What would happen if Frank Zappa fans played rock music with a caveman on the drums? Probably something like Cadaver Exquisito.
Last spring, the Montevideo-based hard rock quartet gave us great a new album titled “750 mg”.
♪♫ Listen: “Julia” + album stream
Cadaver Exquisito on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, YouTube.
Montevideo-based Hablan Por La Espalda are one of the Uruguayan independent bands with major worldwide reach.
A perfect mixture of Candombe and psychedelic rock, a flame of fire on grass dried by the heat of summer.
♪♫ Listen: “Himno del incendio” + album stream
Hablan Por La Espalda on Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube.
One of the most pleasant surprises for 2015 was the debut album of helf-Uruguayan, half-Swiss artist Iael Brener performing as Harvest.
Trip hop meets doom methal meets dream pop? Yeah, no, I’m not high (not yet). This is exactly what you have read. If you don’t trust me, just listen.
♪♫ Listen: “Thanatos” + album stream
While we are waiting for the new album of one of the best-kept secrets of Uruguay, La Foca, the band’s singer Federico Gonzalez has launched a solo project called Los Cheques de Viera.
On the self-titled he celebrates noise pop heavily influenced by the Spanish 90’s scene, and as always with a great work on melodies.
♪♫ Listen: “No te vayas a ir” + album stream
Los cheques de viera on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook.
A post punk duo with more energy than any other thing playing loud and with an unavoidable reference to one of the most important bands from the region of Río de la Plata, Sumo.
If you don’t know Sumo, google it, and then listen to Los Mostachos’ new album, “Kozmonauta”.
♪♫ Listen: “Where the Words Come From” + album stream
A one-man band joined a band to play his songs. A guy with a bag full of songs filled of emotions. It’s kinda impossible to listen to “Tristan Narvaja” and not feel the sorrow of being immersed by a different culture – he came to Uruguay from the US five years ago.
But apart form this song, the album is one of the most experimental records of the year with arrangements resembling the most acid time of The Beatles, Kinks and the Rolling Stones, deeply rooted in bluegrass and blues.
♪♫ Listen: “Trista Narvaja” + album stream
MF1MB on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.
Probably one of the solo singer-songwriters whose growth has been most impressive in the last year.
His debut album, “Todavía las nubes”, is full of great songs with great arrangements. And “El Equilibrio” is certainly one of the most epic songs Uruguayan scene gave us in 2015.
♪♫ Listen: “El Equilibrio” + album stream
Salvador Garcia on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter.
Señor Faraón is the solo project of Ismael Varela, the percusionist of Hablan Por la Espalda (see above).
Closer to the roots of folk than ever before, Sr. Faraón has became a notable character on this kind of music in the Uruguayan scene.
♪♫ Listen: “Sangre de amar” + album stream