Brian Lopez
Artist Description
With his latest effort, “Ultra”, Brian Lopez has begun the work
of going inside himself to find out what he has to say to the world.
Ultra is the product of Brian Lopez's rock n roll heart. Yes, there are
the Spanish language songs, and as all the best foreign language songs
do, these transcend language barriers and move the spirit with the force
of their feeling. But there is more, much more to behold on Ultra, and
this reveals Lopez to be very much a product of his times, speaking to
his times. On Ultra (his first full-length solo effort), Brian's
infatuation with the sonics and atmospherics of Radiohead's OK Computer
is evident, as is his scrutiny of how Thom Yorke goes about making the
personal public without losing either his dignity or his soul. Like
Yorke, Lopez is a thoroughly modern young man who has deep roots in a
certain traditionalism that enables him to get his points across much in
the manner of a folk singer while presenting his findings in an
undeniably modern setting. In Brian's case, though, the music is a heady
synthesis of brute force rock n roll (he does after all, lead a highly
regarded three-piece band, Mostly Bears, that has won plaudits for their
rousing live shows) and Beatles-like classicism (literally, in that his
current band configuration for Ultra includes violin, cello, accordion,
upright bass and lap steel) centered in rock, country, pop, and
traditional folk all at once. He's played with Calexico, and recently
he's been touring with Howe Gelb and his band Giant Sand, who've helped
to build the careers of artists such as M. Ward, Neko Case, Granddaddy
and Scout Niblett. Ultra is the product of a long and winding music
highway Brian Lopez has been traveling for years through some
interesting byways of song and style, with more than a little personal
growth occurring along the route.
