Los Ninos de Cobre

A few weeks ago I was listening to the radio show Sound Opinions, and they devoted the episode to the rock music scene in Mexico. Needless to say, I hadn't heard of any of the featured artists, but I was fascinated. Mexican popular music is informed by the traditional root music, such as mariachi, but also has a lot of European and U.S. influences.

So I did a little reading and heard about a band that was influenced by The White Stripes. They're called The Copper Gamins, and I bought their album Los Ninos de Cobre (my Mexican boss at the pizza place where I work helpfully translated this for me as "Children of the Cobra.") It does sound a lot like the garage-rock revival of The White Stripes and The Black Keys, with the same guitarist/drummer combo configuration.

The guitarist and vocalist is Jose Carmen, and the percussionist is Claus Gall. The sound is very stripped down, with elements of the American blues, as filtered through the British invasion and underground rock. The instrumentation is pre-eminent--the recording on much of the songs has the guitar tuned way up with the vocals as if they were in the next room. This album is sung in English, but Carmen's vocals are so distorted and buried under the guitar that it's hard to understand him. There is a lyric sheet, but there isn't anything particularly profound.

The song most reminiscent of Jack White is "Nightingale," which I found the best cut. "Nightingale sing a song, sing a song about us, because I'm in pain, and I'm in love, and she won't notice my love." The song is impeccably arranged and played--it's top notch.

I also liked "Learn a Song," "Little Ron," and the epic if cryptic "Tell My Sister." None of the songs suck, and "Golden Card" has a very Keith Richards sound to it. I could close my eyes and imagine the Stones doing it very easily.

For some reason I've been thinking a lot about Mexico lately. I've never been there, and have no immediate plans to, but the country seems to be calling to me. Over the next few months I'll be checking out more music from Mexico, as well as some literature by Mexican writers and other books that are set in Mexico.