Sweet Electra & Contramano Live at Rose

CONTRAMANO

Built on the driving rhythms of an electric cello of, Keys, bass and drums, Contramano’s sound blends punk, chamber,
world, and electronica.

Socially conscious lyrics with an existential bent—in Spanish and English—create a patois for the new global gypsy.
The live shows make a club feel like a stadium, with video displays, a singer prone to roaming the room and audience
members taking a turn on his cello and guitar.

In 2009, Contramano finds itself at the precipice of breaking into its broadest and most diverse audiences yet. MySpace Latino
chose the band as the winner of its NYC showcase in October 2008 and signed on as co-sponsor of the band’s Spring 2009 tour
of the United States. This tour included a trip to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where the band was officially selected for a
performance showcase and included on the NYRemezcla night. MyspaceLatino was an official sponsor of this tour.

In March, they shared a bill with the Grammy Award artist from Argentina, Bajofondo Tango Club, in a sold out show at the
Highline Ballroom. That show also happened to be their 'welcome back' show from the SXSW tour.

Additionally, Contramano was finalists in FuseTV's "Make a Star" competition and "SpaceCotheque" was featured track on both
iTunes and MySpaceLatino as well as in the just released documentary "Streak to Win" by filmmaker Sean Tice, out now
episodically on the internet (www.streaktowin.com)

SWEEET ELECTRA by Randomville

Since their 2002 debut album Lying To Be Sweet, the members of Sweet Electra have since honed a sound not unlike that of New Order’s Get Ready, which is to say, a unique and engaging synergy of old school / new school thought that vacillates seamlessly between New Wave, Electronic, and Indie Rock whilst also retaining their native Mexican roots, drawing from other flavorful genres like Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova, and Drum and Bass.

In other words, the ADHD generation is gonna love it.

At the core of the musical melting pot is the duo of Nardiz Cooke (vocals) and Giovanni Escalera (producer, composer, and guitarist). Escalera, who helped herald the late-90s electronic music scene in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, divided his formative years between being weaned on traditional Latin American pop and consuming the latest British New Wave. No doubt, this was a driving catalyst in shaping Sweet Electra’s unspoken modus operandi: to create truly, worldly music. After forming Sweet Electra in 2002, Giovanni relocated to Mexico City’s burgeoning bohemian art scene in 2005, where he auditioned now vocalist Nardiz Cooke. Unlike Escalera, Cooke’s upbringing was relatively more straightforward, performing in traditional mariachi bands as a youth. The idea of collaborating with the even then mesmerizing stage performer prompted Escalera to record their second album, CAMA, in 2007. And the rest they say, is history; Sweet Electra quickly established a rampant following in Mexico City off the strength of both CAMA and their live performances, and at the height of their fandom, migrated to New York City in the hopes of making it big.

Whether its posing for a picture, or doing interviews for the various media outlets, its clear that the dichotomy that both binds and separates Escalera and Cooke is not lost on them; on-stage or off, the two-some appear about as homeopathic as Riggs and Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon series. Vocalist Cooke croons about vulnerability and loss exactly how you’d expect a love of child of Sade and Shirley Manson to croon; her sultry deliveries are a fantastic juxtaposition when paired with Escalera’s manic yet meticulous gauntlet of instrumental arrangements.

(Sweet Electra’s “Shadow” released off their 2007 effort, CAMA.)

In other words, the ADHD generation is gonna love it.

At the core of the musical melting pot is the duo of Nardiz Cooke (vocals) and Giovanni Escalera (producer, composer, and guitarist). Escalera, who helped herald the late-90s electronic music scene in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, divided his formative years between being weaned on traditional Latin American pop and consuming the latest British New Wave. No doubt, this was a driving catalyst in shaping Sweet Electra’s unspoken modus operandi: to create truly, worldly music. After forming Sweet Electra in 2002, Giovanni relocated to Mexico City’s burgeoning bohemian art scene in 2005, where he auditioned now vocalist Nardiz Cooke. Unlike Escalera, Cooke’s upbringing was relatively more straightforward, performing in traditional mariachi bands as a youth. The idea of collaborating with the even then mesmerizing stage performer prompted Escalera to record their second album, CAMA, in 2007. And the rest they say, is history; Sweet Electra quickly established a rampant following in Mexico City off the strength of both CAMA and their live performances, and at the height of their fandom, migrated to New York City in the hopes of making it big.

Sweet Electra poses for a photo taken by photographer Carlo's A. Cruz

Whether its posing for a picture, or doing interviews for the various media outlets, its clear that the dichotomy that both binds and separates Escalera and Cooke is not lost on them; on-stage or off, the two-some appear about as homeopathic as Riggs and Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon series. Vocalist Cooke croons about vulnerability and loss exactly how you’d expect a love of child of Sade and Shirley Manson to croon; her sultry deliveries are a fantastic juxtaposition when paired with Escalera’s manic yet meticulous gauntlet of instrumental arrangements.

Age Requirement: 21+contramanowhen we abandoned earth