Cafe Tacuba: los reyes

Every Mexican I know has been laughing these past couple of weeks over Rolling Stone's lame attempt to get wabs to pick up their magazine--oh wait, you didn't hear about it? Where they did a double-cover featuring one in English and another en español--in the back, of course? Hey, Jann Wenner: Plessy v. Ferguson was found unconstitutional a while back, you know?

About the only thing that didn't outright suck was their list of the 10 greatest "Latin rock" albums of all time, and that's only because it was written by my good pal, Ernesto Lechner, who, next to Josh Kun and Enrique Lopetegui, was the best critic of the genre back in our salad days (and I wonder what their list would be?). But even Ernesto's list had to be partly watered down for gabacho tastes (seriously, che: Abraxas?), not just in the album choices, but in that title of "Latin rock," a title for a genre no one has used for a decade (the preferred choice for critics is "Latin alternative," although for the diehards, it'll always be rock en español)

Any 10-whatever-your-modifier list is always wrought with danger, but let me make a case for mine. It'll have some of the greatest albums in the genre, sure, but consider this a simultaneous list for gabachos who want to know what all the fuss is about the genre and for rockeros who need some self-reflection about a genre that once seemed poised to rule the world but is now stuck in a rut of reunions and Zoe ripoffs. This list won't include the pioneers ala Charly Garcia, El Tri, Botellita de Jerez and others because that's the advanced level, chavos: this is for the rookies. And definitely no Brazilians--that's another list. And so, let the second-guessing begin!
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Coming up with 10 punk albums to listen to before you die is a lot harder than you'd think. For starters, it's a morbid thought, which makes you start asking yourself why in the hell you're thinking about punk albums when you're only gonna die, so who cares?

Second, the best material of many (if not most) punk bands is featured on singles, not full-length records. That's why you won't see Minor Threat on this list because even though they are punk rock royalty, their sole album (1982's Out of Step) isn't as good as their EPs. Or, on the flipside, you got a band like Red Cross, whose first EP is
unfuckwithable, but EPs aren't albums and therefore not included in this list.

That said, there are still plenty of full-length punk records that everyone should most definitely hear and more than likely own.

Here, in no particular order, are 10.

See Also:

*10 Jazz Albums to Listen to Before You Die

*Top 25 Greatest OC Bands of All Time

*Top 10 Band Wally George Band Interviews From the Hot Seat

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See Also:
*10 Jazz Albums to Listen to Before You Die
*John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme': The Story Behind the Album
*John Harrington Incorporates Jazz and Jay-Z On Stop Time's New Album
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Anton Zaslavski, aka Zedd

Anton Zaslavski, better known by his DJ alias Zedd, is no stranger to the music world growing up in Germany with two musician parents. By age four, he'd began playing the piano and drums and receiving training in classical music. "I played classical music until I was 12 years old and realized it wasn't as cool," says Zaslavski. "Then I joined a rock metal band and played the drums with them for almost 10 years." He played in Dioramic, signed by Lifeforce Records, even once he began his electronic music producing career in 2009. "Once I started touring as a DJ I flew back to Germany to make another album with the band, but it just didn't make sense for me to stay in the band if I was always away," Anton says. With hardly any accent, you could barely tell he's only been touring the States for a year.

Zedd's interest in electronic music came from hearing Justice's "Cross" which made him want to produce electronic music and incorporate it with his band. "I knew Daft Punk and Justice but that's it," he says. "I really just did it for fun. Then one day I sent Skrillex a remix and next thing you know he brings me on tour and my life is changed." Anton went from playing a show with his band once or twice a week to DJing for three months straight after releasing songs on Dim Mak Records and OWSLA (Skrillex's label). "I do miss my family and friends from home but you kind of get used to it," says Zedd adding that when he does get a break he goes straight to the studio.

See Also:

*Slander: Two Former OC Frat Boys Help Take TrapStyle Worldwide
*Nocturnal Wonderland: Our Recap From A to Z
*Singularity Highlights the M in EDM

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Marcos Godoy Godchaux

If Lookout! Records still existed, Orange County foursome the Hoagies would be the ideal group for the label. Take one part three-chord punk a la the Queers and one part '70s rock a la the Donnas and you've got the Hoagies.

However, there's more to the Hoagies than just a fascination with '90s Bay Area punk. You see, the Hoagies like sandwiches. A lot. So much in fact that the foursome (singer King Hoagie, guitarist Tony "No" Bologna, drummer/keyboardist Sloppy Joe and bassist Rye Bread) are about to release a 12-song record titled Cold Cuts that includes songs such as "Rye or Die," "I Wanna Grinder" and "I'm Gonna Put It In Your Pita."

Joke and/or themed bands almost always suck, but don't go dismissing the Hoagies as the punchline to a joke no one ever told because the songs are actually really good. In fact, Cold Cuts is so rockingly catchy that I, a vegan, not only enjoy the record, I'm thinking about getting a pastrami on sourdough right this second.

OK, that's a lie, but I did like the songs enough to devote an entire six minutes coming up with questions to email the band. Here, in not even remotely close to their entirety, are their pickled answers. 
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'Philm Harmonic'...get it?

Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo's side-project Philm is defined by its ability to explore new horizons of metal-based soundscapes from a 'less is more' musical philosophy. That experimental ethos even extends to the Cubano's legendary kit which is whittled down to a four-piece set that still blisters with fury. The LA-based power trio rounded out by Gerry Nestler on guitar and vocals with Pancho Tomaselli on bass have carved out full spectrum dominance with today's release of the band's long-awaited debut Harmonic by Ipecac Recordings.

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Last year I introduced you to the wonderful delight that is Jawbreaker Day (if you forgot, click here). More »

Had he not passed away on Feb. 10, 2006, beloved hip-hop producer J Dilla would have turned 38 years young Tuesday. Although his official cause of death is cardiac arrest, Dilla suffered from a rare blood disorder called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

In honor of J Dilla's birthday, his premature passing and his awesomeness, we are going to post one must-hear track every day until Friday.

Happy birthday, J Dilla, and rest in peace!
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​Had he not passed away on Feb. 10, 2006, beloved hip-hop producer J Dilla would have turned 38 years young Tuesday.

In honor of J Dilla's birthday, his passing (Dilla suffered from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, although is official cause of death is cardiac arrest) and his awesomeness, we are going to post one must-hear track every day until Friday.

Happy birthday J Dilla and rest in peace! More »