Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Please please please check out Rodrigo Y Gabriela! Look here first, then go and buy their new album. I saw them first in a brief snippet on Channel 4, one of those ten minute filler things. I had heard of them before, but nothing had really registered. Then I saw them play - my god!

I guess since they play acoustic guitars and come from Mexico, there is a temptation to call them flamenco-based, but since they started off playing in a thrash metal band and throw in covers of Metallica's Orion and Stairway to Heaven as well on their new album, they defy classification.

Go to their website (www.rodgab.com) and watch the live video of them playing the first track - it's just two guitars, a girl and a guy, but it's like nothing you've heard before. Phenomenal virtuosity, but unlike the deeply, deeply boring playing of the thrash scene they came from, they're not in thrall to technique over emotion or groove. Their songs are fantastically rhythmic without saying 'look at me, I can play in 13/19' or some such meters, have fabulous playing from both of them and make every track a joy. I thought the gold standard for albums like this was 'Friday Night in San Francisco', but this might make me change my mind.

P.s. I didn't know whether to be amused or angry at one of the reviewers who posted about this album on iTunes. I paraphrase, but the gist of it was - 'they're from Mexico, but they're way better than Cheech and Chong, so buy this album'!!! So what if these guys are good enough to be compared to John McLaughlin, all that Americans know of Mexican music is a stoner comedy duo from the 70s??? Surely not? Oh well, I guess that person meant well...