Rodrigo y Gabriela have released their third studio album titled 11:11 (recorded in Ixtapa, Mexico) and it’s poised to make their current tour (dates listed below) one of the hottest live tickets this fall. If you’re not yet familiar with them, here’s the short version of the story: The duo met in Mexico in a thrash metal band. They soon moved to Ireland and, as a matter of convenience, switched to acoustic so they could tour the pubs without hauling heavy gear. Then they found their sound – a mix of rock, metal and Spanish-style guitar. It’s just the two of them, no percussion. What you hear that sounds like drums is them slapping, knocking and pounding on their guitars. It’s mesmerizing.
So what can you expect from the new album? They keep with the stuff that earned Rodrigo y Gabriela a loyal following but are clearly growing and exploring new territory. There are some new sounds teased in an earlier U.S. tour stop, like the distortion in “Buster Voodoo” ala Jimi Hendrix – all recreated on stage with no loops, no back-door tricks. Some other influences Rodrigo y Gabriela list on this album include Carlos Santana, Hendrix, Paco De Lucia, Pink Floyd and Pantera lead guitarist Dimebag Darrell.
We saw Rodrigo y Gabriela in Milwaukee this summer and it was easily one of the best shows of the year. Check out the footage. And don’t miss them when they come through town. It’s as must-see as it gets. I’ve also included a video of one of their new songs I found on YouTube, “Hanuman.”
JET also released an album this week titled Shaka Rock and it sucks. So, I’m not going to spend much time on it. Basically, JET hit their high-water mark when they had that iPod commercial for “Are You Gonna Be My Girl,” and they’ve been going downhill ever since. They’re boring and sound uninspired. It feels like they’re attempting to break out of their early mold, but instead dig themselves a deeper hole. Listening through the new album, I was reminded of 80′s Great White. No kidding. About the only use I see for JET anymore is a beginners level song on Rock Band.
Rodrigo y Gabriela, “Hanuman” live at Festival Eurockéennes
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8QjxTpXh1g[/youtube]
| 9-Sep-09 | Alhambra – SOLD OUT | Paris, France |
| 12-Sep-09 | Town Square | Caen, France |
| 16-Sep-09 | Terminal 5 | New York, NY |
| 19-Sep-09 | The Buell Theatre | Denver, CO |
| 21-Sep-09 | Moore Theatre | Seattle, WA |
| 23-Sep-09 | Fox Theater | Oakland, CA |
| 25-Sep-09 | Orpheum Theatre | Los Angeles, CA |
| 10-Oct-09 | 4th and B | San Diego, CA |
| 12-Oct-09 | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall | Portland, OR |
| 14-Oct-09 | Pabst Theatre | Milwaukee, WI |
| 16-Oct-09 | Riviera Theatre | Chicago, IL |
| 16-Oct-09 | Riveria Theater | Chicago, IL |
| 19-Oct-09 | House of Blues Dallas | Dallas, TX |
| 20-Oct-09 | Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre | Austin, TX |
| 22-Oct-09 | The Electric Factory | Philadelphia, PA |
| 23-Oct-09 | Orpheum Theatre | Boston, MA |
| 24-Oct-09 | Rams Head Live! | Baltimore, MD |
| 26-Oct-09 | Teatro Metropólitan | México, Mexico |
| 11-Nov-09 | La Carriere | Nantes, France |
| 12-Nov-09 | Casino de Paris | Paris, France |
| 13-Nov-09 | Aeronef | Lille, France |
| 16-Nov-09 | Olympia Theatre | Dublin, Ireland |
| 18-Nov-09 | Les Docks | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| 20-Nov-09 | Ancienne Belgique | Brussels, Belgium |
| 21-Nov-09 | Watt | Rotterdam, Holland |
| 23-Nov-09 | HMV Hammersmith Apollo | London, United Kingdom |
| 24-Nov-09 | O2 Academy, Birmingham | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| 26-Nov-09 | O2 Academy Glasgow | Glasgow, United Kingdom |
| 28-Nov-09 | Manchester Apollo | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| 29-Nov-09 | Colston Hall | Bristol, United Kingdom |
| 14-Jan-10 | ZEPP | Tokyo, Japan |
| 15-Jan-10 | CLUB Diamond Hall | Nagoya, Japan |
| 16-Jan-10 | IMP HALL | Osaka, Japan |
| 18-Jan-10 | TOKYO | Tokyo, Japan |
