Vocero - Vocero [2001]

I've been quiet for a while, I'm sorry ya'll. Posts are gonna continue to be spotty until I get back to the states in a couple weeks and things are less chaotic. To make it up to you though, today I'm featuring one of the most, if not the most radical emo band from South America - Vocero.

They only ever released one album, a short 15 minutes of innovative emo that takes influence from other bands of the era like Braid and Falling Forward. It has a danceability and an unpredictability that I would also liken to Fugazi in some senses. To me, the most exciting aspect of the band is the vocals. The main vocals at times are like raw punk but slightly refined and placed in an emo context, and at other times are a more predictable raw melody that you find in emo. Meanwhile the backing vocals are generally more melodical but less predictable and kinda surreal in timbre.

Please enjoy the crap out of this band, it's pretty hard to find any information on them but theres a few things posted on a facebook page that was created for them and a review translated into spanish from a Bulgarian blog that actually has a lot of sweet information on other Argentine bands as well (that I have posted and not posted about).

Genres: Emo, Post-hardcore, Punk

Vocero - Vocero [2001]

1) Track 1

2) Track 2

3) Track 3

4) Track 4

5) Track 5

6) Track 6

7) Track 7

Fun fact: One of the members plays Tango on the accordion

Luxemburgo - MDXCII [2011]

Luxemburgo is from Santiago, Chile and plays some really beautiful heartfelt emo/screamo. If there's anywhere in Latin America you should be looking for really good screamo, it's Chile. There's a solid history of good stuff especially if you're interested in European/U.S. style screamo (with of course a certain Chilean feel). Luxemburgo uses a lot of strong clean tones and rich overdrives and it's mixed well, overall its just pretty to listen to. There are some nicely anxious jam sections so if you're into longer form this is definitely for you. I really don't know how to talk about this band other than that it's fresh, and you should check it out. This album is their first from 2011, and they have an EP that came out the same year and another LP that came out in 2013.

Genres: Emo, Screamo, Post-hardcore, Punk

Luxemburgo - MDXCII [2011]

1. 2060

2. 1968

3. 0 a.c.

4. 1907

5. 1948-1984

La Última Canción del Mundo - 2007 [2007]

Screamo fans, this is your dulce de leche. In reality, there's not an incredible amount of screamo in Latin America, especially in Argentina, but there are definitely some gems to be found. This group from Rosario, Argentina is one of them. Okay, so they have all the cliche screamo requirements - clean guitars with delay break up the heavier chaos, multiple vocalists pour out their feelings into microphones, everything is recorded imperfectly, etc. However, there are some keys to this band that really make it stand out. The most notable is the tasteful use of a melodic/clean voice and screaming voice at the same time, in a way that reminds me of The Kodan Armada or Alexisonfire's first album. The other thing is they take advantage of a great vocalist and slow things down while she sings, so her performance really stands out. These calmer moments tend to be little less anxious than most screamo - City of Caterpillar for instance always has the sense of impending breakout, the slow build up to explosion - making the experience slightly stranger and showing influence from Argentine rock.

I don't know how this album was recorded, but given the different recording qualities and how the female vocalist doesn't appear until halfway through, it seems it was done in multiple sessions over a long period of time and the album serves more like a combination of recordings than a single, complete piece.

They have another album that came out in 2011 and are on a noteworthy compilation with Chilean and other Argentine bands that I'll post about later. I'm also going to go see them play in two days so I'll try to take some photos/video and include them in a later post.

Genres: Screamo, Emo

La Última Canción del Mundo - 2007 [2007]

1. hoy mis manos ardieron

2. tu palabra y mi razón

3. marionetas

4. esperando el momento

5. el juego

6. juancito

7. run

8. silencio

9. ignorantes corazones (nada que decir)

10. dulce tan dulce

11. fin

12. el lamento

13. la última canción del mundo

Invierno - El Tiempo Lo Probará [2012]

Invierno from Santiago, Chile packs a punch with a strong combination of emo and indie rock, likely to attract fans of one or the other and definitely those who enjoy both. They really create a powerful sound using pop-influenced riffs and structures and the recording quality of this album really emphasizes how tight and clean they are. The vocals are really strong throughout the entire album, moving in and out of the screaming realm at times while maintaining melody and force. Overall, I'd say the band is easy to get along with and is free of surprises.

Genres: Emo, Indie, Alternative

Invierno - El Tiempo Lo Probará [2012]

1. Si Me Permites

2. Náufrago

3. Entre Seis y Siete

4. Escondite

5. Capítulo Cuatro

6. Carta (anónima)

7. Inesperable

8. Retórica

9. Progresión

Procrastinación 1 Yo 0 - Caídas y Vueltas [2012]

P1Y0 (pronounced pee-yo) is some real heart-felt emo from Lima, Perú, great for dancing by yourself in your bedroom or singing along to with your friends. It started out as a solo project by Paulo Contreras under the same title, until it was done justice as a full band soon after. The riffs and lyrics alike are really catchy, it's a pleasure to see them play live and watch everyone shout along to the choruses. Procrastinación is one of many bands under La Flor Records, an extremely active and strong label in Lima that puts out a ton of music and is constantly making connections all over, but I'll talk more about La Flor in a later post!

Genres: Emo, 90s, Punk

Procrastinación 1 Yo 0 - Caídas y Vueltas [2012]

1. Dos

2. Pop para la frustración final

3. Jenga (Cuando te dejaba ganar)

4. Canción

5. A veces es tan perfecto extrañar

6. Satisfuckción