STRICTLY GLOBAL

Nacional Records is proud to announce the March 30th release of ‘Circular Colectivo,’ the long-awaited new album from Mexican rock pioneers Maldita Vecindad y los Hijos del Quinto Patio. While the groundbreaking band continues to be a touring powerhouse, this new release is Maldita’s first studio album in 12 years. The group will begin their album release tour with shows across Texas, including a major showcase at SXSW.

‘Circular Colectivo’ maintains the band’s signature high-energy ska/punk style with conscious lyrics that tackle the crisis which Mexican society faces in a rapidly changing global economy. It features guests like Cuban jazz piano great Omar Sosa as well as the band’s first instrumental tracks. “‘Circular Colectivo,’ is like the universal symbol of unity,” lead vocalist Roco explains. “The cycle of life, the information that passes from mouth to mouth, the circles of peace and dance, the blood in the body, the movements of the people, of the towns, the hearts of everyone beating together at the same time.” ‘Circular Colectivo’ was produced by Greg Landau in his San Francisco studios. The new album’s first single is "Pura Diversion (Fút Callejero),” a fitting anthem in a World Cup year. The track puts Maldita’s anti-capitalism approach into a simple soccer metaphor: “futbol negocio no es de nosotros, sin comerciales, pura diversion” (“soccer business is not our game, it's much more fun without commercials”). Basically, soccer is the one place where the poor man can defeat the rich one – in the game of the neighborhood.

“Quinto Patio Ska” travels across the band’s lengthy catalog of songs – a look back at their history. “Chacahua (El Grito De Luz)” is a tribute to the often-neglected African presence within Mexico. “Corrido Para Digna Ochoa” is a techno corrido that explores the story of the human rights activist who was murdered in 2001. “Expedientes Marcianos” is a Norteño ska track that reflects on global warming.

“We’ve never stopped playing and so throughout this whole time, we’ve written so much new material,” guitarist Pato says. “Finally, we put the songs to tape and we are so pleased with the result.”

Forming in 1985, Maldita Vecindad began playing in Mexico City’s underground circuit, developing an original fusion of rock, ska, and traditional folk rhythms. Their sophomore release, ‘El Circo,’ was a landmark album for Latin rock, selling a record-breaking 700,000 copies in Mexico alone, which was unheard of for a supposed underground act.

‘El Circo’ was produced by the renowned Argentine producer, Gustavo Santaolalla. Santaolalla encouraged the group to experiment and embrace the sounds and stories of the streets. The lead track, “Pachuco,” quickly became an instant classic and anthem for an entire movement. From there, the band only released several other studio albums, most recently being ‘Mostros’ in 1998. 

“After the album, ‘Mostros,’ our contract was finished with our label [BMG],” Roco says. “At that time, we had other offers on the table but we preferred to stay independent and begin to work with an infrastructure that permitted us to release albums in complete freedom. When we started with Maldita, our vision was pretty clear: to open doors for Mexican rock.”

“But when we released ‘Mostros,’ we also realized that our mission wasn’t the same anymore,” Roco continues. “We had done what we had wanted to help achieve: Mexican rock was known throughout Latin America. But it had also become a total industry, now everyone wanted to be a rocker! So we decided we had to create other goals.”

Maldita Vecindad paved the way for a generation of Latin rock musicians and fans. With songs that explore narratives and personalities within urban life, they continue to tear down cultural barriers and sell out major venues around the globe.

Words courtesy of Nacional Records.

SNOW!!!  It's getting in the way of everything!  Except for Strictly Global of course, cause we managed to dig ourselves out of the ice-caves cocoon-ing our homes and modes of trasnport, hiked it to the studio, and created an episode jam-packed with requests received from you during our unwanted ice age hiatus.  In your face Snow Queen!! In your face...

Other than giving back the love we've received via ya'll this past week, we'll also be showcasing a ton of new goodies from one of my fave labels- Matador; including the latest from Kurt Vile, Spiral Stairs, Cold Cave, and Fucked Up.  Having been around since about 2001, the Canadian hardcore punk band Fucked Up have put out a boatload of 7" records over the years, and even won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for their album The Chemistry of Common Life.  All the members have awesome aliases too, like 10,000 Marbles (lead guitarist), Father Damian (singer), Slumpy (bassist), Gulag (guitarist), Guinea Beat (drummer), etc.  And even cooler, last December they put together a collaborated single cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas" featuring appearances by Tegan and Sara, Andrew W.K., Yo La Tengo, David Cross and more.  Profits from the sale of the single are going to several Canadian charities working to bring an end to the epidemic of missing and murdered Native women. 

This week's show will also feature our Nextwave artist of the month: Age of Stones. A Latvian rock band, they claim to combine elements of rock, jazz and funk together in a unique blend, adding a bit of their sense of humor.  Most importantly they want to entertain the public, and are willing to do a headstand and ballet on stage for you, and only you.   

Anyway.... next week, my bags are packed and I'll be saying aloha to Oahu!  Oah-yeaaah!  Screw you snow- I'm gonna go surf the North Shore and rescue the cast of Lost!  I also want to check out the local music scene, so if you know of any awesome Hawaiian bands and shows going on next week, hit me up at StrictlyGlobal@mhznetworks.org.  Mahalo!

Good news for technophile fans of Strictly Global:  We are now available On Demand via MHz Networks channel on Roku!  New to the world of DVR and have no idea what I'm talking about?  That's ok, this technology is super simple, and so much better to look at then a poorly compressed YouTube video.  

So yeah, what is Roku?  It's a Digital Video Player that was created by the inventor of the DVR (digital video recorder), Anthony Wood. Essentially, it's a compact video library with over 50,000 choices of movies, TV shows, and more. It's a major hit amongst Netflix subscribers, and has been getting tons of good press through The New York Times, Wired, TIME, Wall Street Journal, and more.    

But most importantly, Strictly Global is all up in that with interviews from some of our favorite international and underground bands!  Now available anytime, on MHz Networks on Demand.

For more info about Roku and our channel on it, check out these links:
http://www.roku.com/
http://www.mhznetworks.org/roku/

Bagels, rebellious children, and graffiti galore... these are the going ons' on the set of Strictly Global this week, as Danni Rosner hosts from the green room of Jammin Java.  Bryan Dawley, guitarist for the curly girl's band, stopped by to do a little dance, as Danni and I persistently quoted Billy Madison, and pointed out the variety of artists written on the wall that have graced our airwaves via music videos and interviews over the past 200+ episodes... breathe. Wow!  I thought I was your snack pack.

Speaking of snack packs, we have a variety of "kid" stories throughout the hour. Including the band Kicking Daisies, comprised of 13 to 16 years olds, and apparently the worlds fastest female drummer?  And then there's Raul Antonio, who's father (famous for the group Los Tigres Del Norte) was completely adamant about having his children be a part of the music industry.  Gees, that sucks.  Raul snuck off to Barcelona to go to music school, and his first video will premiere this Friday- so, in your face dad!  What a weird-o!

And with the ever popular SxSW fest coming up (yes-I really want to go, field trip please?), you can be sure to be seeing boatloads of videos from artists hitting those stages in the coming months.  Like this week, we have a video from the British up and comer Dan Black, who's album ((un)) will be out Feb. 16.  The video is rad, trekking through the variety of cinema styles over the last millennium, though Billy Madison references didn't make the cut.  He's gonna be a soccer player... he is, he i-i-i-is...

Random quotes heard spilling out of the edit suite just now: "That's not a belly button!" "Wait, no, that's a chick, no dude, no, huh?" "You know that guy who sings 'Walking in Memphis'?" "I want a s'more, like now."  "Did he direct Alien 4?" "I really thought that was a belly button, sorry!" Only at Strictly Global!  What in the world are we talking about?  This Friday's episode of course, full of visionary splendor reaching from 80's chic couture all the way to a Logan's Run-esque future. 

Are you familiar with the awesome sci-fi movie of the 70's Logan's Run? You know, the one according to Ross Gellar (Friends) is the sexiest movie ever?  Well take that concept, sorta, and mesh it with the aesthetic theme of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" video, and you get this beyond insanely awesome video coming from the US's Yeasayer.  Seriously, my money is down for this  being the best video of the year- even though we had to edit the hell out of it. You know, cause nudity galore doesn't fly with public broadcasting.  Boo!  Something even cooler is their website promoting the video.  YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT! (Warning:Nudity, so make sure the boss isn't around.) Even Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric's Awesome Show tweeted about it's gloriousness.  Basically, you are put into the video, in a Being John Malkovich type experience, complete with 360º capability that let's you run with the people, ride the horse, and basically trip your %$&@! off!

Also, premiering this week is our new segment Beat Kitchen!  I mean, have you ever watched a music video that gave you a case of the stomach grumblies?  I know I have!  I think what originally sparked the idea was when I was watching the "Quicksand" video by La Roux.  It made me want a fancy shmancy fruity drink, on the beach, with a crap load of garnishes and one of them rinky-dink drink umbrellas.  Mmm... Anyway!  We are lucky to have an awesome chef on staff, Eugene Abedejos, who'll show us how to make a S'more pizza, inspired by the video from UK's Maximo Park, "Apply Some Pressure."

Clickity-clow.

In the spirit of a new decade, Strictly Global went new all over the place... We got new graphics, new segments, new locations, and tons of new videos, all in time for a new season.  So yeah, 2010 has been established, so let's get on with it already!  This Friday, we'll hang with Danni at the club Jammin' Java, where she'll get us caught up with the latest from global musicians from Australia, Canada, Latvia (!) and tons more.  Wa wa wee wa! (Borat-ism is a hard habit to break.)

Our Nextwave artist of the month is Backflow, (as seen on our homepage) coming to us from Latvia!  Nextwave host Harry Martin we'll fill us in on the deets of this grunge-esqu garage rock troop before premiering their music video that teeters on the edge of controversial.  Just how I like it, or "I liiiike." 

And one of the stand-outs of the hour describes their sound as "musical mashed potatoes." That would be miss VV Brown from the UK who's hit many different levels of the entertainment world. Yeah, she's not just a singer (nominated for BBC's Sound of 2009), but also a songwriter for other big names (writes under the moniker "geeki"), a model (discovered on a plane like they all are), and now will be entering the world of comic books with plans on releasing a graphic novel this year. Basically, she's the king of the castle.

BTW, my suit is black not.

Today, Paste Magazine launches “Songs For Haiti” (http://songsforhaiti.org/), a music-centered relief effort to aid the struggling people of Haiti.  Featuring unreleased songs from a diverse array of artists including: Ludacris, Of Montreal, Andrew Bird, Hanson, Low Anthem, Umphrey’s McGee, Switchfoot, Derek Webb, and over 200 others, “Songs For Haiti” is one of the largest relief efforts yet to emerge from the entertainment world.

For more info: http://www.pastemagazine.com/songsforhaiti
Words courtesy of Mark Ballard

Well well well!  It's a new year, and it's about time for some new episodes right?!   Awww, did you miss us?- cause we missed you!  Thanks for keeping those requests coming in via our email/Twitter/Facebook and Myspace while we were on our winter break.  They helped contribute to our line-up for this Friday's special edition of Strictly Global: The Best of 2009! 

It's gonna be super fantastical, including videos from bands that toured throughout the year, the most requested videos, 90's revival videos, and other awesome randomness including the best animated video of the year, and even the best zombie video of the year.  Holy heck.  Just take some guesses on what international acts those could possibly be...

And check out this radical painting one of our viewers sent us!  Virginia's Chris Drummond sent us this after he saw Passion Pit's video for "The Reeling" on our show this year.  If you are familiar with the video, you can see the similarities, and some of it's inspiration in the different use of mediums.  The video showcases boatloads of sparkles and paper mache.  Drummond used paint, newspaper, and watercolor to capture the bands image, lyrics, and more.  Most triumphant.  Drummond is currently working on his online gallery, so if you are interested in finding out more about his work, you can email him at dchrisd2@yahoo.com. 

Get ready to double the fun, because immediately after the Best of 2009 special is the Best of the Decade special!!!  I know!  It's gonna be the greatest show EVER as we showcase some of the best videos from 2000 all the way up to 2009.  Oh yeah!  Want a little teaser taste?  Daft Punk, Motorhead, M.I.A.... I'm excited already. 

The music world had many great losses this year, from tragic accidents to natural causes.  I'm not going to get into the details of how these talented musicians went out in '09, but rather just mention their accomplishments in the industry, cause that's what they lived for.  (For SG memorials on Michael Jackson and Les Paul, click their names for our archives from earlier in the year.)

Super recently we lost a couple of rockers, like Mick Cocks, guitarist for the Australian band Rose Tattoo, who was rumored to be the inspiration behind Guns'n'Roses sound!  He was also the fourth member from the band to leave us within the last four years.  Only a couple days ago came the loss of a young 28 year old James Owen Sullivan, also known as the Rev, who drummed for Avenged Sevenfold.  And last week came the loss of influential Native American rocker, Tony Bellamy (63) who was a member of Redbone. They became established as a Native American rock group in the 1970s and reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1974 with the hit song, "Come and Get Your Love."

Some of the frontrunners of CBGB's explosive music takeover in NYC's 70s scene passed away this year too.  Including guitarist and founding member of the Stooges, Ron Asheton (60), who was ranked #29 on Rolling Stones' list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He was later a part of a handful bands including most recently The Wylde Rattz which consisted of other alt greats Mike Watt (the Minutemen), J. Mascis (Dinosaur  Jr.), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), and Mark Arm (Mudhoney.)  In memory, Sonic Youth dedicated their album The Eternal to Asheton.

Another loss from the CBGBs Movement was Willy DeVille (58) who originally fronted CBGB's house band Mink DeVille.  He reached cult figure status with his unique compositions of American rock music, mixing in latin rhythms, doo-wop, and even cabaret amongst others.  In 1988, he made a move to New Orleans and helped bring back the sound of New Orleans R&B, and helped in the creation of "Spanish-Americana" music.

Another shocking loss of an artist who got their start at CBGB's was the Cramps founder and singer, Lux Interior (62).   The Cramps, who's reign began in 1975 and kept going til this year, created the genre now known as psychobilly- a mix of punk and rockabilly.  Lux and the Cramps inspired many early goth rock bands, and horror punk bands.  Including the psychobilly band Nekromantix, whom also lost their drummer this year, Andy DeMize (25).  DeMize was also a member of the Rocketz and Up Syndrome.

More loss from the punk underground included the passing of poet/author Jim Carroll (60), most famous for his novel The Basketball Diaries.  He created the group The Jim Carroll Band, releasing their debut album Catholic Boy in 1980, featuring the single "People Who Die" which ended up being featured in the films E.T. and Dawn of the Dead! (2004) Carroll had several more releases over the next couple of decades, the last of which was the EP Runaway, from 2000.

Argentina lost a renowned folk songstress in Mercedes Sosa (74). Best known as the "voice of the voiceless ones," she was an activist and part of nuevo cancion (Spanish for "new song") movement in Latin America, by voicing songs written by Brazilians and Cubans.  Her musical career has spanned over 4 decades, with a massive discography to showcase for it, and most recently, her song "Balderrama" was featured in the film Che.

The indie dance rock scene lost a super talented drummer to a tragic accident this year: Jerry Fuchs (34).  Chances are, if you are down with dance rock, he's drummed for a band you're totally into, including: Maserati, !!! (chk chk chk), the Juan MacLean, LCD Soundsystem, and MSTRKRFT. 

Hip hop had losses on both sides of the Atlantic, including the UK rapper Derek B (44), who's 1988 album Bullet From a Gun reached #11 on UK charts.  The US lost hip hop producer, Tony D, who's earlier work had been sampled by Naughty by Nature and Heavy D.

Gone too soon was Canadian folk singer, Taylor Mitchell, who was only 19 years old. After independently releasing her album For Your Consideration in March of '09, she was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Young Performer of the Year.  Also in the Canadian music scene, was the loss of one it's pioneers. Rex Yetman (76) who sang and played mandolin for Canada's first bluegrass band, The York County Boys. 

Some legendary performers that went this year included the US's Huey Long, who lived to be an impressive 105! He was the last remaining singer of the group the Ink Spots, a popular vocal group that helped define the genres R&B and Doo-Wop.   From near that same era, came American singer Al Martino (82) who played singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.  Back in 1952, his single "Here in my Heart" reached #1 on UK singles chart, and stayed there for 9 weeks, putting him in the Guiness Book of World Records.
And legends in their own countries and abroad included:
Faramarz Payvar (76) an Iranian composer and santur player.
Liam Clancy (74) an Irish folk singer for group The Clancy Brothers, who are regarded as Ireland's first pop stars.
Aram Tigran (75) from Syria, was considered the best among contemporary Kurdish singers/musicians.
And Shah Abdul Karim (93) of Bangladesh, who was considered a  legend of Bangladeshi folk music, having written and composed over 1600 songs.

Asia endured some abrupt and unexpected passings amongst there own pop scenes.  Including Chinese Mando-pop singer Chen Lin (39), who had a chart topping record in 1993, I Can Never Understand Your Love, which sold over 1.5 million copies.  And amongst Japan's Visual Kei scene was the loss of the bassist for metal band Versailles- Jasmine You (age undetermined).  The band still plans on a world tour in 2010 in support of their 2nd studio album, which had been postponed in production due to You's passing.

In other Metal losses, over in Finland was lead guitarist and founder of doom metal band Sentenced, Miika Tenkula (34).  Sentenced had a good run from 1989 to 2005.  Their final gig in 2005 was recorded for the DVD Buried Alive which went Platinum posthumously in Finland.

Indeed, this list is long, but on a gloomy note, it pales in comparison to the actual number who are gone.  And I hate to leave anyone out, so if you'd like to share some of yours in the comments feel free.  SG fans earlier in the year did express concern for the loss of multi-instrumentalist, and former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett (45.)  Sky Saxon's (71) passing was overshadowed by MJ's, but he wrote one of the raddest rock anthems in the 60's "Pushin' Too Hard" when he fronted the garage band The Seeds.  But I'd like to end this blog with a video featuring an actress who had a killer voice and left us suddenly a couple weeks ago- Brittany Murphy.  To everyone on this list, and more, R.I.P.