Brian Lopez - Or As I Like To Call Him B-Lo

Brian Lopez is a man after my own heart.  Somewhere during the last few years I completely fell for Latin culture.  The food, the art, the language, and of course the music.

Here's a sneak peak at Brian's new solo project.  Mind you, this is a LIVE recording...

"El Pajaro Y El Ciervo" - Brian Lopez

So jealous of people who can whistle.

Spanish, English and even a little French combine in a pseudo chamber-folk setting on the upcoming album Ultra, courtesy of Funzalo Records.  Brian's sublime vocals are perfectly fitted for the warmth and drama of this solo effort.

His Devotchka-esque sound evolved naturally.  There was no master plan.   Perhaps it was his trip to Barcelona that influenced the multi-cultural sound.  Or it could be his more recent run with Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta, the indie mambo collective (definitely worth checking out, if only for the fact that they describe themselves as "indie mambo").  Maybe it was simply divine fate, a romantic thought fitting for such an album.

You might recognize that impressive voice from Lopez' other project, Mostly Bears.   A completely different sound - edgy psychedelic indie rock.  While most of their songs fit into that category, there was one, namely "Leda Atomica," that always stuck out to me.  Brian's voice, so haunting and nostalgic, really drew me in and elevated that band to a new level.  He kindly reworks this song into an epic 7 minute ballad on his solo LP, infusing it with strings and, my absolute favorite, Spanish spoken word.  I have no idea what he's saying.  He could be talking about nachos and I would gladly melt like cheese. 

But, friends, you'll have to wait to hear the goodness as there isn't a set release date for the full length. In the meantime, you can purchase some of the tunes on his El Blanco - EP.

Going to leave you with another gem to set your Friday off on the right foot, "Vagabundo."  Do yourself a favor and grab the full song here.