Viva Las Vegas - "Viva Las Vegas"

Viva las Vegas was formed by José Luis Aguado and Frank Rudow, singer and percussionist –respectively– of Manta Ray. On this project they created songs that immediately could be placed among the same musical boundaries inhabited by bands like Royal Trux, Come, Libraness or Modest Mouse. Yet there’s an unmistakably European twist to their music, bringing to mind that created by Dominique A, Yann Tiersen or Experience’s more introspective moments. During their short existence they developed a simple and yet complex style, based on an idea used by other musicians they admire: building instrumental layers over a central structure that varies only slightly. The songs on the eponymous “Viva las Vegas” are a mosaic of poetry, chanson and film-like atmospheres. Soundtracks to impossible and possible films spread in mid-tempo that, just when they seem about to take off, leave the listener face to face with total silence. Jose Luis and Frank offer a series of sonic turning points, their main characteristic being moderation; nothing screeches, nothing feels out of place, the vocals hardly ever rise above the music.