And The Spanish Word For Trash Is ...

Basura!!! (Watch this cute Sesame Street clip.)



I have not done a playlist for quite some time. This time I thought I'd do a Spanish episode. More than a year ago I met someone from South America online. He told me that he plays drums for a band which I will not mention outright. (Clue: A song from this band appears in the playlist.) He may be saying the truth, or may be pulling my leg (hopefully not!), but I have to say that I was a little stumped when he asked me what Spanish-speaking punk/ska/reggae/hardcore acts I am familiar with.

As if we do not know this for a fact (simply start here, yes, in the Philippines: you just have to look around to see Throw, Tame The Tikbalang, and a whole lot more local bands to name a few), there are so many non-English-speaking bands (technically defined as those that do not count English as their native tongue) around that sound just as great. Thus I came up with this playlist.

1. ALIKA Y SU NUEVA ALIANZA - "Paciencia"

Uruguay-born Alika is now based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She founded one of the first rap acts in Argentina, Actitud Maria Marta, which she eventually left in 1999 in what seems to be a shift more towards Rastafarian culture. "Paciencia" comes from the album Sin Intermediarios, and you can find out more about Alika on her MySpace site, though I have to warn you that knowledge of Spanish is an extreme advantage.

2. INTOCABLES - "Necesito Ska"

Another act from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Intocables play rousing ska. These guy have been around since the early 90s, as far as I understand. Still going strong with two of its original members staying put. On the playlist is "Necesito Ska".

3. LA FURIA - "Aburrido en los USA"

I read that The Clash all-cover album of this band from Barcelona, Spain is a cassette-only release, accounting for less than sterling audio quality. It's a pity really because some tracks from the Por Algo Mas Que Por Gusto are pretty good. I think "Aburrido en los USA" is one of the album's best tracks.

4. VOODOO GLOW SKULLS - "El Coo Cooi"

Wow, who doesn't know Voodoo Glow Skulls? These guys from California have been around dishing out their furious brand of ska-core since the late 80s. The Casillas brothers together with the rest of their crew continue to tour heavily, apparently not showing any signs of slowing down. Check out their MySpace site here.

5. PATRULLERO MANCUSO - "El Peine De La Tortuga"

Patrullero Mancuso are from Madrid, Spain and they play quirky, thoughtful pop music. "El Peine De La Tortuga" comes from the band's third album under Elefant, titled Tortilla Estatal. Find out more about them here.

6. RAMONEX - "Judy Es Una Punk"

Ok, another cover song, so sue me. Ramonex did The Ramones (obviously), even did a similar pose on the album cover. The full tracklist to Tribute Ao Ramones can be found on this link.

7. MOJIGANGA - "Sin Razon No Hay Vida"

From Medellin, Colombia comes Mojiganga, a band that has been playing together since 1995. With six albums under their belt, Mojiganga continues to tour and record apparently with a goal to infuse their Colombian roots in the so-called international underground movement. Maybe you guys will get the picture by dropping by their MySpace site here.

Ok, I finally got this done. Who knows what playlist I may be coming up in the days to come? French? Norse? Slav? Japanese? Possibilities are endless, and should be very very interesting to do. Have a great weekend people, or whatever remains of it.