MP3 MONTOYA - Man Of The World

Indie/Rock/Garage

15 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Punk, POP: New Wave



Details:
The continuing saga of the Montoya brothers

Growing up in the south of Lima, we were exposed to all sorts of sounds: the knife sharpening guy's pan flute, Dad singing and playing Peruvian tunes on the guitar, Mom's 45 collection (Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock", The Guess Who's "8:15" and Santana's "Batuka" were some of the favorites) Lack of cable TV and video games made for an exciting time. We used to make Super 8 films which required gallons of fake blood, cardboard buildings and lighter fluid; flimsy bicycle ramps trying to emulate Evil Knievel's jumps; parachutes out of old sheets and curtain cords (the latter didn't work quite well, but that's another story) The band of brothers was an extension of all this. We called ourselves The Evil Clergyman, after an HP Lovecraft story. It was Sergio on drums, Sandro on bass and vocals and Gino on guitar and vocals. The first songs we wrote were long, slow and meditative, with the most depressing lyrics. We also had some sad, sad songs.

Political and economical uncertainty forced our family move to Costa Rica. Our music became more aggressive. Through our San Jose years, we played as Bobby Peru with a repertoire that included obscure heavy blues and original progressive punk. We used to play at a local venue called "El Jardin del Pulpo" (Octopus's Garden) where we received electric shocks whenever we touched the microphone. While this was potentially dangerous, it became a key element in achieving "our sound".

Always following the rainy weather and obsessed with its pop tradition, the band (minus Sandro) traveled to London, where we confronted our identity and came to terms with our musical ghosts. The result was The Crooners, a band which paved the way for future endeavors (several songs from these days appeared on the Gaijin Toroku and MondoNgo records).

Alone, cold and far from home, we felt the urge to go back to Lima and, with Sandro back on bass, formed Furtivos, a power-pop outfit, with a female singer and catchy tunes that sounded like The Velvet Underground-meets-Leslie Gore. The "famous" bright yellow demo could be considered eRRatic music's first unofficial release.

Once Furtivos disbanded, Sergio went back to London where he had a transcendental encounter with musician/artist/madman Nick Boon. Coming from different backgrounds but common music intentions and a taste for the bizarre, these Captain Beefheart admirers found themselves in constant pursuit of "The Artlife". Their collaboration produced the lo-fi "classic", Gaijin Toroku, and, with it, the eRRatic Music label was born (Nick boon's art has graced several of our release's covers and his own band "The Death of a Band" is groundbreaking and amazing)

Next was Seattle where Gino was working regular hours in a regular day job, light years away from "The Artlife". The rats were racing and Sergio made the transition from the old continent to complete the unfinished business. 2004 saw the birth of MONTOYA. It's single "El Gato" dealt with domestic uncertainty and the question of loyalty between man and beast. The original band had narrowed to only two members and the brothers performed as a powerful duo with a mission.

Embarked on this strange, never ending journey, traveling through time zones and geographical space, we remain on a quest to communicate and keep THE INTERNATIONAL UNDERGROUND alive. Our third effort, "Man of the World", is out now on eRRatic Music. Music from the other side of the fence, coming soon to a theater near you.


Review for "Visions of Ultratumba"

This is the second release from Montoya to pass through my hands. The first didn't inspire me to really write anything, and was relegated to our Bargain Basement where it met with similar shrugs from the CO South music team.

"Little Maniac" has changed my opinion of this duo of Peruvian immigrants. As of this writing, it is IMHO, the most unique and original song of the album. It's dark and urgent. Synthy, but not New Wave. The lyrics tell of a man's obedience to a dominating woman. He bows his head in obeisance, but wishes the leash were a little longer. The music aptly captures his total compliance to and overwhelming obsession with this imposing woman. Par Excellence!

But one song doesn't carry an album. A more understated assortment of tracks follows that contains a fire of slow-burning embers. If there's an overall aspect of Montoya to be impressed with, it's evident in the fact that they have managed to synthesize something from nearly every aspect of 40 years of American Rock & Roll and Folk. On "Slow Fade to Black" they show their immigrant colors with a hearty Latin beat and organ accompaniment. "Que Pasa Chichi?" has a low-slung and dirty-rock'n attitude one might expect to come blaring out of a Cheech Marin low-rider. "Stranded", the very next track, does an about face with a light and fragile, almost emo, ballad that cries out for a lost love. "Tu y la Soledad": I had to laugh aloud at the obvious The Who moment that sounds like it came right out of Tommy. A sly tip of the hat to a great band from across the Atlantic.

But the real masterpiece of this album just might be "Savannah." It's a simple song, musically, but the aching and regretful lyrics of a soldier executed for defending the honor of a woman who was nothing more than a common whore is probably the most powerful statement in an album filled with woe and loss. Completely deflated, his execution is almost anticlimactic.

JD - hybridmagazine.com


Praise for MONTOYA's debut album:

"Clomping out of the gate like a bar band Tarantino would love, the brothers Montoya soon settle into '70s rock swagger with an ease that belies their age. Witness "Las Joyas," which sways around drunkenly for the better part of its verses and then suddenly challenges you to a knife fight under the bridge"
- Tablet Magazine


"The Brothers Montoya kick the door in, dripping with testosterone and tequila, and hammer out first cut "Jezebel," all blaring guitars and repetitive, slightly threatening choruses. After chasing you under the table and laughing gruffly at your timidity, they pull you out and buy you a round. By the first shimmery chords of next track, "Solo," you're lost in the delicate harmonies and trying to remember what all the fuss was about. And it only gets better."
- Kevan Breitinger - www.indie-music.com


"MONTOYA is the debut from brothers Gino and Sergio. Two guys makin' some basic rock and roll noise. Cool! At times, sounds like a Spanish version of the Black Keys but not quite as fuzzed-out. Basic power rock-and-roll. Track 6 - EL GATO - rocks! Awesome!"
- Pat Turlo - WHMB Waterville, 89.7 FM