The News Review:
- Concert review: Poncho Sanchez Latin Dance Band
- Cat Power – SSM – Prosumer and Murat Tepeli – Rhonda Vincent – Blind…
- The vibe we want is sexy sporty zincy ‘ and a little bit edgy
- Cuban countdown
Concert review: Poncho Sanchez Latin Dance Band
Roanoke Times – Jan 20, 2008
?But he gave plenty of room to his other players because what?s Latin music if the congas aren?t providing dancers with motivation to move?Not that there was much dancing. As large as the audience was and as readily as listeners applauded songs and solos they still had to be coaxed to turn it into a party and that didn?t happen until the encore. Late in the show percussionist Joey DeLeon kidded with the crowd during a break between songs. You?re really nice drinkers? he said. You?re really tame… You?re really tame. ?Maybe audience members were saving it up for the Latin Dance Party that followed at Jefferson Center?s Fitzpatrick Hall with Richmond band Bio Ritmo. Or maybe they were more into listening. If so there was plenty to hear. DeLeon had a great solo on a piece of hand percussion best described as a big jug in a beaded dress.
Cat Power – SSM – Prosumer and Murat Tepeli – Rhonda Vincent – Blind…
New York Times – Jan 20, 2008
SSM also toys with electro progressive rock and punk-funk. What the songs share is a cantankerous rock spirit and behind it musings on life and death from “Let’s Make a Baby” to thoughts like “Before long you’re gone so prolong the inevitable” — which is tucked into a song called “Start Dancing. -producer team Prosumer (Achim Brandenburg) and Murat Tepeli. The tracks are often little more than a ticking brittle beat a nearly subliminal bass line and perhaps a chord or two — house music utterly deflated — behind the restrained vocals of Prosumer and a female singer Elif Biçer. The album gradually moves toward commonplace functional club tracks with titles like “Makes Me Wanna Dance”; after all Prosumer is a resident D… But the songs in its opening sequence like “I Go Mad” and “Turn Around” are so subdued and bereft that they swathe the entire album in melancholy. Rhonda VincentGet her riled or break her heart and Rhonda Vincent sings with a sting. She is a major star in bluegrass because she’s no purist. Her band is unplugged and she plays some mandolin herself yet Ms. Vincent’s music straddles bluegrass and other country styles; she’s got some honky-tonk turns in her voice. While her new album “Good Thing Going” (Rounder) is named after a stable love song it starts with “I’m Leavin’” a bitter goodbye set to an Appalachian-sounding tune and “World’s Biggest Fool” an easy-swinging bit of breakup remorse.
The vibe we want is sexy sporty zincy ‘ and a little bit edgy
The Age – Jan 20, 2008
We’ll call it A YearWithout Gear! Thanks to Alexis for that one — lady take abow. Lunch break: Just don’t feel these 40 minutes areutilised to the max. Reckon there’s some good vibes for a bit ofrepresentative dance from some youngsters to help get the kids onboard. Am auditioning year 8B from Upper Crust High on Tuesday withtheir version of the Bodyline story told entirely through mime withcoloured scarves. Rock please alert security just in case.
Cuban countdown
sunstar.com.ph – Jan 20, 2008
It is believed that black-eyed peas with rice and collard will usher in good luck and fortune to the family. And speaking of fortune while we don polka dotted garments new underwear or red Chiongsams for good luck green is the color of the Cubanos’ celebration. It is the color of dinero need I say more? Conga-ing tirelessly until the break of dawn these dance-loving creatures love celebrating this night in pubs and ballrooms. So does the Dabawenyos. Minus the Cuban cigars- smoking ban remember?- and the Cuban garb- how I wish men wore the classic Guayabera shirts and the women splashed the ballroom with color and showed some legs- the new year countdown celebration at the Marco Polo was just as fun and spectacular as the Cuban’s. You can’t have it all but the at least the important factors where there- the band was superb and their music was great. It made dancing quite infectious.