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Estereomance

Estereomance

Photo: Marco Corral

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Record Store Recs: Estereomance record-store-recs-estereomance-are-all-their-feels-vinyl-el-paso-los-angeles-mexico

Record Store Recs: Estereomance Are All In Their Feels With Vinyl From El Paso, Los Angeles & Mexico City

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From Quincy Jones to Madvillain (a.k.a. MF Doom and Madlib) to Gustavo Cerati, the Latinx dream pop trio share some of their favorite records
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 6, 2021 - 2:32 pm

With the unprecedented global disruption of COVID-19, it's important to support the music community however we can. With Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there, so you can find some new favorite artists and shops.

El Paso-based trio Estereomance—consisting of Manuel Calderon, Adria Del Valle and Paulina Rezain—make dreamy, ethereal tunes as expansive as their multicultural border town identities and influences. They released their desert sunset-tinged self-titled debut album in June 2020 on beloved Latinx indie label Cosmica Records.

The "Seen City" artists take us on a trip to the music shops closest to their hearts, including one right next to their studio in El Paso! They also take us deep into the emotions of some of their favorite vinyl records. Read on to crate dig with the Texas band.

Pick three to five records stores you love.

Amoeba Hollywood in Los Angeles.

La Roma Records in Mexico City.

Atomic Wax in El Paso, Texas.

The Last Record Store Recs: Sergio Acosta Of Zoé Shares Vinyl Gems From Austin & London

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Why do you love these shops? And what kind of goodies you've found there?

When we're in Los Angeles, we love going to Amoeba Records—it's a must for us. Here in El Paso, we like going to Atomic Wax. The owner Raul has a great selection. When we are in Mexico City, we head to La Roma Records where you can also find our vinyl.

These three record stores are important locations for us. Amoeba in L.A. always gives us that big city treat; You can literally stay there for hours, finding new music every minute. We love that they have in-store shows that a lot of great artists perform at—that always inspires us and makes us daydream of playing there one day. We are mostly working when we are in L.A., but we made it a tradition to make time in our schedule to go and find records there; it feels like a souvenir from each trip. The last time we were there, Adria got Quincy Jones' Sounds…And Stuff Like That!! (1978, A&M Records), Manu got Madvillain's Madvillainy (2004, Stones Throw Records) and Paulina got Aretha Franklin's Aretha Now (1968, Atlantic Records).

Atomic Wax is located right next to our studio in El Paso. We like visiting before or after our studio sessions. It's a cozy but very vast record store, and we love that [Raul] has quite a Spanish oldies collection—artists like José José, Los Angeles Negros, Los Terricolas, Pasteles Verdes, and more.

La Roma Records in Mexico City is a really cool record store in a neighborhood called La Roma ([the place] Alfonso Cuarón grew up and filmed his Oscar-winning movie Roma). You can find goodies like Plastilina Mosh's Aqua Mosh (1998, EMI México), Gustavo Cerati's Bocanada (1999, BMG Argentina) and Los Fabulosos Cadillacs' El Ritmo Mundial (1988, Discos CBS).

More Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond

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Paulina Rezain with 'McCartney'

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two you bought there and what you love about the record/artist.

Paulina: Paul McCartney's McCartney (1970, Apple Records). This album is very special to me. It fills me with motivation knowing that Paul recorded the album in his house. It makes me think that the only things you need to fulfill a dream are motivation and faith. This is McCartney's debut solo album and, since I'm obviously a Beatles fan, I knew I had to listen to it. I instantly connected with it. [There are] collaborations with his wife Linda [McCartney on the album]—she complements him beautifully.

"Every Night" always puts me in a good mood; it's the perfect song to start my day or to play sometimes when I'm melancholic. "Maybe I'm Amazed" stole my heart; it makes me cry every time I listen to it. I will dedicate it to the future love of my life. I feel this album is full of feelings, it has a lot of colors and dynamics; You can hear McCartney experiment and take certain risks on his debut album.

Adria: Blonde Redhead's Penny Sparkle (2010, 4AD). Manu introduced me to this album and it instantly blew me away. My favorite track is "Penny Sparkle"—the guitar arpeggios are full of deep feelings. The music is warm and enveloping. I feel the entire track can soundtrack a slow-motion romantic scene in a movie. Kazu Makino's voice is so dreamy; it takes me to another dimension.

I keep discovering my voice and creativity as an artist, and this album opened my mind to perspectives in music. It is definitely an inspiration. The beats are hypnotic, odd and experimental, and [hold] a deep message. It's like jumping into a deep pool and delicately swimming in it.

Manuel: Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse and David Lynch's Dark Night of The Soul (2010, Parlophone/Warner). I bought this record as a CD when it was released. Then I bought the vinyl at Amoeba. I remember listening to this album nonstop when it dropped. I'm a huge fan of all three artists involved, especially Sparklehorse. A friend of mine played Sparklehorse for me on a jukebox in a biker bar on the eastside of El Paso (that for some reason we ended up at), and I instantly fell in love with [frontman] Mark Linkous' sounds.

I bought all of his collection that same week. Unfortunately, that was the week he [died by] suicide. That really broke my heart. About a year later, Dark Night of The Soul dropped. It was beautiful to hear The Flaming Lips, Jason Lytle and Suzanne Vega interpret Mark Linkous' songs that Danger Mouse produced. My favorite track is "Revenge" [featuring The Flaming Lips]. I remember visiting my parents in Juárez, Mexico and listening to that track over and over before I crashed on the couch. The vinyl also has a superb visual presentation done by David Lynch.

Manuel Calderon with 'Dark Night of The Soul' & Adria Del Valle with 'Penny Sparkle'

Manuel Calderon with 'Dark Night of The Soul' & Adria Del Valle with 'Penny Sparkle'

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What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

The Flaming Lips' American Head (2020, Warner Records). We really like "Flowers of Neptune 6," which we heard for the first time on Danger Mouse's Jukebox playlist that we constantly listen to, especially during the road trips we took this summer. We were actually [featured] on that playlist too, which made it extra special.

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More of Estereomance's vinyl collection

How would you describe your record collection in a few words?

To us, our vinyl collection is a collection of souvenirs/moments. It's perfect because when you listen to the record it can somehow take you to the place where you bought it and remember what you were doing that moment. It's a very romantic activity that most people don't experience anymore. It's very special to put on vinyl and listen to it, especially with friends and people you love.

In your opinion, what can music fans do to better support BIPOC artists and business owners? 

Look up and research Black music and how it has influenced almost every genre that exists today. Be on the lookout for emergent Black artists and support them by buying their merchandise and sharing their music with friends and on social media. Researching Black-owned businesses in your hometown is also a great way to support locally. For our friends in El Paso, we want to recommend a Black-owned vegan Southern-style restaurant we really like: The Queen's Table—it's delicious!

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Quarantine Diaries: Sean Garrett Is In The Studio, Talking Story Behind Usher's Hit "Yeah!" & Hitting The Gym

Zoé

Zoé

Photo: Courtesy of artist

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Record Store Recs: Sergio Acosta Of Zoé record-store-recs-sergio-acosta-zo%C3%A9-shares-vinyl-gems-austin-london

Record Store Recs: Sergio Acosta Of Zoé Shares Vinyl Gems From Austin & London

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Their most recent album, 2018's 'Aztlán,' earned the rock en Español heavyweights their first GRAMMY win, and the follow-up is on the way
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Oct 22, 2020 - 10:59 am

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

Listening to Zoé feels like exploring a new city with an old friend—colorful, comforting, atmospheric, upbeat and filled with enchanting stories. The GRAMMY- and Latin GRAMMY-winning Mexican alt-rock band has been captivating listeners with their soundtrack-worthy songs for over two decades now, with loyal fans around the world.

Their most recent album, 2018's Aztlán, earned the rock en Español heavyweights their first GRAMMY win. The name comes from the mythical birthplace of the Mexica people of the Aztec Empire, as a symbol of Mexican heritage and pride.

Now, Zoé is back with more immersive new music, with their seventh studio album on the way (the title and date have yet to be revealed). So far, they've released three new singles in 2020, the most recent being the spacey, synthy "Karmadame."

Read: Mexican Rock Band Zoé Want To Be Heard All Over The World

For the latest Record Store Recs, Zoé's guitarist Sergio Acosta shares his favorite vinyl haunts around the world and some of his favorite finds. He also shares the first records he ever got! Read on to adventure with him.

Pick three to five records stores you love.

Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas

Rough Trade in London

Amoeba Hollywood in Los Angeles

Flea markets around the world

The Last Record Store Recs: Darius & Wayne Snow Take Us To Paris, Berlin, Tokyo & Beyond

Why do you love these shops? And what kind of goodies you've found there?

Nowadays, record shops are a fragile entity. Waterloo Records in Austin, Texas, no doubt is my favorite shop. It's the perfect shop for me because it has a tight, wide and masterfully curated selection in a fairly small space. Curatorship is great at Waterloo. I can almost always find what I have in mind at Waterloo.

Amoeba Hollywood, on the contrary, was almost as big as a Walmart, but packed with great music of all sorts of genres. Very well organized, and vast. High ceilings. Last I heard, it is moving out of its iconic temple that was a unique, massive place for music lovers for many, many years. I'm happy to know that it's changing to a smaller location as the next step.

And who can argue with Rough Trade Records in London? It is as fancy as London can be. They are always proposing new music, and curatorship is also impeccable. It is still a very special place. 

Flea markets around the world have proven to be providers of very sporadic and very special surprises for me.

Sergio Acosta's vinyl pics

Acosta's vinyl pics | Photo: Sergio Acosta

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two (or three or four…) you bought there and what you love about the record/artist. 

I rarely remember where I bought my vinyl records. But, at Waterloo Records, I do remember finding the original music from the 1968 film Le Pacha, done by Serge Gainsbourg and Michel Colombier (released by We Want Sounds in 2018). That album blew my mind and I had never heard it before. 

Once in Rough Trade, I saw for the first time the Who is William Onyeabor? vinyl (released by David Byrne's Luaka Bop in 2013). I bought it for the cover in an African music discovery spree. It just blew my mind as few albums have.

Another Great Record Store Recs: El Guajiro Of Ghetto Kumbé Shares The Music & Rhythms That Inspire Him

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

I'm not at all waiting for new music, I'm just always aware and eager to discover any old or new music. But if I had to say which two very relatively new artists made a big impression on me and have become part of my family life in the past years, it would be:

Sam Evian, Premium (2016, Saddle Creek) and Bertrand Belin, Persona (2018, Wagram Music).

What were the first CDs and/or vinyls you remember purchasing when you were younger?

It's so funny, and I do remember! My two first vinyl records were gifts that I asked my parents for, Prince's Purple Rain and Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry.

Record Store Recs: Salt Cathedral Talk Favorite Brooklyn Indie Shops & How To Support Artists Of Color

Claudia Saenz, Chulita Vinyl Club founder

Claudia Saenz, Chulita Vinyl Club founder

Photo: Mariana Gonzalez

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Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club record-store-recs-chulita-vinyl-club-best-music-stores-la-oakland-austin-beyond

Record Store Recs: Chulita Vinyl Club On The Best Music Stores In L.A., Oakland, Austin & Beyond

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In the latest edition of our crate-digging interview series, two reinas from the all-vinyl Latinx DJ collective reveal their favorite vinyl haunts across California and Texas
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
May 18, 2020 - 11:46 am

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, the Recording Academy checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

Texas-born, San Jose, Calif.-based Claudia Saenz originally founded Chulita Vinyl Club to share her love of records—especially Tejano, ranchero, Motown and soul—in a fun, tangible way. The collective, a crew of female-identifying Latinx vinyl-spinning DJs, has grown to seven chapters across California and Texas, including the (Northern California) Bay Area Chapter, which Saenz, a.k.a. Chulita Tear Drop lives.

The fabulous record-spinning DJs of Chulita Vinyl Club have brought their joyful, soulful music to parties around the country, including Coachella 2018! Twice a month, they release all-vinyl mixes from the squad on their SoundCloud, the most recent (listen below) coming from la jefa Saenz herself.

We caught up with Saenz and one of her fellow Bay Area cohorts, Los Angeles-born, Oakland-based Mar Velez, a.k.a. DJ Marvelouz, for the latest edition of our Record Store Recs interview series. Read on to find out where they get all their great vinyl gems from, and learn about some of the indie labels, artists and new records they have their eyes on.

Read: Record Store Recs: Jean Pierre Takes Us To Chicago, Brooklyn, Frankfurt, Amsterdam & London

Please pick three to five record stores you love. (The links below have online shopping options.)

Saenz:

Breakaway Records in Austin, Texas

Janie's Record Shop in San Antonio, Texas

Needle to the Groove in San Jose, Calif.

Velez:

Amoeba Music in Hollywood, Calif. 

Record Jungle in East Los Angeles

VAMP in Oakland, Calif. 

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Mar Velez & her vinyl collection | Photo: courtesy of artist

What do you love about these shops? What kind of goodies have you've found there?

Saenz: I started devotedly collecting records while living in Austin, in about 2014. I was living on my own, working my first big "real" job, a post-grad trying to make ends meet. I had my own place for the first time ever, but I couldn't afford wi-fi and didn't want it either. Collecting records and surrounding myself with music became my new obsession. Breakaway Records, a cherished record shop in my neighborhood, became my second home.

They have records for sale on their website now to help their sales and keep the shop afloat during these times. They have a 45 grab bag that I would totally get if you were looking to start your collection or add to it. I would trust Gabe and Josh's hand-picked selection.

Another Vinyl Queen: Jayda G Is The Environmental Scientist & House Music DJ/Producer The Planet Needs Right Now

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If you're looking for a historic West Side San Antonio establishment for tejano, norteno or conjunto jams, Janie's Record Shop is the place to go. You walk in there and you're surrounded with tejano history in the form of records, tapes and CDs and, not to mention, say hi to the legendary owner Juanita Gonzales, aka Janie all while tejano jams are playing on the shop speakers. I have shopped there many times and felt giddy with joy with all the records they have in stock.

Needle to the Groove is one of my favorite records shops in the Bay Area. I got the Leonor Gonzalez Cantos De Mi Tierra Y De Mi Raza record there and it's been one of my favorite buys. The record shop has a wide selection of all carefully selected genres and the owners and clerks are super helpful with finding what you need. They've also got a great shop online with the same great collection.

GRAMMYs

Claudia Saenz selects a record | Photo: Arabela Espinoza

Velez: This might be an obvious favorite for a lot of music lovers, but I grew in South Central Los Angeles and every time I took the bus or got a ride from friends to get to Hollywood, a trip to Amoeba was an entire adventure for me. The hour and a half journey was worth it because what awaited me was rows and rows and rows of music to discover. Amoeba has just about any possible genre you could be looking for and of course your mainstream standards. 

One of my most treasured finds is the El Gusano record that I got at the Amoeba in Hollywood about ten years ago. The band is from San Antonio. I liked the name of the [1975] album, Fantasia del Barrio, and loved the story behind the album. The album was inspired by one of the member's deployments to Vietnam and him fantasizing about returning to Texas and his Chicano upbringing. At the time, I don't know where I could have found this album that opened me to a Chicano experience out in Texas. The album is a dreamy psychedelic treat.  

Record Jungle is a community treasure in the east part of Los Angeles. I love how quickly the records change in the store. I could dig there one weekend and literally the next weekend they have a whole new stock of albums. The owner is super dedicated to keeping records rotating in the store.

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VAMP is a groovy little store in Oakland run by Fernando and Misty. The store specializes in vintage clothing and vinyl from soul to reggae to rap. Fernando and Misty have both been collecting records for a long time. They themselves are DJs and spin at some of the local bars and music venues in Oakland and the Bay Area. I particularly love how they carry a great independent record label out of the Bay Area called Discos Mas.

Discos Mas is pushing out vinyl from some of the greatest names in today's Latinx music scene, including cumbia sonidera giants Los Daddys and local [San Jose] artists like Philthy Dronez and his quebradita, "Vamos a la Playa." The music and artists that Discos Mas is featuring and releasing really capture the nostalgic sounds of timeless Latinx music genres like cumbia, salsa, rancheras and put a contemporary twist that is a stamp by today's generations. It's an incredible label and VAMP is the place where you can get the latest. 

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For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record you bought there and what you love about the record/artist.

Saenz: At Janie's Record Shop, I got a 45 record of Los Aguilares on the Joey record label. The Aguilares are a legendary conjunto group from San Antonio. I also unabashedly got the record because one of the sides of the record was titled "Claudia." It is a really nice tune to dance to and I am so glad I picked it up.

Velez: I've picked up several Discos Mas records from VAMP recently [see photo below], including Los Daddys' "You Soy Cumbiambero," Philthy Dronez's "Baila Mi Vida" and Los Guapos Sensibles' "Cumbia del Amanacer."

Discos Mas

Discos Mas scores from VAMP | Photo: Mar Velez

What's an upcoming or recent release you have your eye on?

Saenz: Lido Pimienta's Miss Colombia was recently released and it was a bright sound that was even stimulating to hear during these quarantine times. Miss Colombia is a beautiful collection of songs of resisting and dealing with healing all through Lido Pimienta's angelic voice. I have of course already heard the album through streaming platforms, but I can't wait to get the record to add to my collection.

Velez: A release that I am looking forward to is one by a longstanding cumbia sonidera group out of Mexico City, Grupo Kual?, "Amor Regresa Ya." Musica sonidera originated out of cumbia Colombiana. Mexican sonideros made their own style of cumbia by slowing down the RPM when they played the vinyl records, many from Colombia. Over the years, the genre has expanded.

One of the most notable groups is Grupo Kual, that came from the lineage of one of the greatest architects of the sound, Alberto Pedraza. Nearly all of cumbia sonidera music is on CD. They're the kind that you buy in the flea markets or swap meets where there's like one hundred songs on a CD. However, thanks to labels like Discos Mas and a new label called Discos Rolas, whose releasing it, Grupo Kual is releasing their first-ever 7" album [via Discos Rolas]. 

What were the first CDs and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

Saenz: Early on, and full disclosure, CDs were shared amongst my siblings, but I remember having Selena's "Ven Conmigo" and the [GRAMMY-winning] Selena Live! album as my first CDs.

Velez: My first-ever CD I purchased was Britney Spears' …Baby One More Time. My dad took me to Best Buy to get it when I was like in fifth grade. Surprisingly enough, I still have it. And I recently bought it on vinyl as well! Beautiful clear vinyl for this amazing pop album. 

Selena Forever: Remembering The Latin Pop Icon 25 Years Later

Ghetto Kumbé

Ghetto Kumbé

Photo: Kata Garces

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Record Store Recs: El Guajiro Of Ghetto Kumbé record-store-recs-el-guajiro-ghetto-kumb%C3%A9-shares-music-rhythms-inspire-him

Record Store Recs: El Guajiro Of Ghetto Kumbé Shares The Music & Rhythms That Inspire Him

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With Ghetto Kumbé's self-titled debut full-length album, released in June, they're ready to bring their global sound and the messages of unity around the world
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 25, 2020 - 5:28 pm

With the unprecedented global disruption of 2020, it's important to support the music community however we can. With our series Record Store Recs, GRAMMY.com checks in with vinyl-loving artists to learn more about their favorite record stores and the gems they've found there.

To listen to Colombian trio Ghetto Kumbé's music is to go on a lively, joyful journey through time and space, where borders no longer exist and drums and dancing are aplenty. The group consists of singer/producer El Guajiro, percussionist Chongo and West African percussion master Doctor Keyta—all veteran musicians who grew up on Colombia's musically and culturally rich Caribbean coast.

Their music seamlessly fuses traditional sounds with modern electronic beats and aesthetics. For example, their use of call-and-response lyrics come from the rich African and Afro-Colombian tradition called gaita, and the hand drums and rapid rhythms they incorporate also come from Afro-Colombian traditions.

Read: Amid Black Lives Matter Conversations, Black Latinx Artists Urge Non-Black Latinx To Do Better

Based in the talent-filled musical melting pot of Bogotá, Ghetto Kumbé have been making their mark ever since they released their debut EP, Kumbé, in 2016. They've since opened for Radiohead, performed at Barranquilla's world-famous Carnival and gotten a Boiler Room under the belt in early 2020. Now, with their self-titled debut album, released in June, they're ready to bring their global sound and the messages of unity around the world.

For the latest Record Store Recs, Edgardo Garcés, a.k.a. El Guajiro, takes us on a musical aventure to his favorite record stores in Barcelona, Paris and beyond and offers a taste of the music that moves and inspires him.

The Last Record Store Recs: Willaris. K Finds The Experimental Beats In Melbourne

Pick three to five records stores you love.

Crocodisc in Paris

Superfly Records in Paris

La tienda de Jacobo a.k.a. Inter Discos Bogotá in Bogotá

Munster Récords in Madrid

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Garcés at Superfly Records in Paris | Photo: Courtesy of artist

For at least one of your favorite shops, share a recent record or two (or three or four…) you bought there and what you love about the record/artist. 

I really like African music, musica picotera, as we say in the Caribbean coast in Colombia. This music has influenced us since we were little. To be part of this culture in Colombia is amazing.

One of the first vinyls I bought was in a very small shop without a name in Barcelona—it just had a little sign with discos vinilos ["vinyl records"] written on it. Inside I met a vinyl collector, who had some great African records—gems. Among others, one of my favorites I found one from Nigerian bassist Oliver de Coque, an album is called Mbulubia Uwa (Destiny).

I also love salsa, which influences me as a singer—especially Hector Lavoe, Ángel Canales and Saulo Sánchez, the singer of the [Colombian] salsa band Pantera.

Once, at one of my favorite shops in Paris, Crocodisc, I found a vinyl from a salsa band called Doble R. It was the first time of my life I saw this name, so I was curious—it was a salsa group from Curaçao. Salsa from the Antilles [islands]—wow! I had to buy it. On the album, I heard one of the most impressive voices in salsa, Ompi Stefania, an amazing singer who has become another reference for me.

In this same shop, I found the Pantera album from 1979. This vinyl has a particular history and is very hard to find. They said that it was a pirated copy and actually, that's the version that every collector wants.

GRAMMYs

Garcés with vinyl selects | Photo: Courtesy of artist

What's an upcoming/recent release you have your eyes on picking up and why?

We just released our new album! It's called Ghetto Kumbé—it came out on July 31 on ZZK Records. We released a green edition vinyl that sold out in month and we will release a second edition, orange this time, very soon.

What I liked most about it were the creation and the recording processes. It's our first full-length album and we wanted to do something special. It's eleven sincere tracks, with a lot of messages that are important to us, that we wanted to pass to the listeners. And we're always trying to highlight and preserve our roots. We're very happy to show the album to the world!

Another Record Store Recs: Simón Mejía Of Bomba Estéreo Takes Us To Colombia

What were the first CD and first vinyl you remember purchasing when you were younger?

Actually, I remember my first cassette. I didn't have the money to buy CDs, so my plan was to go to some friends' houses to listen new music and record it on my cassettes. Sometimes I would even spend all day next to a radio to wait to hear my favorite songs and bands and record them on my cassettes.

One of the first cassettes I bought was one from the Colombian band 1280 Almas. I always was a big fan of the music and bands from Colombia. When people [including Juanes] were listening to Metallica and other foreign bands, I was really into Colombian [rock] bands like La Pestilencia, La Derecha and 1280 Almas—they were my favorite because of their Latin style that was pretty new at the time. Also, Aterciopelados and an infinite list of local bands that have the level to play at any festivals or with any other international band.

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In your opinion, what can music fans do to better support BIPOC artists and business owners? 

First of all, more than divide people because of ethnicity or color, we have to support everyone. In Colombia also, there is racism against indigenous people and Black people, but it is changing slowly. Mucisians have a big responsibility in the evolution. Traditional music bands and [fusion] projects like Ghetto Kumbé are sharing strong messages to people in every country and beyond to shift the mentality [of division and racism].

To support the artists' projects and independent artists, the fans needs to buy the music, physically and digitally. And when we are able to do concerts, we will need people to come and see us.

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Chicano Batman

Chicano Batman

Photo: George Mays

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Chicano Batman On 'Invisible People,' L.A. & More chicano-batman-talk-creating-visibility-invisible-people-representation-latinos-media

Chicano Batman Talk Creating Visibility For 'Invisible People,' Representation Of Latinos In Media & Repping Los Angeles

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The beloved L.A. psych/soul rock band dive deep into their powerful, danceable fourth studio album, 'Invisible People,' identity, racism and what the West Coast city means to them
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Sep 4, 2020 - 12:25 pm

There is real power in music that gets you dancing, feeling joy and thinking about critical human issues. That is exactly what Chicano Batman's music does—drawing you in with their groovy bass lines, warm and soulful vocals and all-around funky, sun-soaked instrumentation and aesthetic. With their fourth studio album, Invisible People, released May 1 on ATO Reords, they double-down on the funkiness and deliver their most powerful, rhythmic project yet.

Founded in 2008 in Los Angeles, the four-piece embodies the true beauty, creativity and diversity of the city they call home. Since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2010, the band has brought their infectious energy and vibrancy to countless shows and festivals through Southern California, the U.S. and abroad, with a (typically) active tour schedule.

Read: Quarantine Diaries: Le Butcherettes' Teri Gender Bender Is Watching "Little Fires Everywhere" & Reading Simone De Beauvoir

With their 2020 tour with Le Butcherettes put on hold until 2021, the group has stayed busy with virtual appearances on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," NPR's Tiny Desk, KEXP and more. They've also stayed engaged with their community despite quarantine, offering youth music workshop livestreams with the Young Musicians Foundation and a delicious fundraising taco at L.A.'s HomeState.

In conversation with GRAMMY.com, Bardo Martinez (lead vocals, keyboard and guitar), Carlos Arévalo (guitar), Gabriel Villa (drums) and Eduardo Arenas (bass) dive deep into the creative process and meaning behind their latest album. They get real about identity, racism and representation, and the marinization they have experienced as Latinos in the indie-rock space.

You guys dropped the fourth Chicano Batman album, Invisible People, just back in May. What was the creative process like on this album? How long were you guys working on it?

Villa: A few years?

Arévalo: [Laughs.] A few years. Yes. That's it.

Villa: A few years. Next question. [Everyone laughs.]

Arévalo: Maybe 14 months.

Villa: We had to go on tour, so, we had to stop a little bit. We had writing sessions, but we basically started in 2018.

Arenas: In 2018, we talked about different ideas we wanted to introduce to the new record, and we did a lot of demos. At the end we chose 12 songs. Everybody kicked in on this one and helped develop it, where in the past the Bardo wrote the majority of the songs. This time Carlos was kicking in stuff, Bardo was kicking in stuff. I would join up forces with them and throw in stuff. There were all these different combinations of things that happened that we had not explored in the past.

Martinez: Recording was a big part of it, us using our home studios to record stuff and vibe that way.

Villa: Carlos, talk a little bit about that moment where you came into rehearsal and you were like, "Guys, I know we have to do this album, but wait listen!" [Everyone laughs.]

Arévalo: I had my own little idea of what I thought the record should be in terms of a theme or a direction. That's something I would keep to myself on the past records and then just have my own personal goals for my instrumentation. But this time I shared it aloud to the group. That's choppy waters you can get into because you're asking a drummer to play drums a certain way or a singer to sing a certain way. Well, it's more recommending or showing examples of like, "Hey, could we try it this way this time and see how that goes?" That was a vulnerable place to be. But I've known these guys for so many years, it was time for me to be real with them and hope for the best.

They were receptive, everybody needed a little bit of time at first to just take it in. Once we started trying out these ideas, everybody else started bringing in other stuff they'd been wanting to try before, but maybe never thought this was the project to do that. So, I got the juices flowing creatively for everyone. It was cool.

Martinez: Yeah, this record was a lot of push and pull, as it's always been with our music. It's four dudes in a band, so everybody's pushing for whatever ideas they had in their head. I mean, Carlos was pretty straight forward. He was like, "Well, we should make something we could dance to, danceable music." It was a great idea. It brought us into the late '70s and '80s in terms of aesthetics, in terms of sound—it was new territory for me. It was a lot of fun. It's a dope realm that we eventually got to.

Villa: It was definitely fun to create. The whole process was just fun, fun, fun, and a lot of communication. We learned a lot. We're always inspired and happy to be working with the team so it really, really paid off. You can hear it in the music. If you compare the Chicano Batman discography, you really hear that this album is so different from the rest. It definitely has that element of dancing—for the first time we're doing a lot of 16-notes. [Mimics fast drum beat.]

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Carlos, that idea you came in with, was it "dancing" music or something else?

Arévalo: I had started a little DJ night as an excuse to play records that I was collecting on the road with being on tour—you hit up shops in Michigan and you find amazing 45s that are just so overpriced in L.A. or that you can't even find them. I was playing once a month at bars and exploring what music has that universal appeal to people, that makes them want to get up and move or sing along. It's a cool way to experience music when you have the sound system at your behest. I was controlling the PA and it's bumping, I could control the bass. I could see what was going on from the mixer. That inspired me.

There's so many 45s that I love. I would play stuff like Talking Heads' "Naive Melody," Tom Tom Club. I'd play Prince's "Erotic City," that '80s music that had amazing songwriting appeal, but simultaneously were hit records. I feel that doesn't go hand-in-hand all the time anymore. Now, you have writers that get together to make a song sound exactly like this other song so it can be a hit and make money. It's about capitalism and it's about getting that publishing. Back then, it was more so you can make an art piece that was also danceable. It was really appealing and inspirational to me.

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When did you finish the album? Since you were working on it on and off, was there a period of time where you huddled up and finished all of it?

Arévalo: Yeah, so we started writing the record, like they said, in January 2018. And then we demoed it when we could and we started amassing demos amongst all of us. We had little sessions in between touring and we finally started recording the album in February 2019 at Barefoot Recording, which used to be called Crystal Industries. It's where Stevie Wonder recorded one of his epic '70s trilogy albums, Songs in the Key of Life, those amazing records where he found his synthesizer voice. So many hit records were made there. Sly Stone worked out of there and George Clinton. So, we made Invisible People there for two weeks and then Bardo flew to New York for another two weeks to do vocals and some overdubs. Then we had to wait a year to put it out.

Martinez: Well, it got mixed and we put all the music together. Leon Michels produced it. He definitely put his hand in the sound of it. He's an amazing producer [he's also worked with Lee Fields, Aloe Blacc, The Carters and others] and has an amazing hip-hop sensibility. He knows how to make everything knock. He definitely added some amazing vibes, and then he passed it over to [five-time GRAMMY winner] Shawn Everett who mixed it. So, that was the whole next process of, "okay, well he got the music" and we were in the dark for a week or month or so.

Once we received it, I'm telling you, for me, the summer of 2019 was lit, 'cause it was just blazing, f****ing listening, bumping that in my car. I had just moved into this house that I live in now. It was amazing. Imagine, you move into a new house and you're playing a new record. I had my friends over and it was amazing. It was perfect.

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The title track, "Invisible People" is really powerful and very pertinent to this moment we're in right now—calling out racism. Can you speak to the message behind this song and how you feel that it informs the rest of the album?

Marinez: We came up with a thesis statement, which was the title itself. Carlos was like, "How about we write a song about how the marginalization of Latinos?" "Invisible People"—for example, not being noticed in the indie music world or being on tour and feeling marginalized just entering spaces like the liquor store in Tennessee. That was one piece of it.

I started tackling different pieces in different verses, and I only have three verses. I wanted to make sure that whatever I was saying was going to be very strong and very poignant, straight to the point. I didn't have time to cut corners, so I was going to be direct with it. I wanted it to be as strong as possible because the music was set up that like that. We went into the studio and that song was [originally] a little bit faster and Leon suggested we slow it down. The instrumentation is super sparse. The beat is heavy, the bass drops on the kick in the perfect place. The music is there for the vocal to just shoot out.

I approached every verse as a different thing. My first line is, "Invisible people, we're tired of living in the dark. Everyone is trying to tear us apart." So, it's obviously pointing at some type of marginalization. It's not necessarily specific. The second line—"smoke a spliff so I could feel now"— I don't even smoke spliffs by the way, I like joints, but it was a homage to maybe Bob Marley or something I knew a lot of people were going to relate to. Something edgy, something cool. The next verse is about race, "The truth is we're all the same. The concept of race was implanted in your brain." I definitely wanted to call that out, race as a construct pretty much.

Also, just to challenge all of that because as a band, as, we're Chicano Batman. We decided to use this name, which has its own meanings as a Chicano, as an identity. I don't know if that's problematic, but it's going to challenge norms within our own community, and also in the superstructure status quo. That's the more obvious knot.

Also, anybody could be invisible in society. It wasn't "Just Latinos are invisible or just people of color." The privilege that White people have in this country is not good for them. When they walk onto the street, into the supermarket, there's a lot of psychological weight to all that history, to alter that reality which is based upon history, decades and centuries of oppression, that White people really have to deal with as well. Everybody, regardless of who you are, if you're living in a city, if you're living in society, you're a part of it. You're complicit in it. You're subjugated by it. People don't necessarily talk about it like that on Instagram. People on Instagram are just pointing fingers at each other. So, that's really not the goal of it. The goal is to be like, "Yo, the truth is we're all in this together." It's not some "We Are The World" shit. It's also, "This record is fire, we're spinning the world around you. We got this record, we're ready to tour and do it big." It's all those things wrapped into one.

Arenas: Piggybacking off what Bardo said about Instagram, they're probably not saying that on Instagram because White cops are too busy killing Black people and shooting them in the back. That's a reality that White privilege has led to, it's not only capitalism, but genocide. That's also what we have to live with today. Not only with religion, but with the way communities are divided, with the way we think, with our mental health as a people, with our communities and the disinvestment in them and the lack of education and resources. This is all very implicit and designed to be this way, to lack people of color of the resources while the few good resources go to the top. That's the system that we've been living under here in the United States for a very, very, very long time.

I think for me, "Invisible People" has a very open open-ended meaning, it's a very big concept, and I think it can definitely be understood differently in 10 years, in 30 more years, et cetera. But right now, to me, it speaks so much about the murder of innocent people, invisible people, who are our family members, our voices, our activists. They're actors of change in our society, the heroes. So, to me, we need to put some extra highlight on that at this moment right now.

Arévalo: For me, the idea for the song was explicitly about people of color and the struggle we've endured. I don't know how many bands GRAMMY.com has interviewed where they get pulled over by border patrol in Florida for driving in a tour van, but that's our experience. I don't know how many indie rock bands have gone through that. Dealing with stuff like that was in my mind when bringing up the idea of the song, and the lack of representation we see of Latinos in the media, you don't see us with parts of substance in movies or TV shows. It's always cliched, and it makes me sick, because we're multi-dimensional. We are more than caricatures.

So, that was part of the idea. Also, just tongue-in-cheek like, "Do you see us now? Here we are, this is our record. Will you acknowledge us yet?" Because there has been a hump of, people keep saying, "Chicano Batman is breaking through with this record, this rising band." And every time we put out a record, we're always this new band that's coming out of nowhere. So, it's a critique on that and how the status quo in the media views us.

Watch: How Jhené Aiko's 'CHILOMBO' Shows Her Most Authentic Self & Is Helping Heal The World | Up Close & Personal

You've said "Color my life," which opens the album, is about experiencing nature versus being stuck in the city. Was there a specific experience, feeling or place that inspired this song?

Martinez: That's the first time somebody asked me where, what's the location. I appreciate the question. Honestly, it's Oakland. I lived in Oakland for a year and a half. That was the first thought, literally what I was thinking about when I was writing those verses. I had some lyrics that were taken out too. During the chorus, "You've got to color my life..." I had something about birds. Anyways, Oakland was definitely the place.

Do you feel now when you perform "Color my life" now, especially in a virtual setting like on the NPR's Tiny Desk, do you feel it has taken on new meaning?

Martinez: I'll be honest, it's hard for me to connect with the virtual stuff. It's difficult. I'm a little numbed by the whole virtual reality experience. But what's the new meaning? I just went to the forest recently, to Mammoth for four days with my family. I needed to do that. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've actually gone camping or anything that because of doing the music thing and touring. This pandemic has given me the opportunity to do some of that. I want to do it more often because it's the most freeing thing, just to be out in nature, it's fantastic.

"L.A. is what I carry with me all the time... It's what I try to represent in my music, at least respective to the instrument that I play and the swagger I input and the way I want people to move. We want them to feel that this is the way L.A. moves you, when we're in Germany, Brazil or France. It doesn't matter where, it's rooted in L.A. and L.A. is international because our roots are deep." -Eduardo Arenas

As a Los Angeles band, what does the city mean to all of you?

Arévalo: It's a forever home for me. My dad immigrated from El Salvador and lived in an apartment complex in Hollywood and went to Hollywood High, which I can't even imagine—what a dichotomy that must have been. My mom is third generation Mexican-American, so her family's been here since the '20s and they all have roots and stories that come from L.A. It's always been a big part of who I am and where I come from. I still have family that lives out there and also family that lives in L.A. It's an important part of my identity.

Villa: For me, L.A. feels like home. I come from very far away. I was born and raised in Colombia and I've traveled around the world. I had the opportunity and was so lucky to able to go to Europe and live there before coming to the United States. I lived over there for many years. Coming to L.A. straight from Toulouse, France was a big cultural shock for me, learning all these new set of laws and lifestyles. And there's a lot of things I probably will never understand, like the freeway, but L.A. is special, it has so much, it's a place for everyone. I feel it's a big blender and that's something that I like about this city. When I was in France and went to Paris and rode the Metro and saw all these different cultures together, I was like, "This is good. I want to live in a city this."

And I ended up living in L.A., and you have the same feeling just like riding on a Metro in Paris. It's like a dream and every day I'm learning something new. There's a lot going on here in terms of opportunities and work, especially music and media. It's crazy. I'm super glad and lucky to have found my brothers here. The band has embraced me as a Chicano, as a brother, and that's the world for me. Yes, I feel home.

Arenas: I'm born and raised in L.A., I'm from the generation of kids that used to walk to the market and get a gallon of milk and a pack of tortillas. That's how I grew up. I used to sell flowers in the street on Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. We used to sell fruit and vegetables that we'd get, extras from the produce market in downtown L.A. and resell them on the streets. L.A. is me.

I grew up with Hollywood movies and TV shows, all this '80s and '90s action stuff—the vanity that comes with that. And the vision of wanting to be something else that also comes with that. Like Carlos was saying, there's no representation of Latinos on TV, especially when you're growing up in the '80s and '90s, only dumbasses or a donkey mother****ers. Or some, "arriba, arriba" type shit, which we tossed around as culture when we were kids because we don't know better. But, in a lot of places in the country, they still perceive it like that.

L.A. is what I carry with me all the time, even when I lived in Brazil and Panama. It's what I try to represent in my music, at least respective to the instrument that I play and the swagger I input and the way I want people to move. We want them to feel that this is the way L.A. moves you, when we're in Germany, Brazil or France. It doesn't matter where, it's rooted in L.A. and L.A. is international because our roots are deep. Our roots go way back, they're not just bounded to the streets and these grids and these traffic lights, they go down really deep to communities in Mexico, at least for me. I think that's what I can offer.

Martinez: I grew up in La Mirada, Calif., it's a suburb [in L.A. County]. My dad came to Santa Ana, Calif. with his grandma in the late '60s. My mom came to Orange County in the early '80s from Cartagena, Colombia. They established the family. I was the first one to come out and there's only two of us. We moved to La Mirada and lived in some apartments over there for a while, and then they bought a house. Parks and beaches were part of my family's recreational activities. I look at L.A. as a massive region as a county, not just a city.

And to be honest, I'm infatuated by its natural beauty, these hills, the mountains, the wildlife, the ocean. I think of things like, "Wow, I can see the sunset over the oceans horizon because I'm facing directly west" in Redondo Beach. And conversely, the sun sets over the mountains when I'm in Long Beach because I'm facing south. After so many years I can visualize the panorama from various points in relation to the map. Although I navigate L.A.s streets and highways, I'd rather be on a bike, traveling at the speed of my own will, heading in whatever direction without so much regard to traffic or signals. I guess I try to feel the region I live in, as opposed to think of it in the confines of the names and boundaries, that actually don't exist.

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What key things do you think are necessary for L.A. to become a place where all of its residents are celebrated and able to thrive?

Martinez: I think it's necessary for people to open their minds, drop the judgement. I feel like traveling definitely helped me see and feel things differently.

"For me, I'd say that following your heart can work!... I'm still marching to the beat of my own drum, because that's what I know how to do, and that's what makes whatever I do unique." -Bardo Martinez

It's been a decade since the band's debut—what have you learned about yourself as artists and as humans since then?

Martinez: For me, I'd say that following your heart can work! I've pursued music for aesthetic reasons, never really thinking about the markers of success, not to say those aren't necessary.

And I'm still marching to the beat of my own drum, because that's what I know how to do, and that's what makes whatever I do unique.

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