The National - 10/12/2019 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

This is the Nottingham story. This is when I decided I wanted to share my adventures with anyone who’s willing to give them a read. I am happy and grateful to talk about this one because it showed once again the power that music has to dissolve all separation in front of us.

It all began in September of 2019, as I was deciding on the first gigs that I would go to as my new London life began. I came upon The National’s announcement for their UK tour leg backing up their newest album I Am Easy To Find (2019). At this point, I’d seen them twice: December 2017 at the Civic Opera House in Chicago and in April 2019 at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. Twice had I flown to another country to see my favorite band. Twice I had been blown away. I smiled and thought, A third one does not seem far away. I noticed that the band did not plan on playing a London show during this leg. A few cities that I had never heard of were on the list, and then I noticed Brighton! Leo studies in Brighton, I’ll go to the gig and crash on his floor, a very simple plan. It started to look like I wasn’t going to need to travel an excruciating long distance to see the native clevenlanders. I didn’t buy my tickets then, it seemed too early to purchase them. I did not have the money yet plus, there were plenty tickets left and only a couple of dates were sold out. I knew I was going to be able to go. Brighton is not a big town, not a lot of people will go, I stupidly thought.

Months passed, winter term at Goldsmiths happened, and the last week of November was upon us all. This meant two things: Winter break and The National. To my surprise, all tickets for Brighton were sold out. Sadness started to crawl inside me, I was so excited to belt “Oblivions” alongside Matt Beringer, the Dessner twins and the Devendorf siblings. But it seemed like this was not going to happen, not in the next few days at least. “I have to see them,” I whispered under a big sigh. “Think of something, dude,” I told myself a few times. Then it came to me, travel a little further. I had done it before, why not cross city lines one more time to get to a gig? My research began, what city is the closest to London and has tickets for The National on the second week of December? The contenders were Leeds and Nottingham; Leeds I’d heard of, given that a friend is from there. Nottingham was a mystery, but it was quicker to get there. It was decided then, Nottingham it is! Planning for this gig was simple, but as I bought my train tickets I realized I had to get to a class on Wednesday after the Tuesday night gig. I can get from London to Nottingham, vise versa, in an hour and a half. So I’ll make it to my class. The only problem was that the last train to London left at 11:15 PM and there was no way I was making it if I wanted to stay for the whole show. The only solution to this was taking the first train scheduled at 5:00 AM on Wednesday morning. Which gave me sufficient time to get to my last radio class at 9:00 AM.

Weirdly, the week before the show transport decided to be my enemy. A flight I had a weekend prior to it was cancelled, a few Underground rides went longer than expected, and the train on my way to Nottingham broke-down. I found myself stranded in the middle of yet another unknown place: Leicester. As I stood in the cold-rainy platform I called my mom to let her know what was going on (for obvious purposes this conversation has been roughly translated from Spanish). 

-“Hey! I’m stranded in Leicester. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the show, the train stopped working and it is not going to let any other trains through.”

-“What?! No way, I can’t believe it!” She said sadly.

-“Yup, I’m going to ask around to see if I can figure something out. Maybe I can take a bus to Nottingham.” I scratched my head a bit and let out a big sigh.

-“Okay, please let me know! You’ll make it, I know you will.” With a soft tone she calmed me down.

-“Will do, ¡te quiero mucho!” I quickly replied.

-“¡Yo también!”

I hung up and started walking towards a lady wearing a bright yellow vest. She was telling some other people that the train we were on was not going to move in a while. She had no idea what we could do, or how we could get to where we were going. Google Maps said I could take a bus that was leaving in ten minutes, but walking to the stop was going to take me fifteen. I thought about running, but noticed that another train bound to Nottingham was going to arrive in twenty minutes on a different platform. I asked a staff worker if that was real, and as he smiled he said “I believe so, it is supposed to get here soon!” Once more, everything was going to be alright. I wasn’t going to be in the front row anymore, nevertheless, I was going to be inside the Motorpoint Arena. 

As I chewed on a Reese’s peanut butter chocolate and caramel crunchy-bar, the train arrived. “This is it!” I thought. One trouble less for the rest of the ride. I forgot to mention this earlier, but I had an important theory essay due on Thursday morning. Because my radio class goes on until late in the afternoon I was not going to have much time to write after it if I wanted to sleep. I decided to get working on it on my way to this midland city; I had a good flow going on in the first train, but the mechanical failure threw me off. I decided to wait until after the show to worry about this. Very simple decision because I was going to have to wait for around six hours for the train back home. 

Fast forward a little, I’m inside the arena a few feet from the stage (I was standing in the sixth row). Chatter filled the room as I stood wearing a black hat, some rain-wet jeans and a blue Miller Lite t-shirt as I held on to a poster and my backpack. Unknown faces all around me were excitedly talking about their expectations for the show. I was ready and could not wait any longer; I felt happy I had to travel once more to see my favorite band.

The lights dimmed and a bright pink dressed Jenny Lewis came into the stage to deliver a mellow and solid performance. The guitar solos were rich, her voice was soothing and hypnotizing, the percussion simple and crisp. Smoke and dust danced around to a purple background as I rhythmically moved my head side to side. What a nice warmup, I thought as Lewis and her band walked off stage. Now, the longest part of the night came: the half hour were the roadies set up everything to perfection. A few scattered shouts (mined included) echoed in the arena as a guitar chord was struck to make sure it was on tune. Lights dimmed once more, I smiled. I could not stop smiling. The band began playing “Rylan”, one of the new tracks. A loud snare drum performed by a flawless Bryan Devendorf backed Matt’s baritone voice as it was being whispered into the microphone: “Rylan you should try and get some sun / You remind me of everyone.” The melancholic lyrics that have been crafted to adorn the experimental rock sound don’t seem so sad anymore. A warm nostalgia filled up the room. Once again, I’m sure that any trouble is worth this. Suddenly, I froze as Matt pointed at me asking if I had been at the Nottingham gig a couple of years ago. I was not able to speak, I didn’t know how to tell him it wasn’t me. “Come on, raise your hand! It is you,” he chuckled as “Day I Die” started playing. I couldn’t believe I had half an interaction with the person who’s written the songs that have soundtracked my life for the past four years. I thought it was funny how he confused me given the fact that I had only been in the country for three months. The show continued and the first song I ever heard by them began: “Fake Empire”. A rich piano played by Aaron Dessner sounded at the top of the first words, “stay out super late tonight / picking apples, making pie”, and a few seconds later the snare once again covering the noise of a faint guitar riff being played by Bryce Dessner. As Scott Devendor jammed through the baseline the signature trumpets started vibrating through the monitors. Absolute chaos and then silence. A roar of claps came in a few seconds after. “Woooo! Yes, yes yes!” I yelled. “Thank you,” Matt whispered as the rest of the band made hand signals. It was time for the fake exit before the encore. The night ended with an unplugged version of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” on a white-lighted stage. After tears were shed, yelling performed and lyrics recited, I proudly messed up the choir to the last song in the exact moment when everyone went quiet. I laughed along with a few other strangers. No better way to end a night. 

The hours before my train arrived were mostly spent in a loud McDonald’s filled with drunk students as I wrote my essay. In the attempt of finding a quieter place to write at two in the morning I decided to venture out into the windy streets. I decided to walk towards the train station, but after a few minutes of going in the wrong direction my phone died. I was officially lost. I tried finding my way back to McDonald’s without success until I found a local guy walking quickly with his headphones on. I asked him where the train station was and he pointed to the left. I walked for a little bit more and made it. Yes, I made it to a cold empty building with no tables and no power outlets. Off I went again looking for my oasis; luckily, Christmas was near and a huge adorned tree sat in the middle of Nottingham’s central square. Just like the wise men, pirates and many others before me, I used the star to find my way back to another McDonald’s. I sat there writing, reading and charging my phone as people looked at me weird from time to time. An hour before my train departed I got kicked out because I didn't purchase anything. I politely made my way back to the station, took the train back home, showered, crushed my radio class and finished the essay. 

Would I do this again? Yes, without question. Music has been the fuel to many successful adventures for me and many others. According to the UK’s Live Music Census conducted in 2017, about 10.9 million people traveled inside the union for music-ing purposes and a total 809,000 people came from overseas for the same reason. In times when we are constantly reminded by bigger powers that division is our best bet, music comes in and proves them wrong again, again, and again. This gig taught me that no matter who you are, there will always be a home for people that want togetherness. For people that want barriers to be abolished. Music has sparked rebellions for centuries and it will not stop. Let’s sing, dance and yell! Share a song, go to a concert, travel to a new town and listen to a local band. Anew, let's utilize music as our ally as we tear every single wall down. 

Donald Glover presents 03.15.20

It’s Saturday night bordering on Sunday morning, and the universe has been crazy for the last couple of weeks. The pandemic has given my mom enough reasons to make me take a last minute plane from London to Mexico City and another to Guadalajara. That has been one of the most nerve-racking and stressful trips I’ve ever taken part off. Nevertheless, it’s good to be back home. 

I’ve been playing Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order on Xbox for the past two days. I’m a huge Star Wars fan and these type of games are like playing through a movie which is amazing. For the past hour, I’ve been trying to defeat a couple of Nightbrothers (habitants of planet Dathomir) without success. I’m getting angrier; every time I respawn I start to care less about the game. Eventually giving up, I decided to check on the countdown that appeared earlier on “donaldgloverpresents.com”. There are thirty more minutes left and I’m very tired. I should just go to sleep and check out whatever comes out tomorrow morning, I thought, but things never go to plan. Instead of going to bed, I kept playing until the numbers on the white page read “00.00.00”. I refreshed the page, and there it was: a video with a play button on top of it. 

The cover image was an open notebook with a handwritten letter from Donald Glover. It takes my tired brain a moment to zoom into it, and when I manage to do so I find myself reading about various dreams Glover has had in the past. Odd retellings to his brother about the time he asked Prince if he could see his father and one where he knew where the safe haven in an apocalyptic world was but couldn’t remember it. There was also the tale of a fight he prepared for even though he knew he would lose. He talks about shame, fear and realization. 

Underneath the video there was a light-yellow button that reads, appropriately, Music. I clicked on it and I was sent into a page asking which streaming app I would like to open. After clicking on the Spotify icon the first song of a white covered album titled 03.15.20 started playing. I start analyzing the track list and notice that, with the exception of “Algorhythm” and “Time”, the titles signify the time in which the song starts playing. I’m laying down on the couch looking at the television which is still asking me if I want to respawn while I’m listening to a high pitched voice repeating the phrase “we are” three times every twenty seconds or so followed by an echo and various ambient sounds played by a synthesizer. The auspicious song feels like a film introduction. Every now-and-then a few piano notes are heard in the distant background. The phrase is heard nine more times in the same sets of three, but with less seconds in between each other. The last echoing syllables start to fade out and there is silence. 

“Time” finishes with an autotune-reverby choir singing the words “running out of time” accompanied by a piano playing a delicate melody and a heavy 808 drum filling the empty space. The voices disappear and for a few seconds it's only the piano, then a recording of chirping crickets in the night starts playing which catches the attention of my dog, Chai. The night sound is then interrupted by an electronic noise reminiscent of a spaceship using its teleportation beam, but that could just be the Star Wars talking. Somehow, I remember that I can play music off the Xbox which has a great sound system. I was a little concerned I would wake my mom up, but I didn’t really care and the groovy bass from “12.38” started vibrating in the living room. I closed my eyes for the duration of this song, I wanted to take it all in (and in all honesty I took a two minute power nap). Gambino narrates the story of taking mushrooms in California with his love-interest. The song takes elements from Awaken, My Love! song “Baby Boy” and expands them into a more danceable tune. As the song reaches its climax, 21 Savage’s guest verse gives the song a rich resolution followed by a transition that immediately got me off the couch. Chai seemed a little confused as I clumsily danced around the empty space. My brother came out of his room a couple of songs later, he was talking to some girl on FaceTime as I pointed to the television screen. 

“He released it?” He asked. 

“Yup, it just came out.” I responded with a grin. 

“Damn, he’s got me dancing in my room! It’s good, man.” He said impressed. 

I know it is, I thought as he walked back to his room. 

Glover has achieved an incredible artistic maturity with this album. He has managed to explore and utilize the best elements from his past projects to create a sound that is completely his own. There is no definite genre, the album beats like a heart, going up and down as it swiftly changes tone from one track to the other. As it comes close to a conclusion there is a short intervention from his son, Legend, in “47.48” which filled my eyes with tears - the playful conversation between father and son made me look back at some old memories. After Legend lists the people he loves (including himself),

He asks Glover, “Do you love yourself?”

“I do love myself.” He responds kindly.

“Does mommy love herself?”

“Absolutely,” once again, kindly. 

The conversation ends with Legend asking the question one more time making it feel like he is directing it to the listener. I smiled as I responded in my mind. Of course, I do love myself… 

Finally there's the uplifting “53.49”, which left me satisfied as it abruptly dies at three minutes and fifty five seconds. It was around two in the morning when I said goodnight all around the house. Suddenly, I thought of how the letter mentioned a couple of sessions Glover had with an Oracle. In his second appointment,

The Oracle asked, “How long do you think people wait?” 

“As long as they need to?” He responded.

“They’re not going to wait forever,” concluded the Oracle.

I popped in the shower as I clicked play one more time. Perfect timing, Mr. Glover… Perfect timing. 

The Slow Rush Listening Party - 11/02/2020 - DreamBags JaguarShoes, London

I was ready to go see Parasite today, I’ve been waiting to see the film for a while now. Just thinking about getting to know what the movie is all about excites me, but as I’m picking up a package from my building’s reception that thought changes. I’m suddenly reminded that today is February eleventh, not yesterday. If today is February eleventh, then that means that Tame Impala’s new album is going to be played at the DreamBags JaguarShoes bar in Hackney. Parasite is immediately thrown out the window; I can see that during the weekend, I think. I quickly asked Chloé (I met her in my Media and Communications course, and we've been hanging out a lot recently) if she minded not watching the movie tonight. “Why?”, she asked. “We’re listening to The Slow Rush tonight, that’s why”. 

There were still a few hours before the event, and I wasn’t sure if I had the place right. I saw the ad for it at around one in the morning in bed while I was trying to get myself to sleep. As I cooked some carrot soup and a great chicken recipe, I had just learned from my flat mate Tyler, my mind raced and thought if what I had seen was real or just some crazy hallucination. The soup calmed me down; delicious. I called the bar up, and the guy that answered had no idea what I was talking about. According to Chloé the way I talk, an interesting mixture between a Chicago and Mexican accent, makes it seem as if I’m prank calling the bar. Disappointed by the response I started to do some research. Reddit proved that the event was real, but the venue was nowhere to be found. Then, Twitter came into play. I was right, the event was real. I rushed to my room, brushed my teeth and showered in cologne. As I snacked on some easy-peelers I looked at Chloé sitting at the kitchen table, “We’ve got to go!”. 

Doors open at six, we’re walking out of my place at five. Are we gonna make it? We’re gonna make it, is my constant thought. I’m confident we will, it’ll happen. After a ride on bus 436 and some stops on the Northern line we arrive at the door. “The line seems okay, it’s manageable,” I sigh after walking around the corner, “No, it’s not.” Half a block of Tame Impala fans are eagerly waiting in the cold. It was very, very cold. Out of nowhere conversation sparks with a guy from North Carolina, Carter, who’s apparently in London for an undefined amount of time on vacation. We talk about our hopes and speculations. To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes. “It Might Be Time” was okay, not memorable. I didn't really bother listening to “Posthumous Forgiveness” and “Lost In Yesterday” after that first single. The album seemed unimportant, and I was standing in line because I wanted to experience a listening party. 

An hour goes by and a security guard says that the venue has reached capacity. People start to step out of the line with dissatisfaction, but we decide to stay for a bit more. It’ll happen, I still thought. Thirty more minutes we’re at the door. The security guard checks my ID and, given the fact that it is in Spanish, I quickly point at my date of birth on the top left corner. “Yes, I see it… Go ahead,” he said as I rushed in to warm myself up and find the bathroom. 

I’m downstairs, a group of rowdy people in between the ages of eighteen and thirty are jumping up-and-down following the rhythm of a phat baseline (yes, with a ph). I am very confused, I have no idea what song it is, the name of it, or if it’s the beginning or end of the album. As I’m washing my hands a stranger looks at me, “What do you think?” He said. “I have no idea, just walked in,” I responded. “What’s the name of this song?” He thought about it for a bit and responded, “Lost In Yesterday,” with hesitation. As he walked out, he said it was the danciest project to date. That’s incredible, I thought. I want to dance, I want to dance badly. Walking upstairs I notice a lot of people know the lyrics to this track (later I would realize that it was the latest single released on January 8th).

Chloé bought some drinks (spiced rum coke for her, I had a beer), and we decided to stand near a monitor on a corner. We began to wonder if the album would be played again from the beginning, we still had no clue what song it was; middle, beginning, end? It was all a mystery. I closed my eyes and Kevin Parker’s soft acute voice started to carry me away, but my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud noise. A fight had just begun. A drunken buffoon was being carried out the backdoor as he tried to swing against a group of big-tall guys. I laughed, “How is it possible they are fighting while this is playing?”. Chloé didn’t comprehend why I wasn’t as shocked as she was by the fight. She wanted to know more about it, the whole story (why it happened? who they were? if anyone was injured?) I didn’t care, my head kept moving from one side to the other, the music had taken me prisoner, and nothing was going to set me free of its beautiful claws. The fight looked like a scene out of a movie thanks to the reverby soundtrack we had accompanying us. Other than that, the top floor was very calm compared to what I had seen downstairs. “Chloé, let’s go downstairs!”, she was still pretty shook by the fight and didn’t really want to go down. “C’mon, let’s go!”. She agreed the second time and down we went.

“It Might Be Time” was playing as we arrived at the smelly basement. The energy in the room shined a new light on a song I had tagged as forgettable. It all felt very excitable, a group of unknown faces brought together by the same reason. We were all friends down there, it didn’t matter who you were. The heavily electronic interlude, “Glimmer”, came after that. I doubted for a bit given the fact that it had none of the key indicators that it was Parker behind the creation of this tune, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was different.

I wanted something different. I love an artist who is able to evolve inside their own style. Two minutes later the moment of truth arrived: “One More Hour”. A simple piano ballad begins, it’s just Parker and the keys. Mellow, honest and bright. My eyes are closed, but after a few seconds I open them to find Chloé in awe. As she chuckles, “I wish I recorded that, you should have seen your face.” That says it all, in a matter of seconds my serious “listening” face turned into a big smile. A smile I could not stop showing. The bass comes in. As heavy vibrations flow through my body, I realize that that is just a simple warmup for the song’s climax. In the midst of a strong guitar riff filled with phaser the percussion goes into an intricate-methodically-placed series of drum rolls; music → drum roll → music → drum roll → repeat. It feels gritty, but it is so very clean. After a fade out (which in my opinion shouldn’t be there) the album finishes. That was the first moment of the night I knew what part of the album we were listening to. “Now that’s an ending,” I yelled. Adrenaline flowed throughout my veins. Scattered claps and shouts thanked an absent Kevin Parker for the album. “Are they going to play it again?” Chloé asked. “I hope so!” I responded quickly. 

After a couple of songs from various artists the sound was cut, there was silence. The Slow Rush began one more time.

I danced, I laughed, I sang. The hopelessness that filled me in the cold line outside the venue was gone. I wanted to listen to it again, and again, and again. “It’s like Currents’s hyperactive and happy younger brother,” I said. Chloé couldn’t believe my words: “I think I like it better than Currents”. As we walked towards the nearest restaurant (it did not matter what kind of food it was, we were starving). We remembered, and discussed every beat, riff, break and chord we had just listened to. “That was good,” she said. “That was good,” I smiled.

I started writing this on my way back home, I even missed my stop thinking about the album. Kevin Parker has done it again, guys. He’s got a very special Valentine’s Day present for all of us. He’s done it again…  

Milky Chance - 05/02/2020 - O2 Brixton Academy, London

I always forget about rush hour and get annoyed at the amount of people waiting in line to board a train. But today I did not care. I was eating a delicious chicken and avocado sandwich on my way to a gig. It does not get better than that. The ride was tight and quick. Changed at Stockwell and in under five minutes I was out and about walking on Brixton Hill’s sidewalk. I was on my own, if it's a gig in London you’ll most likely find me on my own - I’ve only been living here for five months, and still haven’t found a gigging buddy that will say yes no matter the event - with a big Cheshire Cat smile going from ear to ear. Bright lights and a sign that read: ''Milky Chance - Feb 5th -  SOLD OUT '' gave away the venue. A security guard directed me towards the box office. I waited eagerly to receive my ticket. Another security guard ripped the stub off the little piece of carton and, after a quick check, I was inside. I headed upstairs to try and find a good seat.

The wait for the band to begin their set felt very long because of the two, in my opinion, boring opening acts. First there was Casey Lowry, he was accompanied by a small ensemble conformed by a bassist, guitarist and a drummer. Lowry was chirpy and overly excited. At first I sympathized with him because it was his first time playing at the legendary London venue, but after three simple teenage pop songs I tuned out. 

It was over and I got excited again, Milky Chance’s turn!, I thought. But I was wrong, as the stage was cleared and a couple of synthesizers and mics were placed center stage I realized someone else was going to play before the German band. It was producer and songwriter Edelbrook who played through a quick set filled with pre-set samples and pre-recorded tracks and harmonies. His music did not bother me at all, I actually thought it was pretty good, but the fact that he decided to play them live exactly the way they sound on the recordings was a bit disappointing. I was tired from work and school, and so far this show did not seem worth another sleepless night. 

I started to reminisce about the time I first saw Milky Chance. It was winter 2018 in Guadalajara, the band had released their second album the year before and they were visiting Mexico for the first time. The show happened at the C3 Stage, a small venue in the skirts of Avenida Chapultepec (one of my favorite streets in the city). The venue fits roughly one thousand people and it was sold out. It was such an amazing night and that is why I was sitting at the Brixton venue. I went with some of my best friends to that show and the nostalgia forced me to purchase the ticket.

My daydream was suddenly stopped by the dimming of lights and the screaming of 4,900 fans. The band came on stage, everyone positioned on their spot; guitars on, mics checked, everything was ready for them. The set began with three new songs (“Fallen”, “Right From Here”, and “Fado”). Given that I had listened to the album once a few nights ago at around 2:00 AM, I did not recognize them. Clemens Rehbein stopped for a bit after “Fado” to say hello, he seemed a little nervous as he said, “I can’t believe you are all here!”. He was in awe to see a sold out venue, and then the balcony lights were turned on. Rehbein took a step back, he was definitely impressed. It was a lot of people, a lot. I smiled as I saw his face filled with fear turn into one filled with relief, he stepped up to the mic again and announced that the next song would be an old one. The first chords of “Blossom” started, which I recognized immediately, and another unforgettable night was inaugurated. After that came “Cocoon” and “Down by the River” which I sang louder and harder each time another chorus came around. My body was begging my mind to stand up and dance, but I wasn’t allowed to. The only thing left to do was stomp my feet to the rhythm of the drums and move my arms in a ChairExercise manner. It was ridiculous, but I needed to move. There was so much energy in the room. Everyone was syntonized into the same vibration, singing the same lyrics and dancing the same melodies. I can compare this show to a two hour long hug, and not just any hug. You know when you hug someone and you can tell they want to hug you? That’s how it felt, as cheesy as it sounds. I was happy again.

The band left everything on stage, they turned uncomplicated songs into anthems and were able to evoke a wide spectrum of emotions. They had me feeling euphoric during “Ego” and filled my eyes with tears during “Loveland” as Antonio Greger played a cathartic harmonica solo. It all came to an end with “Sweet Sun”. Guitars filled with distortion, drummer (Sebastian Schimdt) on his feet, Philip Dausch’s bass rich and round, and Rehbein’s baritone voice delivering yell-like notes combined into a perfect finale. As they danced, jumped, and laid in the ground Angus Young style, I stood up and clapped. I had to stand up, I needed to stand up. Woah, woah, woah, my brain went on repeat. I walked out into the cold streets and made my way to the bus stop, I responded to Pepe’s (my best friend) message with a voice note describing how I was feeling. My voice sounded like I had smoked a whole pack of cigarettes in a couple of hours. All the yelling had killed my vocal cords. The bus arrived, I sat on the top floor (as always), and looked out the window. Suddenly, calm filled my body. A feeling of bliss arrived for a couple of seconds. “Woah,” I whispered to myself. 

Mexico: An Introduction

There are roughly eight thousand nine hundred and thirty-two kilometers between Mexico City and London. England has a population of fifty-five million and Mexico has one hundred and twenty-nine million. The former’s official language is English the latter’s Spanish. The list of differences between these two nations can go on and on and on, but that is not the point. There is one very interesting similarity between these two countries: music. 

According to Spotify, the number one city in the world that listens to The Beatles is Mexico City. Guess who listens to The Rolling Stones the most? Mexico City. Radiohead? Mexico City. You can add Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Cure to that list as well. All of these bands were born in England, and a single city filled with millions of people speaking Spanish (people that love music in a language that is hard for them to understand) is consuming their music daily. 

I’ve been in London for a month now, and every-time I meet someone new I usually ask what their music taste is like. If the conversation goes well, I’ll get asked the same question back. I have not found anyone yet that knows the Mexican bands I have mentioned during those conversations. That is why I decided to take on the job of writing up a little introduction on some of the upcoming talents that sing songs in my language hoping that maybe one day it won’t matter to England if they can’t understand a few words.

Porter

Created in 2004 in Guadalajara, the band started to gain attention because of their European oriented sound. Their first single, “Espiral” showcased Juan Son’s high pitched vocals and the experimental elements that later became a trademark inside their work. The mixture of modern and classic instruments made them stand out from other independent bands in Mexico. One of the most interesting ones was the use of four-string quartets and synthesizers in the same songs. 

Today, the ensemble is formed by David Velasco on vocals, Fernando de la Huerta on guitar, Victor Valverde on guitar and piano, and Diego Rangel on bass, synthesizer and electronic programming. Throughout the fifteen years that the band has excited there has been two replacements. A very important change happened in 2013 when the band issued a press release announcing that Juan Son would no longer be a part of the band. In 2017 another release came announcing the departure of drummer Juan Pablo Vázquez leaving the band with the four members mentioned above.

Porter has released four albums during their career: Donde los Ponys Pastan (2004), Atemahawke (2007), Moctezuma (2015), and Las Batallas (2019). There was a six year hiatus between their second and third album because of creative conflicts between Juan Son and the band. In Moctezuma fans were able to reconnect with the long lost band and listen to the new lead vocalist David Velasco. This album is recognized for being one that pays homage to ancient Mexican culture. The lyrics mix mayan myths with present realities. There is a very interesting mixture of electronic sounds and traditional instruments that were used in rituals by different ancient civilizations. 

Last year the band announced the release of a new album with the single “Bandera”. Las Batallas arrived in two parts (two EPs): Las Batallas del Tiempo (2018) and Las Batallas del Agua (2019). The new record has a heavier synth focus mixed with various layers of guitar riffs and different voice effects. The lyrics focus on more personal events that the members have lived together and separately. Stories of love, loss, friendship, and revolution are the basis of this album. Various music videos have also been released for the songs inside Las Batallas giving the album a complementary visual element that hadn’t really been exploited by the band. 

Key Tunes:

“Espiral” - Donde los Ponys Pastan

“Host of a Ghost” - Atemahawke

“Palapa” - Moctezuma

“Huitzil” - Moctezuma

“Himno Eterno” - Las Batallas

“Cuando Lloro” - Las Batallas

Little Jesus

Early in 2010, Santiago Casillas was living in Boston studying his university career. During that time he felt the need to start a band so he started playing music with two Columbian musicians he met in school. After graduating in 2012, he moved back to Mexico City where he contacted his childhood friends asking them if they wanted to play some music. Casillas was successful and his new band was formed by Truco Sánchez (drums), Fernando Bueno (guitar), Arturo Vázquez-Vela (keys), and Carlos Medina (bass). 

Casillas taught the members songs he had written during his time in Boston. Soon they were playing in different parties around the city. A friend of them, Lalo Rojas, soon became their manager and played the three songs they had recorded on his online radio show. They were distinguished for being energetic, positive, and always playing for the fun of it and not the fame. 

Their first album, Norte (2013), took six months to record inside a home studio and was released independently on Christmas. The record was received with great critical acclaim and soon the band was playing various shows throughout the country and internationally. A show in SXSW opened the doors for more shows in the US, and also in Asia and Europe. Norte was re-released in Japan as a deluxe edition (with four extra tracks and two Japanese renditions).

After touring, the band decided to worry about their quality instead of trying to release content constantly. Their sound is an interesting mixture of hooky indie pop and 90s rock en español. They constantly use high pitched guitar riffs and fast paced drum patterns reminiscent to tropical music. Vocally the band utilices a Beatle-like harmony for the choruses, the whole band takes part in it as well. 

In 2017 they released their second album, Río Salvaje, branded as a collection of ten A-side singles. Their lyrics continued to be day-to-day tales of life as a human being that are always accompanied by melodies that make the listeners want to dance. Their latest album, Disco de Oro, arrived in 2019. The album has taken them to various festivals in the US and Mexico, and it has had a big radio exposure thanks to singles “Fuera de Lugar” featuring Girl Ultra and “Los Años Maravillosos”. 

Key Tunes:

“Azul” - Norte

“Cruel” - Norte

“La Magia” - Río Salvaje

“Nuevo México” - Río Salvaje

“Fuera de Lugar” - Disco de Oro

“Volver al Futuro” - Disco de Oro

Siddhartha

Jorge Siddhartha Gonzalez known in the music industry as Siddhartha started his career early as a kid in Guadalajara. His parents introduced him to music at a young age by giving him various instruments as gifts. He decided to focus on drums and that is how he got his first exposure to the professional world. He was the drum technician for Azul Violeta, and he later played drums with the band after their drummer suffered an accident that did not allow him to play for a while. 

A friend of him introduced him to Zoé’s bassist because the band was looking for a drummer. He immediately flew to Mexico City to play in some rehearsals with the band. He got the job and went on tour with them to promote their EP The Room in 2005. He stayed with them until the release of their third album, Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea, in 2006 to focus on writing, composing and producing his first record: Why You? (2008). The album was well received and it showcased a folk/country sound with a heavy use of acoustic guitars and soft percussion. The album also has a little bit of indie pop with modern effects utilized in guitar solos and various riffs throughout the album. 

Thanks to that project his solo career kicked off. So far he has four studio albums and one live album that includes songs from all his repertoire played in various shows while touring with his fourth album Únicos (2016). This year will see the release of his fifth record: Memoria Futuro. Siddhartha decided to divide this album into two volumes, each one with five songs. The first volume arrived on May and the second will in the next few months. The singer-songwriter has described this as his best work yet, and as one that is very personal. Each song represents a chapter in his life. Every chapter is accompanied by a music video that helps shape Siddhartha’s tale. 

Key Tunes:

“Colecciono Planetas” - Why You?

“Náufrago” - Náufrago

“Al Aire” - El Vuelo del Pez

“El Deshielo” - El Vuelo del Pez

“Ser Parte” - Únicos

“Únicos” - Únicos

There you have it! Eighteen songs to get you started on what is going on musically in Mexico. Of course these three are not the only artists creating interesting stuff, but I wanted to start off with a little bit. Listen to the songs, take them in, try and figure out what they mean, or just listen to the melodies. Happy music-ing!