VIDEO: Ozomatli’s “Place In The Sun”

While most of the United States in the middle of cold weather or feet of snow, Ozomatli celebrate their California living by honoring what’s up in the sky with their new video for “Place In The Sun” which may be a perfect remedy for the chill some of us are going through right now.. The video was directed by Damon Vonn and is the title track of their latest album.

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VIDEO: Ozomatli’s “Tus Ojos”

They’ve been together for almost twenty years, and with their latest album out now called Place In The Sun, Ozomatli are continuing to show why they are powerful and great with their new video clip, “Tus Ojos”, nicely directed by Miguel “M.I.G” Martinez.

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VIDEO: Ozomatli’s “Brighter”

The good friends of Ozomatli are back with a new album, this time on Vanguard Records (known as the former home of Country Joe & The Fish). It’s called Place In The Sun and from it is a song fitting for the title, “Brighter”. As Pebbles & Bam Bam once said, open up your heart and let the sunshine in.

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REVIEW / RECORD CRACK: Various Artists’ “Luz De Vida”

The Tucson, Arizona-based Fort Lowell Records has become one of my favorite independent labels, with a good range of artists who have made some quality music. All of their releases have been released as 7″ records, but for their brand new project they’re going all out, and for good reason (and a cause).

Luz De Vida‘s subtitle is A Compilation To Benefit The Victims Of The Tucson Tragedy, in reference to the shooting that happened in the city on January 8, 2011. The album was put together with help from Music Against Violence, and the music on here feature songs that are in response to the shootings that had taken place, along with artists who have simply done songs about tolerance, making positive changes, and more. The digital download features 37 artists, including tracks from Ozomatli</B., Robyn Hitchcock, Tracy Shedd, Calexico, Jimmy Eat World, Meat Puppets, and more.

The 1-LP vinyl version trims the selections down to 12, but those who do buy the LP (on yellow vinyl) will be able to download the full digital version album for free. However, the vinyl version does feature an exclusive track not inthe digital format, a cover of Sam Cooke‘s “A Change Is Gonna Come” performed live by Chango Malo. The song has been used effectively for a number of things in the last 50 years, most notably by film director Spike Lee in the scenes before Malcolm X was shot to death in the biopic Malcolm X.

What I like about the reduced selection on the vinyl pressing is that it tends to focus on less, which may allow some listeners to focus on the songs and artists a bit more. Even with a good range of rock, pop, and acoustic material here, I found one of the best songs on here to be “Luz a la Vida” by Mariachi Luz de Luna. The music is timely, for it’s not only a celebration of life, but a plea to simply live as you are, and I get an incredible sense of a family/community vibe in the song. In many ways, the song indirectly says “we are Tucson, we are Arizona, and we love it here”.

The shootings that happened that day were senseless, but the compilation is one way of uniting and say “life truly goes on, and let’s make this life better together”.

(To order the vinyl pressing, check out the official Fort Lowell Records blog. For digital orders, please use the Amazon box below, or click here.)

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All proceeds from the sales of the album go to the Tucson Together Fund.

RECORD CRACK: Ozomatli will “Fire Away” at vinyl junkies

Ozomatli are only a few weeks away from releasing a brand new album called Fire Away, and those with turntables will be very happy to know that it will be released on vinyl as a double LP. Not sure if it will be packaged in a standard cover or in a gatefold, because as you know, the gatefold can be placed on your lap for celebratory interactivity in honor of 4/20, the release date.

Pre-orders are being taken at Amazon for it, so head there and buy a copy or three. If you order from Ozomatli’s own website, you can have the album as a part of a few bundle deals.

The group also recently celebrated their 15th anniversary as a band on April 1st while on tour in Australia. Once they return, they’ll be touring almost non-stop throughout the year, including a number of festival stops.

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VIDEO: Ozomatli featuring Jack Johnson’s “It’s Only Paper”

The truth of the matter is that this is not the official video to a new song by Ozomatli (at least I don’t think it is), but bassist Wil-Dog spotted it on YouTube. It’s the song the band did with Jack Johnson. Now if this is the real video, all I can say is AWETHOME!!!

SOME STUFFS: Ozomatli are prepared to “Fire Away”

Fifteen years after they found each other and started a band, Ozomatli continue recording, touring, and doing sonic damage around the world. The band will be releasing a brand new album on Mercer Street Records called Fire Away, scheduled for release on April 20th. The album will be available for pre-order via iTunes on March 23rd.

The group are currently on tour, head on over to Ozomatli.com for details. There are no scheduled concert plans for 4/20, but if there are, I’ll keep you posted.

SOME STUFF: Ozomatli to appear on “The Today Show” next week

June 17, 2009 is when you’ll want to mark your calendars as Ozomatli will be performing on The Today Show on NBC, as part of a profile on Latin music. They will be performing between 8:30am-9am, so set your DVR’s.

FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD: No chicken of the sea, Chali 2na is ready to “Lock Shit Down”

This is brand new music from Chali2na, and this time he’s teamed up with Talib Kweli for a track called “Lock Shit Down”. This is a sneak preview of what’s to come on Chali’s forthcoming album, Fish Outta Water (Decon), due out on June 23rd. He will also be on this year’s Rock The Bells concert tour.

Oh, and you’re asking “where’s the MP3?” Click here (8.48mb).