Otra Cosa, the eagerly awaited fifth studio album by Julieta Venegas, is remarkably similar to her previous two, Sí (2003) and Limón y Sal (2006). The similarity is remarkable because both those albums were all-around excellent, loaded with Latin pop hits and first-rate album tracks. There wasn't a bad track on either album, and Otra Cosa is likewise rock-solid, starting off with three fantastic songs in a row, "Amores Platónicos," "Bien o Mal," and "Despedida." Moreover, all three albums are similar in style, produced by Cachorro López and comprised of upbeat pop songs with clever lyrics, rich melodies, and a range of instrumentation (guitar, piano, accordion, and beats, above all). Otra Cosa was eagerly awaited in part because of the four years since Limón y Sal. During that time, Venegas became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed Latin pop artists in the world.
After winning his second 'Contemporary Blues Album' Grammy for the acclaimed Please Don't Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito is back with his new album Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?. This album focuses on mental health, while providing commentary on the political and social state of America. Lead track I'm So Happy I Cry features fellow Tiny Desk winner, Tank, from Tank and The Bangas. Additional focus tracks Chocolate Samurai, Searching for Captain Save a Hoe (featuring E-40) and How Long? see him exploring hip-hop, R&B, and rock in a way like never before, providing a glimpse into the full versatility of Fantastic Negrito as an artist.
Grandfather Courage contains 11 songs in total and brings a new perspective to White Jesus Black Problems, which was based on the true story of his seventh-generation white Scottish grandmother, an indentured servant who lived in 1750s colonial Virginia in a common law marriage with his seventh-generation Black enslaved grandfather.
The duo Scarlet Fantastic were formed in Birmingham, West Midlands, England in 1985 when the briefly successful Swan’s Way collapsed. After a single album the trio lost Robert Shaw, which left vocalist Maggie DeMond and instrumentalist Rick Jones to continue as Scarlet Fantastic. Dressed in garish costumes befitting the New Romantic era, Scarlet Fantastic achieved two hit singles, ‘No Memory’ (number 24, October 1987) and ‘Plug Me In (To The Central Love Line)’ (number 67, January 1988). They also recorded a sole, non-charting album which Jones remembers as ‘disjointed’. They broke up 1988.
Fantastic Negrito’s upcoming album and short film White Jesus Black Problems was inspired by a search into his ancestry where he found that his 7th generation grandmother was a Scottish indentured servant who entered into a common law marriage with an African American enslaved man, his 7th generation grandfather, in open defiance of the racist laws of 1750’s colonial Virginia. Their love story is a healing testament to standing up against inhumane and brutal systems with love as your only weapon. Their perseverance is a lesson in today’s polarized society on the virtues of constant struggle in the face of ignorance, fear, and violence, which is still present in the contemporary embodiments of white supremacy, bigotry, and hatred. It's important to tell the story of how those who suffered much greater indignities and violence than we do in contemporary times were nonetheless able to preserve their humanity through human connection and the determination to love. If they can do it in 1759, we can do it 2022.
This DVD captured for posterity the Kansas concert to celebrate the band's 35th anniversary, and what a celebration it was! I really envy the few fortunate people who attended this show live, but at least the rest of us can be thankful that we can share the experience thanks to this excellent DVD…