Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
Vasos Vacios(1994)

review by: Chris Orcutt
Date: 7/13/00

These guys are totally nuts. They're this crazy ska band from Argentina (I think - in any case, all the songs are sung in Spanish) and there's like 10 of them, and they're all great musicians who play really well together. If you saw the movie "Grosse Point Blank" you might remember the song "Matador," which actually does sound like a charging bull.

This is a compilation of songs from 1985-93 and there's not a bad one in here. Definitely don't be put off by the fact that the songs are in Spanish; it's all so much fun that if you don't know what the hell he's singing about, it doesn't matter. There's straight ska stuff, plus some mambo (again, I think - I'm not too clear on all the different kinds of Latin music) and some crazy funk. More than anything, this record is exciting; it really gets your blood moving and surprises you into wanting to get up and dance or to start flailing around the room, or to do whatever you do best. "V Centenario" is a great example - it starts off with a nice Latin kind of beat with some kids singing and then all of a sudden breaks off into this insane ska rhythm for a bit, which gets you up out of your chair, and then for the chorus it totally kicks into overdrive and sends you through the wall. The whole album is a tremendous amount of fun. I actually had a chance to see these guys live a few years ago and they are fantastic - if they come to your town, check them out.