Pablo Diaz-Reixa, the man behind Spanish language dance-party-rock outfit El Guincho, is finally coming to the good old U.S. of A! After a handful of cancelled dates earlier this summer, North American fans will soon be able to see the man live and in person. They'll also be able to purchase the debut album Alegranza! from our friends over at Young Turks/XL Recordings on October 21. If you've heard the joie de vivre-inducing first single, "Palmitos Park," you know this is good news. But if not -- here are a few fascinating "facts" related to an artist about whom I could find virtually nothing actually fact-based during a brief Google search.
1. El Guincho told Drowned in Sound that his initial idea was to create something along the lines of a "space age-exotica kind of record" in the vein of Martin Denny. Apparently, in the space age, sophisticated-looking cocktail lounge ladies will be replaced with parrots with spider eyeballs. If you Google Image this, you will understand. While you're at it, Google Image "monkey waiter," too. You won't regret it!
2. El Guincho uses a lot of neon -- in publicity photos, the aforementioned album cover with spider-eyed parrot, and, not to stretch the description too much here, also in the kinda technicolor-esque production of the tracks. But don't stop reading when I say "neon" -- this is no nu-rave reject trying to fit into skinnier turquoise jeans than the Klaxons. Alegranza! is a timeless party record, in, um, the way space-age exotica is, um, timeless.
3. El Guincho is the name of a town on Tenerife, one of the islands composing Spain's Canary Islands. Yes, this is the last fact I found on the internet that can even be considered related to this story. At least it's the factiest!!!
