We got Brandon Welchez from garage duo Crocodiles to tell us all about THE SONGS THAT…
Got me into music…
One of my earliest musical memories is my dad playing Richie Valens “La Bamba” for me in his red Nissan. It was right when the movie with Lou Diamond Phillips came out and I guess my dad was showing me the original. My paternal side of the family comes from Central America and even though Richie Valens is from the USA he was important in kicking down the walls for Latin rock n rollers in the racist USA. My dad had cancer at the time (he survived) but I was too young to understand what was happening. I guess in retrospect he was trying to share some of his musical loves with me and give me something to remember in case he didn’t make it. I still love this song so much and include it in most DJ sets I do.
Reminds me of my favourite festival…
I actually don’t remember exactly what festival it was, but it was somewhere in the UK. I love Mazzy Star and since we were playing the festival as well we had all access passes. The whole band got to sit on the opposite side of the barrier from where the crowd was and enjoy what felt like a private Mazzy Star set. While thousands of kids freaked out behind us we got to sit there and sip beers and share a joint and watch unobscured while the band killed it. Great memory.
I love this year so far…
This is our friend Carla’s new project. She plays bass in a band called Ruido Rosa here in Mexico City and she and the lead singer, Alejandra, sang back ups on our new album. Silver Rose is her solo project and has some nice Mazzy Star vibes. She writes great melodies and has a great voice and is a nice person. Enjoying her music!
I want played at my funeral…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FFIFsK1duw
Perhaps it’s a bit morbid, but Charlie and I discuss this every once in a while. “If I die first you gotta make sure this song is played at my funeral blah blah blah” My choice changes all the time but I often come back to this track. It’s just so beautiful and optimistic and sums up the way I believe you should view life. Dream, baby, dream…forever.
I would play in a set to impress…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ0Y2eMTkCc
I have this 7″ in my collection and often drop it in and people always seem to love it, even if they don’t know it. Amanda Lear is the cover star of Roxy Music’s second album. The babe with the jaguar. There are many rumors surrounding her sexuality and gender but what really matters is she made some killer music with great lyrics. This song is fast enough and has a hard enough disco beat to dance to but it is also so ethereal and beautiful. It’s like dream-disco or something. I love this song.
Always gets me up and dancing…
I do a Jamaican music monthly here in Mexico City with my friend Frantz. We play everything from ska through to contemporary JA stuff. This track is one of the themes of the night, we always drop it at the height of the party and everyone freaks out, including me. I’m sure I look quite ridiculous behind the decks dancing harder than half the crowd but this song just does it to me every time. Great track.
Sums me up…
The lyrics to this song sum up a lot of my world view. Living your life and squeezing out as much enjoyment as you can while staying conscious and respecting everyone around the world. “Wild and free is the way I want my life / Nature’s way for me without pain and strife / Fighting what is wrong across the world as well as home / But respect for everybody’s rights could be really out of sight” This is the only life we get – love your life, love your brothers and sisters and enjoy!