By José Gandue @spinning zone Photo @sebas_cy (Winona Riders archive)
Perhaps, just perhaps, there's a chance to save rock as a genre and prevent it from becoming a museum piece missed by unforgivable nostalgics. It's about making it fun, festive, heavy, psychedelic, dense, experimental, and satisfying again. Yes, all of this. That with layers upon layers upon layers of noisy, strident, and unexpected guitars, it makes us feel the enveloping energy we seek, allowing us to embark on an inner journey that comforts and captivates us. That, even if it sounds like witchcraft or dark magic, it gives us peace amidst the sonic hurricane of its recordings. That was part of what good old-fashioned rock was all about, wasn't it?
They call themselves Winona Riders, They are the new jewel of the independent label Indie Folks, and they come from the western suburbs of Buenos Aires, from where famous groups like Caballeros de la Quema, Almafuerte, Divididos, Árbol and Jóvenes Pordioseros, Among others. They are barely over the age of majority, and even before releasing their first album, rumors were already circulating about their power on stage and the fury of their performances. Their performance at Niceto Club, a Buenos Aires venue suitable for a thousand people, sold out a week in advance. A few days ago, before the release of his album, This is what you get when you get tired of what you already got, They were the opening act for the legendary The Brian Jonestown Massacre, their personal heroes. They didn't do too badly. Among the new names on the Argentinian music scene, the Winona Riders are both the most loved and the most hated; there's no indifference towards them, and we know that., It's the best thing that can happen to a gang that's only been around for a few years.
This is what you get when you get tired of what you already got It lasts just 33 minutes, has six tracks, and is the best noise you can find right now in the Southern Cone. This is pure psychedelic intensity that must be listened to at full volume. Dopamine, "Their most popular track at the moment is an interspatial journey of just over six minutes from which it is impossible to descend until the very last second, a euphoric climb that can pleasantly burst our ears. Anton, Perhaps the most "quiet" moment of the production, the corrosion subsides and it fills with sitar sounds, reminding us of old recordings by the Rolling Stones and the Beatles., although without losing their usual vehemence. Death to the Winona Riders It's a train journey to the top of a mountain: at first slow, languid, barely carrying any weight. Then the aroma and the atmosphere begin to transform, to grow rarefied. The roar grows, and just when we think the final explosion is coming, it releases us and hurls us down the mountainside. The screams return in the next track on the list, when it starts to play Dance in ecstasy, a kind of return to the style left by Black Sabbath and similar bands, with high-pitched strings at full volume and reverberating voices tirelessly encouraging the fans.
Is rock dead? Apparently not. Apparently, although it shows weak signs of life at times, there are those who, despite their young age, have risen up to rescue it in a positive way. The Winona Riders are a great example of that.