LAS ROBERTAS
LAS ROBERTAS
(San JosÉ, Costa Rica // Kanine Records)
Based in San José, Costa Rica, Las Robertas is a five piece band (Mercedes Oller, Fabrizio Durán, Russell Davis, Daniela García and Felipe Oller) that has developed a sound and style around influences that go from the psychedelic music scene from the 60s, bands like The Velvet Underground in the 70s, to the alternative 90s rock n roll scene. The band started playing in 2009 and since then, have played and toured in and outside Costa Rica numerous shows and tours, including festivals like NRMAL (Mexico), Levitation (Austin, TX), Coachella (Indio Valley, CA), Rock al Parque (Bogotá, Colombia), Primavera Sound (Barcelona) among others. The band has released 4 LP’s and 2 EP’s, in the USA, Mexico and Spain, its most recent release “Love is the Answer” was out in February 2023 via Kanine Records (USA).
“Love is the Answer” is a compilation of nine songs about love towards the universe, individual freedom and of hope in a time where the world seems ever closer to being consumed in chaos. Some of the band’s influences for this album were The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Dandy Warhols, The Charlatans, Lush, Ride and The Breeders.
The album was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by the Welsh producer Owen Morris, who have worked previously with bands like Oasis, The Verve, Ash, Kaiser Chiefs and Madness. The band and Owen started working together after they met in Costa Rica. While sharing time together, great chemistry happened between the band and Owen, and eventually ended up collaborating for “Love is the Answer”. The recording of the album started in Hermosillo, Sonora (Mexico) and was completed in Santa Ana, Costa Rica.
R.M.F.C.
R.F.M.C.
(Sydney, Australia // Anti Fade Records)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0er9TVgZ89s
ROCK MUSIC FIGHT CRINGE
What is modern music writing without the opening descriptor “long awaited”? To describe most records as being awaited is ridiculous. Nobody today has the patience to wait for a text or a tram or a traffic light… and yet… there is something here, I have a point to make…
Please resist cringe – I will not cringe, cringe is the mindkiller – I assure you, I never use words like “long awaited debut” in polite conversation and avoid those who do by general rule.
But.
ROCK MUSIC FINESSE CLASS
The imminent arrival of the R.M.F.C. long awaited debut means rules must be broken, tablets must be shattered, sacred pigs must be slaughtered…
In our age of media saturation and attention deficit, where every band has side project with a triple LP catalogue before they’ve played a show or had opportunity to tease or tantalise, there’s a lot of easy music being created… and forgotten… look back over the past decade and see how many hype bands you’ve forgotten, how many redundant “long awaited debut” ended up ashen within a month. Nobody is waiting for more easy music. We are waiting for the R.M.F.C. Club Hits LP.
Anyone paying attention to underground Australian guitar overdose would relate: the R.M.F.C. Club Hits LP has been the culmination of five years of work, patience and discipline. If you’ve heard these songs live at any of their shows over the past couple of years you’ll understand – the wait is over and the result is exhilarating.
ROCK MUSIC FANATIC CONVULSIONS
To your average German the sound of Bach made them reverent with Lutheran frenzy, and for the average rock music fan the sound of R.M.F.C. makes them catatonic with guitar overdose.
To your exceptional German composer that came after Bach, the sounds of Bach inspired genius invention, and for the generation of exceptional rock music creators that come to Club Hits, a great deal of easy listening rock music has become redundant and this is a new standard: the craft of these songs is precise, the flow of this record is masterful.
Club Hits is one of those rare records that sounds absolutely of its time without evoking depression, despair and disgust – for we live in times of desperation that most rock music bands are adorning with insipid, tedious tunes that couldn’t make most people put their phone down let alone believe in R.M. – but with the benefit of 80 years of ROCK MUSIC to draw on, there’s a lot of mistakes that Buz learned from and hasn’t replicated here.
ROCK MUSIC FOOTBALL CLUB
I like music and I like football. I like physicality, sweat, blood, I like music with guitar and drum… I like to experience being in the presence of violent movement that is graceful and produces goals or songs…
Great live band this R.M.F.C. Kicking goals, making songs.
If not for the experience of watching them play these club hits live, I don’t think we would be “awaiting” this record. Which is to say, on record FC President Buz takes on all duties: songs written, songs recorded and songs mixed by the Commander In Chief Clatworthy.
If this was the extent of it, if we couldn’t SEE and FEEL the rock music in R.M.F.C., if it was RECORDED MUSIC FAN CLUB – I’m sure you understand me – Buz has managed to make a solo bedroom project into a rock music band of great quality, and hearing these songs develop and stick in your head for days and weeks and months after the show, festering and waiting to be unleashed on the world this coming November 3rd.
ROCK MUSIC FAN CLUB
For those who read these things without listening first, you might ask: what does this R.M.F.C. sound like?
Let’s stay with the overused descriptors – I think R.M.F.C. is rock music band, more specifically a post-punk band.
Indulge me.
If you could say anything about post punk it means post-Wire, who were past punk before punk had an opportunity to codify and become everything brilliant and stupid that we’ve spent 40 years unpacking.
Wire unpacked punk immediately and spent three perfect albums mapping what comes next – their “long awaited debut” came after a pub rock punk phase… and entered into the world of angular guitars and arctic ice feel.
Wire’s opening Pink Flag jab – Chairs Missing straight – and 154 hook knockout has haunted the mixing desks of ambitious post-punk bands since, and every major city in the western world has at least one Pink Flag band, one Chairs Missing band, one 154 band.
Few bands manage to sound like all 3 records, but R.M.F.C. are rock music fan club…
ROCK MUSIC FREAK CLUB
One day when I listened to the Velvet Underground ‘What Goes On’, I thought: this is a perfect song. I could listen to this song for hours on end. I did this – I listened to live versions, multiple ten minute plus jams, alternate mixes, and then back to the album. Over and over again. The song continually delivered new revelations, I saw a golden path leading through a dark cloud of misery, surrounded by spite and resentment, a golden path leading toward something better… and in Club Hits, I hear that same obsessive nature, I could imagine you understand this too, I know I am not alone in listening to rock music like I am encountering the sacred sound of a new religion… you must be obsessed to make music like this, and you must also respond with true passion and devotion… our times need the Club Hits…
ROCK MUSIC FINAL COMMENT
R.M.F.C. Club Hits LP on Anti Fade (AUS) / Urge Records (USA) will be released on November 3rd.
Written, recorded and mixed by Buz in Burrill Lake and Sydney between January 2022 & April 2023. Mastered by Mikey Young.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0er9TVgZ89s
BELLA AND THE BIZARRE
BELLA AND THE BIZARRE
(Berlin, Germany // In The Red Records)
Bella and the Bizarre is a high-energy Berlin-based band that blends the raw intensity of garage rock with a tender soulful flow.
A wild fusion of garage punk, sixties rock n roll and a touch of RnB soul, with its own gentle smokiness.
Combining a broad spectrum of influences – from Wanda Jackson to the Remains, Eartha Kitt to the Ramones, they are ready to set you in trance!
Known for their vibrant stage presence and infectious energy, Bella and the Bizarre deliver performances that are as captivating as they are unpredictable.
