Part Dos of Neon Desert 2012

The neon desert festival is upon us for sure. Last week we stressed and yelled and screamed and then enjoyed beautiful Saturday victories. This Saturday we take a look at what El Paso has to offer on the festival circuit. We’ve talked about the schedule and about the bands playing and about details, details, details; but nonetheless, it’s a festival in our hometown. Naturally, I hope I speak for everyone when I recognize that, they should make every effort to continue to grow and improve. There is potential in spades here and well fortunately, this year they do feature a solid amount of acts to enjoy.

With terrific A-Trak added the latest, half the schedule released in a ‘phase’ method, the anticipation grew and dissipated by the time it was all settled – and somewhere in between the dreams of At The Drive In being added. Why they couldn’t…well enough of the second-guessing because at this point you’re either spending $20 on sun block and a six pack to drink before the festivities (actually no, scratch the beer maybe[not]) or honestly, missing out on the second year fest. Probably the former.

With Le Butcherettes we get a Mexican band (no love for the team but yes, go Chivas sox) that plays stunningly terrific rock music. Their affinity for strong, strident sounds is impressive and they’re fresh of playing at Coachella. Something tells me they will kill it in complete agreement here; why they gotta pair them at the exact same time as Class Actress sucks majorly. The latter is a dance-pop style of music that really hones in on sweet pop sensibilities. And yes Butcherettes are like Yeah Yeah Yeahs meets hard synths. They’re opposites you say? Maybe they’re just as good.

Yacht doesn’t have to worry about much of that; after showing all their love for Marfa they finally get to play El Paso. I haven’t been to the former in about five years so I would love to see how much it’s changed and if it hasn’t, I’m really stunned why bands prefer there than here. Is it really that feel-good, or that hip? After solidifying as a duo Yacht found new highs and their last two albums are strong. It just makes sense, too, it’s summer almost, it’s a song. Here’s the big hit.

Summer Song (sorry low on time, gotta go, will add other missing videos tonight!) [EDIT:here]

We also get a major treat with La Vida Bohème and their brand of alternative rock. The Venezuelan band hits strong with their mixture of instruments against the backdrop of their chugging guitars and rhythms. Their name first sounded familiar after the feature of their song “Buen Salvaje” on my fifa game, here is that song. And they will look to really kill it tomorrow.

And finally, we also get some really great Spanish rock in the form of Babasónicos, an Argentine band with tremendous melodies.  If you know me you know I dig Cafe Tacuba like no other and while the comparison is ridiculously unfair (for who? For both/either) the sónicos carry a soft touch that is equal parts of drifting rock and ornate pop. They sound like a tremendous mix of soulful rock/pop that shimmers lightly. Enough lame adjectives, here’s "Pijamas" and well, see you all tomorrow.

Go Blues (love you Drogba) Go…forever. – Bryan--edit 137a

Neon Desert 2012

A little over a year ago a small upstart by the name of Splendid Sun Productions realized their vision to bring a homegrown music festival to El Paso. With ties to Austin Texas, like so many Chuco towners, they set out to create a festival that could bring International talent and create a unique El Paso festival for the region to enjoy. The resulting effort has blossomed into the second installment of The Neon Desert Music Festival. Interestingly enough a separate production company made their big freshman outing 2011 as well, but that's for another post. A year has passed since the inaugural Neon Desert Fest, and round two is upon us. Downtown El Paso will be in riot in less than 3 days, on Saturday May 26th. Los pinche largartos de San Jacinto will be dancing their asses off with two stages of indie flavored beats cornered in by historic El Paso buildings, the Cortez and Mills at each side. Not to mention a non stop dance music stage at their base playing from sun up to way passed sun down. With those major alterations in place it looks to be an interesting change the second time around. You can still expect the usual suspects like local food trucks for nourishment, live art and favorites of the talented Chuco indie music scene.

The template for who the orginizers brought this year seems to be similar to last year. A solid dose of Spanish indie and regional acts, along with some big international names that should really shine in the sun city, all sprinkled with local Chuco flavor.

There is no LoveFoxx of CSS fame in the line-up this year but there are plenty acts I look forward to seeing. Here is my short list. If Diplo and Los Tigres del Norte had a love child it would be this guy! From Mexico City check Mexian Institute of Sound's interesting blend of traditional folk sounds with more modern dance music sensibilities . With an amazing female vocalist and the 50's rock vibe, I don't wanna miss Le Bucherettes of Guadalajara.Go CHIVAS socks. Their bassist is some guy named Omar Rodriguez-Lopez by the way. ​​ Toy Selectah describes his music eloquently as Raverton. Enough said. As for 2 bigger named acts I'm looking forward to seeing there's Ghostland Observatory and A-Trak. The electro rock duo from Austin better bring their crazy lazer show! I saw the other half of DuckSauce, Mr Arman Van Heldon about a year ago and was very impressed. A-Trak has really exploded in 2012 and should be a fun closer. ​ As Neon Desert 2012 quickly approaches it seems the success of only the second installment crucial for its long term success and growth as a legitamate music fest.I can only hope for it to be bigger and better and for it to be so for years to come.Get your sun screen kids and drink a water between those $8 beers, it should be good! -Nick

Block Party Again

I was going to post about something else but damn, this block party post was awesome. I decided I would post some photos I took (click on each one to see them in full size) with some short snippets too, nice job Nick!

I wasn’t able to get there as early as Nick did but what I did catch was incredible. The creators of this mini-festival have opened a door that leads into an entirely different world. The culture that is available, here in El Paso, is pretty remarkable and as Rafa from A Human Recording once shared, we need to embrace our diversity more often. I only caught the ending two songs of their set but it was probably one of the most intense performances of the day because 1) They were hitting on all cylinders and 2) The heat was fiery scorching.
What can I say, the entire mini-festival was an entirely surreal experience. You see so many of the bands you love just walking around supporting each other and even when they play at the same time (couldn’t we have had The Royalty play for a good 45 minutes and then The DA play for a solid 45 after them so we could see both?) it’s an entirely jubilant musical experience. El Paso is slowly growing into a town where differences, diversity and dissention is being welcomed, to challenge the old standbys. It’s beautiful and hopefully, we can sustain it.

After the aforementioned A Human Recording, we gathered back to our tent to set up some comfortable chairs and share watermelon. In the meantime, we got to see many of the locals gathering; they shared food, conversed and laughed and whether it was art, statues, or rugs, people were able to sell their crafts, at honest prices. Ribo’ Flavin is getting more and more attention with their ability at displaying awesome musicality with even better energy. Their saxes are top-notch and the rhythm section truly gels with smooth precision as they pack in even more sounds with two percussionists. But their funk, their soul and taste of R&B is what sets them apart, check them out.
After them we quickly made our way to the other stage – which was conveniently on the other side of the street, away from distracting the main stage – and stepped up to see Bullet Proof Tigers. The electronic duo’s performance was one of high anticipation as they hadn’t performed in El Paso in over two months. Nonetheless, their show was electric and it was the perfect mood and style change as the sun nestled behind the mountains and disappeared.

Lastly, we stepped out to get front row spots for the amazing show put on by The DA. I know they probably don’t need any more love and attention from me but they are most definitely the best band in El Paso and they are only getting better. The most important facet about their music is that they are continuously getting better; even the music from their first and only EP to date has significantly improved. They put on a stellar show and it was a terrific send off to an extraordinary night of festivities. – Bryan

.B L O C K P A R T Y .

Every so often Chuco outdoes itself. And for the past 3 years the first weekend of June has been the date for an amazing event that should make any el pasoan proud. The Sunset Heights Block Party has been supplying an amazing venue for Chuco to do exactly that, outdo itself, and make residents smile. And in bigger fashion each year mind you. Basically a mini music festival thrown together by the community, this ain’t your daddy’s block party. With 2 stages highlighting the diverse and in my opinion highly talented local music scene, the block party had no shortage of music. Not to mention djs spinning between sets, local vendors selling everything from jewelry to art as well as exhibitions by local dance troupes ranging from Brazilian Capoera, to modern belly/fire dancing. This year eco minded organizers also planned a group bike ride from different locations to the Sunset Heights neighborhood. The heat this year was almost too unbearable, but with a hearty supply of cold brew and a spontaneous water balloon fights to get ya face wet, it made waiting for the sunset in Sunset Heights slightly more bearable. And with that sunset, came cooler temps and hotter music. The night ended with 2 of Chuco’s best indie acts. The DA on one stage and The Royalty on the other. It’s a shame the crowd, of I’m guessing a few thousand, didn’t get a chance to see both of these great bands. Either way the day gave much opportunity to see and hear some really amazing stuff. What makes this event so great in my eyes is that there is no frill, you can tell this is an even put on by the people for the people. When I mentioned stages earlier, the reality is bands performed on the sidewalks. But that’s the beautiful thing about it, sidewalks for stages or not, these bands performed in front of hundreds of people who braved 100 degree plus heat to party with them! And let me tell you, did they! This isn't the El Paso's version of ACL, actually there are major efforts to put on a large scale music festival here in Chuco, more on that interesting development soon. But the Sunset Heights Block Party is its own amazing thing in its own right. A small community event made for music lovers. What I hope can happen is that this stirs the tide for more people to put on more events like this and more importantly for the willingness of Chuco residents to support events like this. The cool thing is it is already happening. The Root Yoga Studio and its owners put on an amazing event over in Downtown a few weeks ago. It was a multi-level party showcasing another half of El Paso's dope music scene. Over the next few posts I wanna highlight some of the acts who played the Block Party and this other event, aptly entitle Funky See Funky Do. In the meantime, enjoy some of the sites of the party. Sounds coming soon.