FUCK HER OR THE TERRORISTS WIN
FUCK HER OR THE TERRORISTS WIN
The Poni Republic, Mexico ***
Rating: 68
By Jean-Stephane Beriot
The support for the net label projects is of true excitement, at least on this site, they’re making the big labels down the border look extremely bad. The idea of giving away music for free is not a new thing, but we’re starting to see a movement solidifying quickly, Mexico steps up right away having The Poni Republic and Delhotel releasing some of the most sensitive music we’ve heard lately. Fuck Her or the Terrorists Win (badass name) is yet another project from Roberto Polo, who to my understanding is part of En Ventura, 60 Tigres and Mr. Racoon, which tells me he must have a lot of times on his hands, but this guy is undeniably talented. The other half is Roger Camara, he was part of Album, it’s a shame that band didn’t continue, and a shame I didn’t get to hear Cancer Baby on time last year since it would have popped in somewhere in my top 20 of 2008, the exact same thing happened to me with En Ventura’s Los Gandharvas. With so many projects in hand, it would seem this new formation is more of a transitional album; it certainly feels a bit too static considering the fairly superior previous work. There’s a clever and distinctive production, a sound design that’s surrounding the new wave of great artists from Monterrey, a second fresh lineup as outstanding as the previous one. This particular case doesn’t move me much; it lacks the sensitivity of Javiera Mena’s Esquemas Juveniles although it sounds a lot like it. Is Monterrey the most hipster city in Latin America? It might just be, even if one hates the term itself or chooses to embrace it, like they do in the notable track “Hipsters.” There is a huge standout that gets everything right, “Happenstance” is about expectations, it has a great vocalization, a bouncy tune with beautiful lyrics about breakup and the idea of trying to get a hold of the past. It’s no disappointment, it’s a fresh scene we’re witnessing, a notable release from two guys with plenty of talent going on.