Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Reina por una dia

Play it: Kinky Reina

While we're still on the subject of Nip/Tuck promos, for seasons 1 & 2 the song that was used to perfection was Kinky's "Mas," from their self-titled debut from 2002. That song was all over the place... in television commercials, as theme to a NBC mini-series... it seemed Kinky was on the verge of breaking out. Unfortunately, their second release, Atlas (2003) didn't deliver on the promise. So here it is three years later and we finally have another album from the Monterey, Mexico band.

It almost didn't happen though... as when they were recording (what would become Reina,) the house they rented to record in got caught in a mudslide.... mud and debris came through the doors and windows during one of their sessions. After catching their breath and making sure no one was injured, they cleaned up their gear and continued recording (with a new and unique perpsective.) It's this spirit of dirt and exhilaration that infuses their unique mix with something extra. Reina is Spanish for 'queen' and perhaps it's appropriate to liken Kinky to a latin version of the Scissor Sisters, as their over-the-top electro-pop funk and disco grooves are perfect for dance floor. Kinky mix rock, funk, disco and native latin sounds (accordian and rhythms) for a diverse dance-your-butt-off diversion.

Some of the synth-funk reminds me of what Duran Duran tried and failed to do in the late-80s, but Kinky pull it off. Oh, and wait a minute... isn't that the dude from Men at Work (Colin Hay) singing "Monday Killer"?

As an aside, I've found this to be the best album (possibly ever) to work out to as the beats-per-minute are nearly perfect throughout the album to keep the heartrate up on the cardio machines. ("Vamos" the voice in my head keeps saying.) On the dancefloor, I'm sure the workout would be just as intense.

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