Dude, I tell you what: all of these damned modern musicians are so damned “authentic!” I mean, these days it seems like everyone and her brother/sister who has embarked on a solo-oriented musical career is forgoing the time-honored use of some stupid moniker and going by his/her good ol’ given Christian name instead. But GOD DAMN is it confusing to remember who’s who! Sure, toss me a Jim O’Rourke or a Björk once in a while and I’ll keep their names straight and remember who they are all day long. But these days I’m not sure who’s Marie Stern and who’s Henry Kaiser and who’s Carla Bozulich and who’s… I don’t know… Cassandra from Wayne’s World.
But oh well, I guess. Just gotta suck it up, because here comes another innocuous NAME TO REMEMBER. This time it’s Ava Mendoza, a soulful, free-jazzy, bluesy, noise-rocky singer/songwriter/guitar-slinger extraordinaire who has collaborated in the past with such other badass-if-frustratingly-named artists as the aforementioned Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Nels Cline, Merill Garbus, Mike Watt, Henry Kaiser, Weasel Walter, Luc Ex, Thollem McDonas, Damon Smith, and Jamaaladeen Tacuma. In addition, she was also heralded as one of Guitar World’s “10 Female Guitarists You Should Know” (so you know she’s credible as balls!). And in case you clicked through and read this far without actually reading the headline, the SCOOP here is that Mendoza is officially putting her own normal-ass name out there, releasing her debut LP on New Atlantis Records this coming April 15! TAX DAY.
It’s called Unnatural Ways, and according to its pretty sweet press release, this “slab of wax delivers unabashed, raucous sonics, marrying the menacing tones of the creative rock underground to haunting, arcing compositions, potentiated by the fiery spontaneity of classic free jazz.” Collaborators on the record include Dominique Leone on keys and Nick Tamburro on drum kit. You know those names, right? Good. Cuz you’ll want to be streaming as many songs from the record as you can so that you can look intelligent when you’re singing and air-guitaring along at the huge string of worldwide shows that Mendoza has also concocted for this spring. Look out, world! Here comes… another very special person we’ve all gotta start keeping track of! I can’t wait! I’ve already put her name in my Gmail contacts.
[Visit full site to view media]Unnatural Ways by Ava Mendoza
Unnatural Ways tracklisting:
01. Shapeshifters
02. That Furious Harpy’s Still Following Us
03. Dogsbodies
04. No Record
05. They’ll Get You in Your Dreams Irene
06. Quit Your Unnatural Ways
07. Feral Twin
08. Danifest Mestiny
09. Is This a Joke
Ava Mendoza tour dates:
03.07.15 - Charleston, SC - Local 616
03.08.15 - Orlando, FL - Park Ave CDs
03.09.15 - Jacksonville, FL - Raindogs
03.10.15 - Atlanta, Georgia - Eyedrum
03.11.15 - Asheville, NC - The Mothlight
03.12.15 - Columbia, SC - Conundrum Music Hall
03.14.15 - Baltimore, MD - Windup Space
03.14.15 - Philly, PA - Red Horse Studio
03.15.15 - Brooklyn, NY - Silent Barn
04.04.15 - Moosburg, Germany - Jazz Club Hirsch
04.05.15 - Bremen, Germany - Die Friese
04.07.15 - Christiania, Copenhagen, Denmark - Science & Cocktails
04.08.15 - Oslo, Norway - Victoria Nasjonal Jazzscene
04.10.15 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Christianshavns Beboerhus
04.11.15 - Hanover, Germany - Stumpf
04.12.15 - Berlin, Germany - TBA
04.14.15 - Cologne, Germany - Stadtgarten
04.15.15 - Wurzburg, Germany - Freakshow
04.16.15 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Bimhuis
04.17.15 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Rumor Festival
04.18.15 - Lille, France - CCL
• Ava Mendoza: http://www.avamendozamusic.com
• New Atlantis: http://www.newatlantisrecords.com