Reviews    Orquesta del Desierto - S/T (MeteorCity)
by Chris Barnes

It's about time that we can see just how uniquely talented these desert rock folk are outside the protective veil of copious amounts of volume. What better way than to unplug and rock? OK, mostly unplug and rock...

What we have here is the Desert Rock equivalent to Led Zepplin's III. Well, Led Zep III if Pagey, Plant, et.al. had enlisted the enigmatic magic desert influence and the help of Herb Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass, Simon and Garfunkle, a bit of Mowtown and some Eastern Indian influence. What a beautiful salad of sound.

Producer Steve "Dandy" Brown enlisted the help of various members of the Desert Rock elite to make this bit of magic. Members of Kyuss, Fatso Jetson, Che' and Goatsnake all chipped in, and the result is fucking amazing.

The majority of songs were written by Dandy Brown and eARTHLINGS?, ex-Goatsnake vocalist Pete Stahl. We may be looking at the Lennon/McCartney of stonerdom here. The quality of song-writing here is phenomenal, with such an amalgam of diverse influences that's it's impossible to categorize.

Pete Stahl continues to be among the best underground vocalists in the scene today. Whatah set of lungs and delivery this guy has. White boy blues all the way. He even pulls off a Mowtown-ish falsetto on the uplifting and percussion-laced "Make Fun". He is perhaps his most passionate on the hypnotic "Waiting for That Star to Fall" and the moving acoustic ballad "Alicia's Song".

After bearing having to bear the musical hijinks of the famed "Desert Sessions" in between serious songs, it's nice to hear the the other desert folk pull together to make a very real, unique and passionate album of incredible quality.

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

Purchase Orquesta del Desierto at the Hellride Music Super Store

Listen to a Real Audio sample of Shadow Stealing

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

Copyright 2002 HellrideMusic.com
Review by Chris Barnes 5/20/02