P.O.P. #01: Lo Siento
Lo Siento, photo by Noah Bender
Peer on Peer, or P.O.P., is the latest Secret East initiative to wrack the brains of Atlantic Canadian musicians for their recommendations of fellow regional artists, tracks and releases. We want to present these eastern selections like the “staff picks” wall that you’d see at your local record store.
First up we have Glen May of Conditioner on why Lo Siento are the latest St. John’s power pop standouts, and why they are not to be missed on their Eastern Canadian tour:
Lo Siento are my favorite band to spring up in St John’s this past year. The set up is a three-piece punk band that leans on stripped down guitar, bouncing bass and tight, efficient drums. Their sound is warm and familiar in its own right with just instruments: uptempo drums underlaying both low gain, bright guitar and a pulsating, locked in step bassline. Pure basement and/or garage, twee/pop/punk gold. But its the interplay of the effervescent vocals with the song’s bones that makes Lo Siento so easy to love. Pepa’s voice takes each song to a place that all constituent parts work so hard to build up. The singing is vibrant and resonant, hitting you over the head with an unforgettable melody. The package is reminiscent of the band’s sister project, Ribbon Tied, but without much of the moodier or slower motifs.
When a group of people step up and present something so genuinely self-aware and honest, its worth commending. The best part of Lo Siento is exactly that: the fact that they came out with immediate clarity and self-awareness. They know what works best about their sound, and they know that the songs demand that earnestness. Bands so rarely land on their feet like this, and many never find that sense of self. If that doesn’t move you to check them out, then maybe you would be enticed by the premise of a band from Newfoundland that sings entirely in Spanish because it really does make it all the better
– Glen May
Conditioner
Lo Siento just released a video for “No Tengo Remedio” , a track from their debut album. The visual accompaniment is courtesy of Patrick Canning, and you can view it here:
Lo Siento are also hitting the road this month for a spring string of Eastern Canadian dates. The tour kicks off on 4/20 in St. John’s. Check the full tour itinerary here:
