Occur Goes Global - The Music of Argentina

• by Melissa Bobbitt
• Jul 6, 2015

Don’t cry for Argentina— the South American nation has plenty of diverse music to enjoy. These artists embrace traditional elements in their percussion and tempo, while plumbing the expanses of the aural universe. Let’s delve into the past and explore the Futuro of some of the best Argentine musicians.

Axel Krygier

This writer’s father commented that this Argentine’s music “sounds like something the Addams Family would like.” With spooky, cartoonish horror noises and smoky, cool instrumentation, Axel Krygier merges the worlds of Quentin Tarantino and Troma films. His latest album, Hombre de Piedra (Crammed Discs), tells the tale of a man-beast from the Stone Age, inspired by French cave paintings. Megalithic!

Chango Spasiuk

Bridging Argentine and Ukrainian styles, Chango Spasiuk is one of the modern frontrunners of chamamé. This polka-like sound relies heavily on his frantic accordion playing and the joyously noisy percussion, like gourds and the cajón. Spasiuk is celebrated in Argentina as a folkloric innovator, and his influence is felt even in Western Europe, where he has been praised by the BBC.

Kill West

Send in the drones! And we mean sumptuously droning guitars, doomy vocals and death-march drums. Kill West from Buenos Aires borrow from Black Sabbath, Pavement and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club on their June 2015 release, Smoke Beach, a self-assured work of pleasing darkness. Leader Franco Beceiro is one talent to watch out for when it comes to the next wave of guitar heroes. Thank you to Emerging Indie Bands for the suggestion!

Abel Pintos

Singing since age 7, this romantic recalls Enrique Iglesias before his lyrics went in the gutter. Pintos is the guy you’d want to take home to mum— with albums called Sentidos (“Meanings” or “Feelings”) and songs entitled “Aquí te Espero” (“I’m Waiting for You Here”), he wears his heart on his sleeve. He might even have crossover appeal to English-speaking Baby Boomers, as his voice often treads into Richard Marx territory.

Violeta Castillo

Straddling the chillwave of Beach House and the maudlin sweetness of Camera Obscura, Violeta Castillo is an indie rock diamond in the rough. Since 2011, she has delivered crystalline melodies and a baby doll allure. Songs such as “Las Cremas,” off 2013’s Hasta Abajo EP, come off playfully and intelligently, with just the right amount of doe-eyed wonder. Castillo is currently starring in Futuro, a play about an all-girl rock band.