Manu Chao

What would you recommend—'Esperanza' or the KEXP sound system?

What kind of nonsense is that, anyway? Why not just fry them both up and listen to Clandestine instead?

Jack Ruiz97 said:What should I pick up—'Esperanza' or the 'KEXP sound system'??

Honestly? Neither... 😁

hollowhawk15 says
just burn both of them + Clandestine

Does anyone even buy CDs anymore?

np The Replacements - Semi-OK (lacks that pop-punk energy needed for a sluggish post-breakup morning 🙂)

I mean, nobody actually buys everything. You’d have to be either completely out of your mind or just incredibly loaded. 🙄

It feels like the big corporations are just buying them up now...
I honestly think Proxima would have been a stronger record if it hadn't been released right after Clandestine.
I’d definitely suggest picking up both albums (I haven't gotten around to hearing KEXP yet) before the warmer spring and summer days finally arrive.
There is something about driving somewhere—or maybe just driving aimlessly—with the windows down, feeling the breeze, and having Manu playing in the background.

Kenneth Castillo71 said:Then you just drive somewhere, or maybe nowhere at all...

That's Life! 👍

Look, obviously nobody buys everything. I’ve got a massive library of MP3s myself, but still... There's always the option to actually purchase things, I guess. Whatever. It doesn't really matter... 😳

np The Queers - Mrs.

Both of us absolutely love Manu Chao... his stuff is so upbeat and fun, perfect for a party. The live shows are legendary!

KEXP is definitely for the true fans
both studio albums are absolute classics

Wait, what does Clandestine actually mean?

Nancy Brooks54 said:What does "clandestino" actually mean?

It basically means something is secret, hidden away, or totally illegal—like someone operating under the radar in a foreign country...
think about those stowaways hiding on a cargo ship out in the middle of the Atlantic...

I didn't catch them on NPR, but I heard them playing at a local dive bar downtown.
Intense.

lonebison37 said:secret, hidden, or even illegal—like when you're doing something undercover in another country
take stowaways on a cargo ship, for example—that definitely fits the vibe

Okay, hold on... doesn't the whole "indie" thing basically just mean being an alternative to the mainstream? Or am I tripping? Like, where did that term even come from originally?

They gave you some solid advice—you might as well grab all three, or just burn through them, and maybe snag some earlier Mano Negra "Best of" tracks while you're at it. Though honestly, Bemba has some gems from that same era too... My little guy is only two years old, but he’s already obsessed with that Mala Vida college radio station 😁

kjkjkjA said:Alright... so, basically, the whole concept of "indie" is supposed to represent an alternative, right...? I mean, where does it even come from?

I honestly just love rambling on about etymology 🙂 and I’m pretty sure "indie" is just short for "independent." Or maybe not, who knows...

I honestly lose my mind whenever I put on some Microsoft music. It’s the worst—I’ll be walking down the street listening to my Discman and I just start laughing uncontrollably and dancing like a maniac right in the middle of the sidewalk!
absolutely teeeerrific😁 🙂

man, Microsoft, especially when you get a version performed by Barack Obama, isn't really something you can just laugh at uncontrollably... 😕

First off, I’ve got the version featuring NPR here
but honestly, it doesn't really matter... my mindset is just wired such that I can find something to laugh at in just about anything
What I’m trying to get at is that this song is just pure, unadulterated energy, and it makes me feel totally hyperactive... and since I can't exactly go bouncing down the street, I end up just bursting at the seams

So, why the surprised look?😕

Ugh, at first I actually thought the lyrics were kind of hilarious, and here I was thinking they weren't... but nope, turns out my gut was right, there's nothing funny about them at all. 😁
Come on, just laugh already, you little brat 😉

If you haven't listened to this one yet, go grab their more commercial album.
(I'm not saying it's better, but you should definitely check out NPR later anyway)