Reviews    Orquesta del Desierto - Dos (Alone Records/MeteorCity)
by Chris Barnes

Did you know that the odds of lightning striking twice are greater in the wide, dry and expanse space of the desert?

Steve "Dandy" Brown adds credence to my claim. Once again he and the combined musical chemistry of area musicians such as the Pete Stahl, Lalli brothers, Mike Riley, Country Mark Engel, Adam Maples, Pete Davidson (among others) captures the mystical desert magic that made the firstOrquesta del Desierto release such a slice o' musical magic.

Eyeing the above musicians, you'd expect a sort of stoner rock supergroup, indulging in vast amounts of volume driven by Gibson SGs and fuzz pedals on overdrive. Dos is the antithesis of that... Orquestra del Desierto still capture the intrepid spirit of exploration embraced by the early forebears of that movement, but ODD unplugs instead of turns up. Percussion and rhythm is influenced much more by Ibrahim Ferrer, Pancho Sanchez and various 60's and 70's Motown acts than Led Zepplin and Black Sabbath. Arrangements are accented with Tiajuana Brass-style horns instead of Hammond B-3s. Pete Stahl captures Harvest-era Neil Young and Buddy Guy way more than Bob Plant or Mark Farner. Not to say ODD doesn't rock, they most surely do, but in a much more roots-based and subtle way, combining Latin and American folk with blues and a bit of vintage Motown funky vibe.

It's refreshing to see musicians still finding ways to experiment and drive music into new, uncharted territories. The styles here are all familiar, but you've never heard them all in one place and melded into something completely exotic, rocking, compelling and new.

Another fantastic release from these guys.

Track Listing

1. Life Without Color
2. Summer
3. Above the Big Wide
4. Someday
5. Quick to Disperse
6. el Diablo un Patrono
7. What in the World
8. Over Here
9. Sleeping the Dream


Read the Hellride Music interview with Orquesta del Desierto's Steve "Dandy" Brown

Visit the Orquesta del Desierto website at www.spinningfish.com/odd

Copyright 2002-2003 HellrideMusic.com
Review by Chris Barnes 6/25/03