Hello, lovely Blood Makes Noise readers! My name is Val - you may or may not know me as El Valerie from Mint 400 Records. My music could be described as lo-fi, multilingual indie pop. In my spare time, I make visual art and release zines from time to time.
My songs tend to center on relationships and the human experience. I began making music in my teens, and was enamored with indie and experimental acts like St. Vincent, Le Tigre, and Be Your Own Pet. Art and music were and are boundless to me, a place to be free as a young woman and understand myself. I was open-minded and would continue to branch out, with my parents’ distinct tastes and backgrounds serving as a unique springboard. My Chilean mom loved pop and Latin music and would blast Juanes and Aventura at home, while my rock-obsessed American dad would go on and on about Led Zeppelin.
On April 21st of this year, I put out an album called Pan-American Pop that saw me dig into this trinity of Latin styles, American mainstream pop and rock, and alternative music that I grew up on. I am fascinated with the cultural origins of different genres, and wanted to write a bit about my own experiences and how my work has been shaped by them. Here are five songs that hopefully scratch the surface of my life in music thus far:
“Dile al Amor” - Aventura
Growing up in Queens, my mom’s love of New York City’s local Spanish-language stations permanently burned Aventura’s bachata-pop sound into my brain. Hailing from the Bronx, the band is a cherished part of the city’s storied arts history, which is rich with contributions by Latin artists from all over the Americas and the Caribbean. Romeo Santos’s voice is instantly recognizable, infusing romance and emotion into everything you could sing about.
Caribbean music has long been underappreciated; genres like bachata were historically misunderstood and disregarded due to their diverse, working-class roots. But from my perspective as a musician, bachata’s stripped-back folk sound is brilliant - soft yet sonically distinct, always bringing you back to exactly where you first heard it. For me, that place is my mom’s kitchen.
“Four Sticks” - Led Zeppelin
I heard this for the first time when I was about 16 and my dad played it in the car. I had begun learning guitar at around 13, and was getting into the technics of music around this time. I vividly remember not being able to pin down what time signature this song was in - it was one of those really striking moments for me as a listener. I think most of us go through that phase where everything our parents say, do, and like embarrasses us to no end. I have a new appreciation for this as an adult.
“Mediocre” - Ximena Sariñana
In my early teens I read a feature on Ximena Sariñana in a girls’ fashion magazine - she became the first Spanish-language artist I listened to of my own accord. The title track and opener of her first record, Mediocre, just blew me away. It’s one of those songs you want to holler at the top of your lungs to while drunk. Mediocre is an underrated and diverse album, comprising everything from modern Latin pop to alt-rock to jazz, but was still accessible enough to just be a fun listen - I forgot it was even in Spanish.
“The Next Time Around” - Little Joy
This was a U.S.-based act formed by Binki Shapiro, Fabrizio Moretti, and Rodrigo Amarante, all of whom had other bands before and after Little Joy, or who were fantastic solo artists in their own right. Their lone self-titled record had songs in both English and Portuguese. Discovering them in high school was this sweet moment of inclusion for me - I was like, “You can be Latin American and make this kind of indie rock music? Whoa!” It opened my mind. I’m still a huge Rodrigo Amarante fan. Soon after Little Joy, I’d get into his solo albums and then his previous bands like Los Hermanos (iconic) and Orquestra Imperial.
"Get Ready” - The Temptations
My mom once told me that growing up, she and her three siblings would fight over whose turn it was to choose a record to play on their shared record player. She would vie for The Temptations, a group so widely beloved that everyone can agree on them. As accessible and well-known as this song is, it’s a wonderfully well-crafted piece of music. The chorus of “Get Ready” has one of those rare and iconic hooks that grants you these big, expansive feelings about what art can be. Motown has defined pop songwriting to this day, and will always have a special place in my heart.
Music, like most forms of creative expression, is both a tool for sharing our individual experiences and a common thread that runs through all of our cultures and communities. It’s been fun to give you guys a little tour of my musical world! If you like, check out my record Pan-American Pop on Mint 400 Records. Thanks! :)
https://www.instagram.com/elvaleriemusic