Rodrigo y Gabriela -- Classic or Dud

Really feeling what I've heard of their new album. They're apparently a two-person act from Mexico, that began in a thrash-metal band before moving to Ireland and exploring a range of styles. They manage this cool fusion of rock riffs, flamenco, classical and Latin styles. Here are two older videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FXOd97CtnQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNc5o9TU0t0

If anyone's heard of them, what are your thoughts: (a) amazing technical talent and touch, or (b) showoffs who just speed-up versions of rote material?

(Sorry -- unintentionally left the impression that Stairway to Heaven is "rote material." It isn't. I meant their original compositions (which I don't think sound "rote," either, FWIW)).

they're adorable

Still love this act and this album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8QjxTpXh1g&feature=related

My wife thinks I like them because Gabriela's hot. That isn't the reason. But it helps.

i saw them some years back at bonnaroo, without knowing anything about them. they were a lot of fun live. her rhythm playing is pretty spectacular.

i think i'm one of, maybe, three fans of this band on ilm. their show in miami last night was killer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL9W6KF5AZc

I like 'em. I think they're better off as a live/touring act because there's not much they can do album after album with the two-guitar thing, without packing in so many special guests that their core concept becomes meaningless.

yeah. i sort of wonder how they'd do turning all that guitar fury into 3-minute pop/rock songs with hooks and vocals.

put differently, i guess i'd like to see them tinker with their "core concept," and see where it takes them. they're certainly talented enough to try different things.

My Spin review of their last album. (Ha ha, the comments are pretty funny, and mad. Didn't see them til now):

http://www.spin.com/reviews/rodrigo-y-gabriela-1111-ato

i was actually thinking of your review last night at the show. i don't agree that r&g's songs are "ignorable," and i've seen a lot of nondescript, bland, pointless "world-music" performances. to me, these two have actual songs, with structure and dynamics and memorable guitar phrases. and i think their guitar talent is extraordinary (especially gabriela's).

the opening act, i think, was much more the kind of stuff that's "equally ignorable at mud festivals and at ethnic restaurants" (a great line, btw, even tho i obv. disagree with it).

I'm another fan, Daniel, after last night's show in Luxembourg. I much preferred Gabriela to Rodrigo, in terms of both her down-to-earth charm and what she did with her guitar: she seemed to be teasing out as many interesting sounds as she could and the percussive elements were extraordinary, whereas he came across as a bit of a smart-arse at times. Overall, despite a couple of moments when I thought "OK, fine, you can play, now give me some songs", it was much fun, especially in this strange town, where audiences are notoriously arms-folded, uptight and "go on, impress me".

Gabriela > Rodrigo, I agree. "Gabriela leads the rhythm section", he once told me in an interview. Love the idea that a guitar duo can have a "rhythm section", but they do, they do...

live, free web performance of 11:11 on 11.11.

still love this act.

live at sasquatch music fest

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/01/136581209/sasquatch-2011-rodrigo-y-gabriela-live-in-concert

Saw them randomly at Glastonbury and looked them up. They're great.

Friend of mine opened for them and was telling me about them but I haven't got round to checking them out. Guess I will click on some of the youtube embeds upthread.

OK, pretty good, thanks.

They're on Leno tonight. Don't know if I can stand to watch the rest the show before that

http://www.hulu.com/watch/348400/the-tonight-show-with-jay-leno-fri-apr-6-2012

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/id/1395664

i coulda sworn i started a rod y gab thread somewhere

I decided I don't like them-- I'm not a thrash metal or prog jazz fan, and those roots show through in their sound even if they're playing with Cuban timba or salsa musicians.

rodrigo seems like the kind of guy who would stare at you while playing guitar in the corner of the party

Ha. Wasn't there an ilx thread re guitarists who stare why playing at parties (on ILE)

T/F: You have been the person in the corner of the party with a guitar

Their shtick gets old fast. They're good musicians and everything, but I've always been more into songs than flashy playing.

First time I saw a video clip of these guys I fell in love. I rushed out and bought two CD/DVDs and even the guitar tab for 11:11; but shit, do I fuck with them now? Do I fuck... Always appreciate them for their live work, but it's their nu metal "Are you fock'n ready?!" schtick that lets them down. I realise they're as much interested in thrash as anything else, but I just want to hear acoustic guitars being played in the most rad ways. Once they started adding pedal fx and stuff, it kind of spoils the illusion and I'm immediately watching it from the point of view of a bunch of Immortal Technique fans or whatever.

yeah, i kinda soured on these guys pretty fast. i still pull out the self-titled disc now and then, but i think i've only played 11:11 through twice. enjoyed seeing them live once, but don't think i could be bothered again.

Thought I might want to like them, but maybe I didn't

It ends up being about as annoying as some fingerpicking folkie over-arpeggiating the same old chords

new album this month. first single is more restrained than the first single from past albums

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maqOMyliwaQ

they're impressive, as always, but this time around i feel like i've got all of their albums that i need. like i've said in the past, i think they could use a change, e.g., use a singer and tighten the jams into three-minute rock songs. or something else. the way things stand, i feel like they've settled into a comfort-zone producing albums that will get them frequent gigs at summer festivals, which is . . . fine? sure, it's fine.