Mojave Sol: Putting Magic in Their Music
As they prepare for their upcoming album release party. Includes words, pictures and a recap film.
Today at work, I put on one of my favorite playlists for my work family. As we listened and worked, we talked about how music has magical properties to it. For one thing it allows you to time travel. Put on a meaningful song from your youth, and see if you don’t immediately go back in time to the exact circumstances involving that song!
Music can make you remember lyrics you haven’t heard in 20 years. It can make you see faces from long ago, and feel the exact same heartache you felt when last you saw them. It can make you smile awkwardly, and stare into space while you drift away on a familiar melody. It puts you in a distant state of mind. My work friends and I agreed that music is magic.
Later, on the evening of 28 January, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a practice session with LBK-based Rock band Mojave Sol. They were getting ready to play at their upcoming album release party, which will be on 30 January at Primavista Event Center.
Vocalist Steven Vasquez seemed to agree that music has a type of power. He says back when he grew up, he would be at his grandmothers’ house and see “all my uncles and my cousins going back there and playing. That’s all they would do--go play. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to go back there and watch them play, and I wanted to learn how to do it.”
Joe Perez, sitting on the throne behind an electric drum set, was also entranced by listening to and creating music. “I wish I could do that all day, just play music, because that’s all I really do is listen. I just sit in here and listen to music.” “Stealing stuff, like “Oh, I can do that? “Yeah, put that there. Oh, I heard this.” “And it always happens that way, creating music, you know, you’re always chasing it, right?” “Because it never really comes out the way you want.”
As a wannabe musician and working cameraman, I totally understand the futile, but joyous task of trying to make what you see and hear on the inside turn into a real thing that exists on the outside. Oh, and isn’t that the very definition of “magic”? Using your inner power to make something from nothing in a way that affects other people?
Video: Mojave Sol Putting Magic in their Music
I find Mojave Sol’s music to be challenging and funky and bluesy. And Loud! You can’t help but bob and nod your head when they are playing. Their sound is gritty and soulful with a subtle undertone of pain or nostalgia, perhaps. They kind of remind me of “All Them Witches”.
Guitarist Juan Rodriguez said, “The vibe I get from it is just you can drive in your car and listen to it. Just take off driving”.
Speaking of the songs on the album, Joe said he was, “starting to see how they move. And I think that’s one thing about this album too: they all tie in somehow.”
When I asked about influences, bassist Marin Ramos said, “I love metal. I like everything, man, because I grew up on rock and roll. My parents listened to, well, it’s classic rock now. So I grew up on all types of rock. I didn’t listen to Spanish. That’s where me and Joe kind of go on-and-on because he loves Spanish, old, school Spanish.”
In fact, one of their most popular tunes is a love song in Spanish called “LLorando”. I first heard them perform it live at Caviel’s Museum and Art Gallery on a “First Friday” back in 2024.
First Friday Art Trail at Caviel's Museum of African American History
Note: Paid Subscribers can listen to this article, and check out additional pictures and audio from Mojave Sol’s performance.
I think the most intriguing thing about Mojave Sol’s sound is that, yes, it’s rock, but it’s heavily-flavored with blues and something else. It can pulse with heavy machine-gun drums and bass, shredding guitar and powerful lyrics, yet still some how manage to convey a sense of longing and deep feeling.
If you like real music, played from “the culture of the heart” as Steven put it, then Mojave Sol might be the band for you. They are a talented, down to earth little group that knows how to put that deep earth magic in their music that shakes the walls and makes you move. We plan to check out their album release on 30 January, and we hope to see you out there.