The CragBaby

Lately I have been thoroughly enjoying seeking out new music artist.  I have previously highlighted Nouvelle Vague and my friend Warren Acuncius, but have yet another great find of Bostich & Fussible.  All three of these artists are of drastically different genres but are, in my opinion, equally enjoyable.

Bostich & Fussible’s  album Tijuana Sound Machine, released in 2008, is a fusion of electronica and the sounds of Northern Mexico.  Bostich, his given name being Ramon Amezcua, has been releasing work since 1988 and is usually recognized due to his affiliation with The Nortec Collection, a collection of works from electronica producers.  In the late 90’s he joined with Pepe Mogt to work on the Nortec Collection, but also released their individual works under the name Bostich & Fussible and The Tijuana Sound Machine.

The album is consistently good.  I have posted my three favorite tracks for your reader’s listening enjoyment.

“Unknown Title”

I stumbled upon this first track thanks to a friend.  Unfortunately the track is not from the Tijuana Sound Machine album I own (as Amezcua and Mogt initially released a Tijuana Sound Machine 1, Tijuana Sound Machine 2, then a compilation). This track is not on the compilation so I do not know the track name.

“Nortena del Sur”

“The Clap”

Warren Acuncius is an independent artist and great friend who I met on my 2003 European backpacking trip.  He has continued to impress me with his musical abilities over the years and always being kind enough to share his latest works with me.  During my stay in Bleau he sent me an email with a couple of his new songs, one of them (“Down The Road”) really resonating with me and where I was in life at that time.  Ironically, when we met he had introduced me to another song  (“Reverie”) that was also perfect for that trip, making me now always associate his music with European vacations. =) Both songs are posted here.  To listen to a wider sample, visit his website.

“Down The Road”

I like these two songs for different reasons. I love “Down The Road” for it’s lyrics, with the whole song being a description of my time in Bleau. My favorite line is, “Every turn has it’s day and every day it has it’s way. Of being the one that changes your life, of being the one that gets away.”

“Reverie”

I love this song as the guitar and rhythm make me truly happy, taking me back to the Cinque Terre in Italy.

Keep up the great work, Warren.

My travels have been accompanied by new music, varying widely in genre. Here are some of my new favorites rotating through the shuffle.

Band / Song: Firecracker Jazzband – “That’s a Plenty”
Genre: Jazz
My thoughts: The FireFly (I love that this new friend of mine already had a nickname upon meeting as I usually reference all friends on my blog by nicknames) and I met due to this band playing in Asheville. The night I saw them in concert seriously was one of the most fun evenings “out on the town”. The band played at Jack in the Wood in downtown and the place was packed with the perfect amount of people with everyone dancing without a care in the world. The band was phenomenal, but the pianist was a true rocker (a compliment I rarely dish out). It was seriously a magical evening with the band dressed in the appropriate swing band attire and the entire crowd throwing out such moves as the lindy hop. Seriously magical!

Band / Song: Yann Tiersen – “La valse d’Amelie”
Genre: French Pop
My thoughts: David, a new friend from the Red River Gorge, introduced me to this French artist.  I listened to it quite a bit during my rough week in the Red River Gorge.  I find the music to be stunningly beautiful and am grateful that I don’t associate this music with the recent emotional time in my life.

Band / Song: The National –“The Show“
Genre: Rock
My thoughts: Shaft introduced me to The National prior to me hitting the road, to which I am widely grateful as I love the whole Boxer album, happily listening to it on a daily basis.

Band / Song: Vampire Weekend – “Oxford Comma”
Genre: Alternative
My thoughts: The younger De Camara brother introduced me to Vampire Weekend after a day of bouldering in Rumbling Bald. I instantly liked it within the first few music meters.

Band / Song: Paolo Conte –”Via Con Me”
Genre: Pop
My thoughts: I have no idea why I love this song so much… perhaps the singer’s deep voice? Perhaps the partial Italian lyrics? Perhaps it’s aged beats? I truly don’t know but I thoroughly enjoy it and listen to it often. I actually had heard it a good handful of times throughout the year, but on this trip figured out the artist and the name of the song. Lucky me.

My friend HIP #1 introduced me to English indie rock band The Kooks last year through the Inside In/Inside Out album. I really, really dig the album! Every song is great, but I especially enjoy the song "Ooh La". Check it out!