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Baker's Dozen

Everything's Connected: Omar Rodríguez-López Favourite LPs
Stevie Chick , September 10th, 2020 08:43

Former At The Drive In and Mars Volta member Omar Rodríguez-López speaks to Stevie Chick about the records that shaped his life, from Latin traditionals to how Janet Jackson got him into punk

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Invisible – Durazno Sangrando
When it comes to Latin American rock music, AKA Rock En Espanol, there's Los Gatos, and a couple of other bands, but the longest lasting one, the genesis of it all, was Luis Alberto Spinetta. His band was Invisible, and he really was the mastermind, the artist.  He started in the 60s, with a band called Almendra, which literally means 'Almond'. Almendra was a super psychedelic band, and then later he formed Pescado Rabioso – 'Rabid Fish' – and then, later, he starts Invisible. He went on to have a big solo career and become one of the most respected figures in Rock En Espanol.

This is just a great record. You'll be able to hear a lot of what I'm pulling from on here. And if you hear it and don't feel anything, even if you don't speak the language, then I question how much you like music, or life itself. Durazno Sangrando means, 'The Peach That Is Bleeding', and it's a story about a peach that falls into a river. It's really beautiful, and the way he sings is so soft-spoken and understated, I immediately connected with it. And it has that sweetness, the same way that Jerry Garcia had, that sweet gentle tone that is like someone whispering poetry in your ear.