Kuhl T. Brown (31) - Submitted Wednesday Dec 6, 2006
I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico during my graduate studies at UNM from 2000 - 2003. I remember being really impressed with the breadth of homegrown music found in the 'Burque (as it's known to locals). The band per capita ratio seemed really high. Seemed like every other person I met was riffing on something. About my second week there I went to the annual "fall crawl" that serves as a local (and mostly drunken) music exhibition over three days in downtown venues. I remember most everything had a Latin-style edge to it (makes sense being only 300 miles North of the border). Ska bands with congas and mariachi shakers, you get the idea.
Naturally with so many bands per capita, there are plenty bad and mediocre ones, such as the perennial college bands attempting a formulaic sound based on whatever the top 40 buzz happens to be. And Albuquerque is way over quota on cover bands playing the requisite happy hour cheese rock. But I was continually blow away by the local talent in all kinds of genres. There were the local hard rockers Stoic Frame, that had had early G&R sound with some speed core mixed in. Red Earth was another local favorite, completely eclectic and always trying different types of genres (OK, you had to be in the mood for a rap-reggae version of 'imagine' by JL). There was a good (alt) country group, named something like the Blue Flames I liked to see. They had a bad-ass pedal guitar player and a singing duo that did the whole high lonesome harmony thing really well.
'Burque has some decent clubs. The Launchpad is a favorite venue that hosts a good mix of local and touring acts. I remember seeing a particularly raucous Frank Black show there where the opening act, a local rock-a-billy group, kind of Straycat wannabees, got into it with a group of hecklers in front of the stage. About half way through their set the lead singer starts face kicking the main heckler, gets a few in and is promptly hauled from the stage by bouncers before the cops show up. I imagine every scene eventually has its share of brawlers, but that incident sticks in my mind as evidence of a vague sense of menace clubs and nightlife in Albuquerque could have.
By far the best memories I have are of great house/dance parties thrown by friends and acquaintances at the university. There was a Brazilian samba-style percussion group that was usually involved by the name Concepto Tambor. Lots of frenetic energy, attempts at samba dancing, and flirting. Those parties usually ended late with some tranced-out DJ trying to spin two totally incongruent records and mumbling over the PA. Good times.
Although Albuquerque is not my hometown and I can't claim a native's perspective, in my short time there I was never at a loss for some boss sounds.
Naturally with so many bands per capita, there are plenty bad and mediocre ones, such as the perennial college bands attempting a formulaic sound based on whatever the top 40 buzz happens to be. And Albuquerque is way over quota on cover bands playing the requisite happy hour cheese rock. But I was continually blow away by the local talent in all kinds of genres. There were the local hard rockers Stoic Frame, that had had early G&R sound with some speed core mixed in. Red Earth was another local favorite, completely eclectic and always trying different types of genres (OK, you had to be in the mood for a rap-reggae version of 'imagine' by JL). There was a good (alt) country group, named something like the Blue Flames I liked to see. They had a bad-ass pedal guitar player and a singing duo that did the whole high lonesome harmony thing really well.
'Burque has some decent clubs. The Launchpad is a favorite venue that hosts a good mix of local and touring acts. I remember seeing a particularly raucous Frank Black show there where the opening act, a local rock-a-billy group, kind of Straycat wannabees, got into it with a group of hecklers in front of the stage. About half way through their set the lead singer starts face kicking the main heckler, gets a few in and is promptly hauled from the stage by bouncers before the cops show up. I imagine every scene eventually has its share of brawlers, but that incident sticks in my mind as evidence of a vague sense of menace clubs and nightlife in Albuquerque could have.
By far the best memories I have are of great house/dance parties thrown by friends and acquaintances at the university. There was a Brazilian samba-style percussion group that was usually involved by the name Concepto Tambor. Lots of frenetic energy, attempts at samba dancing, and flirting. Those parties usually ended late with some tranced-out DJ trying to spin two totally incongruent records and mumbling over the PA. Good times.
Although Albuquerque is not my hometown and I can't claim a native's perspective, in my short time there I was never at a loss for some boss sounds.