Right off the bat I hit you with one of the more promising bands in the next wave of Latin American music. La Mecanica Popular is a cutting edge tropical band based out of NYC but born from a chance meeting of musicians from Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and the US whose love of 70's salsa dura beats at the heart of a sound that is much more than salsa music. Rather than ride one influence, this octet on the rise has placed their bets on a few ponies; trading a traditional horn section for some twisted synth lines rolling on Peruvian chicha-style guitars while grounding the percussion section in the classic bongo-conga-timbal arrangements of hard, street-style salsa bands they both emulate and eviscerate the styles of their inspiration. Original stuff this psychedelic salsa. And they're on the rise, working with some of the best producers to create their self-titled debut out now on the Names You Can Trust label.
