, and they don´t limit themselves because of the money, they just do it. And I like that they don´t settle, when you go to an art show or see an independent project, there is a lot of quality, lots of work and love.

Paz: I love Buenos Aires, there are times when I´m walking around the city and I feel like I´ve reached the exact moment of falling out of love with the city, but then I fall back in love.

Will you two return to Chile?

Paz: Both of us will go back for the summer, but I´m going to come back in March to continue studying and working here. Probably for at least another year before I go to live in Brazil.

Estefanía: I´m going to go back. I feel like there is a lot to do there. But I want to return as often as I can to this city, it would be wonderful to be able to do parallel projects or a collaboration with someone from here. It seems like it gets less and less difficult to do that, we have a lot left to do and share, we´re taking advantage that not everything is done. I really feel like the unique things are completely within reach and as long as you put forth passion and hard work.

INCAN FEATHER GANG PARTY #2 WITH SARA HEBE + COYA BOYZ

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:36:00 -0400

INCAN FEATHER GANG PARTY #2

WITH SARA HEBE + COYA BOYZ

sofia viola - acoustic tea party #1 . . video is from a new...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:48:12 -0400

sofia viola - acoustic tea party #1

video is from a new project i have started with some friends called IncanFeatherGang, an arts collective that throws parties, acoustic concerts and film showings. the article below was originally published for my website WhatsUpBuenosAires

The first time I saw Sofia Viola play was at the Camorra Fest in Abasto’s Uniclub sometime in early winter. I had gone with some friends of mine that shared a strong affection for the music of Tomi Lebreroand Soema Montenegro, we paid little attention to the other names on the line-up. There was a girl at the show that caught my attention almost immediately, and as she moved around the room there was a magnetism that pulled my eyes towards her. With her hair cropped short and an oversized bright pink, flower-shaped watch she bounced around Uniclub in a big artisanal shirt that flowed behind her. When Lebrero began his normal on-stage jester she egged him on from the back of the room, cackling loudly at all of his jokes. “I want to be this chick’s friend,” I thought to myself.

And then she got on stage.

“Everyone shut your eyes,” she ordered, “Come on, nothing bad is going to happen.” I opened my eyes to find Sofia with a bright pink mask that V [for Vendetta] might wear if he practiced lucha libre. She began to strum her charango before erupting into a song that filled the entire room with her powerful and quirky voice, developing a set of songs that hung between the balance of humor and soul.

That sense of humor was repeated in what is probably the sweetest concert I have ever attended. On the 8^th of August, Sofia celebrated her birthday at the CC Matienzo with an intimate concert amongst friends, family, and a growing and faithful public. She was also joined again by an ethereal opening by Soema Montenegro and her partner Jorge Sottile. One by one Sofia invited her family to join her, first her twin brother to sing a song, then her father to play his trumpet and finally her little brother to play percussion with his armpit.

Sofia Viola is this year’s revelation, now that I know her name it seems hard to avoid it with a non-stop line-up of gigs. Wednesday the 19th of October she’ll be playing at the very first Acoustic Tea Party.

carla morrison - valentina, compartir . . another wonderful...

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:08:41 -0400

carla morrison - valentina, compartir

another wonderful introduction to a new musician from french videographer vincent moon.

late marriage dover koshashvili / 2001 / israel . . “if a...

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:35:00 -0400

late marriage

dover koshashvili / 2001 / israel

“if a monster came out of the sea and said, ‘I am God’, would you believe him?”

“depends on how much he paid me.”

new flyers that i´ve designed for some parties that i´m...

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:16:45 -0400

new flyers that i´ve designed for some parties that i´m organizing for my website and the new party collective i´ve started with some friends, Incan Feather Gang.

BarMitzMidis - Naguila . . “Hava Nagila”, which...

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:08:00 -0400

BarMitzMidis - Naguila

“Hava Nagila”, which means Let’s rejoice in Hebrew, is a song rarely found outside the confines of the Bar Mitzvah. This video, taken at Niceto Club in Buenos Aires, clearly steps out of them. The video is by the four man electronic orchestra - Jean Deon on the electric drum and Darío Cataife and Pin and Beta Deon on the synths - called the BarMitzMidis, a futurist exercise in traditional Jewish songs.

There exists a tangible fascination in new Argentine music that fuses tradition with new technologies; whether it be with electro folklore that fuses Northern Andean instruments with digital samplings, or digital cumbía that takes the traditional Colombian style with electro rhythms. The BarMitzMidis take traditional Jewish music (from both borrowed and original compositions) combine it with their Latin surroundings and modernize it for the dancefloor.

garage olimpo marco bechis / 1999 /...

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:41:00 -0400

garage olimpo

marco bechis / 1999 / argentina

“we’re going back to italy. i don’t want to know anything more about this country.”

“good. you’ve got to have balls to live here.”

august mixtape . . 1. Of Oceans - Cataract 2. Chrome Sparks -...

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:52:00 -0400

august mixtape

1. Of Oceans - Cataract

2. Chrome Sparks - Doubt, No

3. Little Joy - The Next Time Around

4. El Remolon feat. Lido Pimienta - Basta Ya (Todos Somos Inmigrantes)

5. Phantogram - When I’m Small

6. Das Racist - hahahaha jk

7. Otis Heat - Shame

8. Maps and Atlases - Solid Ground

9. Maluca - El Tigraso

10. Sofia Viola - Me han robado el mar

11. Systema Solar - Sin Oficio

12. A banda mais bonita da cidade - oração

13. White Denim - Drug (Bjorn Remix)

14. The Drums - Let’s Go Surfing

15. Citizen Bird - Joy

Sofía Viola - Me han robado el mar . . In the three weeks that I...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:56:01 -0400

Sofía Viola - Me han robado el mar

In the three weeks that I have discovered the lovely Sofía Viola, a day hasn´t passed without listening to “Me han robado el mar” (They Stole the Sea from Me) at least once. Only a few nights ago did she celebrate her 22nd and already she has a collection of more than 300 songs - and they are incredible, a little bit of North Andean folklore, mixed with some 1970s American soul, some fierce jazz for good measure, all delivered with a stage presence that is absolutely electric. An essential in order to understand what´s growing in the Argentine music scene.

i am love luca guadagnino / 2010 / italy . . “i don´t...

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:06:00 -0400

i am love

luca guadagnino / 2010 / italy

“i don´t think she will go back to gregorio. she doesn´t love him.”

“what does that mean ?”

The Importance of Singing Falsete

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:58:00 -0400

originally published in WhatsUpBuenosAires.com, leela en castellano acá.

Tifa Rex can’t stop fidgeting. It´s a cool Saturday afternoon in the southern city of Adrogué. We’re sitting Indian-style on a beer stained carpet in a quiet apartment that rests above a small strip mall. Bob Dylan´s “Hurricane” plays in the background on repeat. Half of the apartment, wood floored, unusually clean, decorated with simple antique furnishings and a photo of Freud hanging next to a Picasso, is the office of Tifa and Nica´s mother, a psychologist. The other half, where we casually sit, passing around a bottle of Paso de los Toros, serves as the studio for the three members of Los Reyes del Falsete – Tifa Rex (on drums), Nica and Juanchi Manchi (both on guitars), all three on vocals. The room is littered with music equipment and an unkempt bed in the corner. Vintage American advertisements hang on the wall, one for New Man jeans, has a woman, bent over, ass to the camera, with a small boy holding up her long jacket to show how well the pants fit her backside.

The room feels familiar. Not just the beer stains, which invite an explosion of fuzzy college memories, but also because this long bedroom served as the backdrop to the colorful cover of La Fiesta de la Forma, the bands first LP.

Tifa keeps fidgeting. His constant squirming is in discordance with his laid-back attitude. He strums his fingers on his slim fitting jeans. Strips wood off the old bed frame he´s propped up against, tearing the long strip into pieces. He´s wearing the standard indie uniform: a Leo Matioli shirt and hoodie that he bought at the thrift store, simple sneakers, ray ban style glasses with wide black rims and clear lenses, and messy head of hair. His clean face is taken hostage by a scruffy mustache. In fact, all three guys have mustaches, complete coincidence they assure us.

“I´m very, like I can´t stop moving, I’m nervous, in my hands, my feet,” Tifa explains drumming on his legs, “and I´ve always banged on stuff, all the time banging…and my family used to say to me, “Don´t you wanna be a drummer?”

Nica sits across from Tifa. He´s got on a clean turquoise cardigan and a simple t-shirt. He speaks a lot, and with absolute sincerity, making eye contact when he speaks. We´re missing one band member, Juanchi Manchi, the two tell us he´s been hibernating the last two days. He arrives a few hours later as our interview was wrapping up. This isn´t an abnormal occurrence, if they have to start setting up for a show at 6, Juanchi Manchi arrives at the studio around 7. Juanchi Manchi is a walking contradiction – he´s tall and lanky, a physical presence of gigantic proportions. He kinda resembles Peter Fonda in his “Easy Rider” days. But he’s also kind of shy, or at least compared to two very outgoing band mates, although he is always able to throw in the right joke at the perfect moment. According to the rest of the band, Juanchi Manchi is the cute one, according to him, he is the most “Falsete” of the band.

There is an incredible chemistry that hangs thick in the air. They talk amongst themselves rapidly, speaking over one another, cracking jokes, constantly smiling. It feels more like spying on a private conversation between brothers rather than conducting an interview. They’re recounting a big party they went to in Capital the night before. Red carpet sort of thing. Aspiring little starlets, lots of pretty girls, and the cute female film critic from the TN channel.

This could become something rather normal for the band, which has received a lot of attention in the last year. This year they embarked on an unofficial tour through Argentina, being invited to play in cities all over the country. They weren’t lured by promoters, but by fans and friends, who invited them to play at a local gig and crash at their houses afterwards. They’re shocked when people sing along with the lyrics. They´ve even gotten airplay as far as Brazil, as “Os Reys del Falsechi”, they fail miserably trying to pronounce the Brazilian accent without bursting into laughter. And the list of upcoming concert dates extends all the way to Christmas. Big gigs like the one at the recent Dr Lemon Festival and smaller shows at the local Adrogué hangout Tio Bizarro or the La Boca hipster bar Plasma. All of this is still surreal to Los Reyes, who see themselves as a local band, “We don´t see ourselves doing this at 50.”

“Every time before we play a show, I say ‘no one is going to come’ “, Nica tells us, but each weekend that they play (and recently they’ve been playing every weekend) they are surprised to find a full house. “People come from really far away. It started to amaze me when I began seeing people that I didn´t know, people that came to see us in La Plata, that would just leave without saying hello or goodbye”. The Reyes are in a bubble, they feel like a local band, unsure of how to approach their underground popularity.

They lead ordinary lives. Tifa and Nica live at home with their parents, Juanchi Manchi with his girlfriend (sorry ladies). Tifa studies composition of electroacoustic music, Nica philosophy (although they admit that most of their attention is devoted to the band). Juanchi Manchi works at the family business. Becoming ‘professional’ musicians was never part of the plan. No big dreams of becoming famous musicians – some pathetic rock star drinking whiskey all day, being a jerk for the sake of persona, a fake icon (“If that´s rock and roll, I don´t want that”). They liked music, always preferring to spend their weekends at shows rather than boliches. They surround themselves with likeminded friends but when they disagree about art “they start endless debates that can be very constructive” they tell us, of course, laughing. And that’s really how the band began. Humbly. After spending their early youth with friends casually playing instruments but mostly fooling around, they decided to mess around with a real band.

And so Los Reyes del Falsete began. Nica and Juanchi wanted to resuscitate an old band and approached the young Tifa (who didn´t play at the time) to be the drummer. Nica, imitating Tifa with a silly tone “I don´t want to make music, I like to listen to music!” Nica’s imitation is a total act of love, an incredible friendship that has been growing since childhood – carpooling to school in the morning, year after year of birthday parties, “I have pictures from when I was really little at his [Juanchi] birthday that my mom sent me to and I really didn’t want to be there.”

They share a great sense of humor, something they consider of great value to their friendship and the band itself. They even got rid of the fourth member of the band, a bassist, because he couldn’t understand a joke. The joke that led to the band’s name. Los Reyes de Falsete, in English The Falsetto Kings, falsetto being a trick you do with your voice to achieve a high pitch. This is the best moment to mention the boys complete admiration for The Beach Boys.

It all caters to this philosophy of not wanting to be taken too seriously. They scoff when people refer to their first four albums, which to them, aren’t albums at all. La Fiesta de la Forma is the first and only album. The first four productions, El Último Nectae, Disco Duro, Las Ciclovacaciones and Uno de Flores, “it´s just goofing around with friends in the summertime at the beach, recording whatever came out, even in a song there´s a neighbor asking to turn down the volume” Tify tells as – as his brother addresses to him several times. And that’s exactly what they sound like - wild, unpolished, fun – completely different from the album, a deceptively simple piece of musical magic.

It´s playful, the rhythms of the guitars and drum blend smoothly with one another, creating beats that are easy to dance along to and lyrics that are quickly memorized. It´s the lyrics, when listened to closely, that are the heart of the album. They are natural, authentic to the boys themselves – energetic little poems about the way they see the world, the way they view music, laced with a tangible lightheartedness.

Take the song “La Fiesta de la Forma” as an example, a meditation on time and change, that it is a constant force, always in the process of evolution. In a party the form and the deform meet one another, the hair falls out, the face changes shape, and something new is created, like a phoenix rising from the ashes a new form is birthed. The lyrics are tightly written and thoughtful, and then, unexpectedly, there is an eruption of applause, and further along a group of strangers let out a loud Indian call. It´s simple and exciting, and in a nutshell, that is Los Reyes del Falsete.

But live it´s not that simple. To see Los Reyes live is a thunderous reminder that rock and roll can be a beautiful experience. Something magical that unites people, for the simple sake of dancing, of singing along to the music with your friends, of losing form for a few hours.

Our first real encounter with the Reyes was about a month ago at Plasma, a little indie hideaway in Barracas. Plasma is a tiny bar in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of San Telmo and just a few blocks away from Constitución, pass by the door and you´d never know that it is the breeding ground for a growing indie underground. A playground for the cities inclined to all things alternative. The place never really fills up, a show ‘starts’ at 11, and the (small) crowd doesn’t start arriving until around 2. We arrived, punctually, expecting the normally barren room and found the street lined with smoking twenty somethings, the interior filled with skinny jeans and high-tops. The place was packed, and everyone had come (some from as far as Adrogué) to see Los Reyes.

The show started out quietly with Javi Punga´s signature playfulness, and began a slow sizzle with a raucous performance by La ola que quería ser chau. And then, Los Reyes. In an instant, it became a party. Balloons floating all over the place being volleyed from one end of the room to the other. Everyone singing along with the lyrics. Girls screaming the boys names. The boys joking jovially with the crowd in-between songs. In the end, all the musicians came on stage and sung the last song “La Fiesta de los que se enamoran de nada” (the party for people who fall in love with nothing) that was also the name of the party that night. It was an astonishing experience, and was ended the way every rock show should be, friends, high on music, ears ringing, sharing the nights final beer and a burger at a hot dog stand.

take away show #108. homeboys from zzk records (King Coya,...

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:19:00 -0400

take away show #108.

homeboys from zzk records (King Coya, Tremor, Chancha vía Circuito & Fauna) playing in a typical porteño home in the Coghlan neighborhood.

this is just a taste of the new movement of ´digital cumbía´ thats taking over the city and the musical geniuses i work with.

Between Love and a Hard Place

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:54:00 -0400

Between Love and a Hard Place:

first published article in Buenos Aires for the website where I serve as assistant editor. for the film “plan b” by marco berger.

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros - home . . giant ensemble...

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 22:14:00 -0400

edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros - home

giant ensemble bands almost immediately make me cream myself. something about classical horns mixed in with modern folk rock, everyone jamming out in the background whether it be with a tamborine or a trombone, just gets me all bothered. so here comes this wonderfully insane band, edward sharpe and the magnetic zeros, with their debut album up from below, with this sly mixture of fleet foxes folk and the arcade fire-style ensemble band. check em out.

taken in the santa barbara mountains, using film, at noon in the...

Fri, 28 May 2010 20:00:11 -0400

taken in the santa barbara mountains, using film, at noon in the beginning of summer, not a bit of shade to be found, i quickly destroyed a solid roll of film with too much exposure to the sun. and for good reason, i never threw them away. what remains of the roll has finally found it’s purpose.

kudos to mr alex wakeman

take away show #109. onda vaga playing in parque centenario. by...

Thu, 27 May 2010 14:22:28 -0400

take away show #109.

onda vaga playing in parque centenario. by video artist vincent moon.

this should explain why i’ve seen these guys play three times.

funny games michael haneke / 1997 / austria . . “why...

Fri, 21 May 2010 14:30:00 -0400

funny games

michael haneke / 1997 / austria

“why don’t you just kill us already ?”

“you shouldn’t forget the importance of entertainment.”