Review – Jodienda – Mi Fucking Corazon (Self-Released, 2009)

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Eclectic record, this one. “Mi Fucking Corazon” is a 6-song demo/EP from a duo of John Melillo and Steve Formel who describe themselves as “a spooky mess sounding somewhere between Nick Cave and Liars”. The description is fairly accurate.
There’s a ghost of Ian Curtis floating somewhere in the background, but the band doesn’t sound anything like Interpol/Editors or any other Joy Division worshipers/devotees. There’s a definite Nick Cave / Tom Waits presence, as well – a certain theatricality and a slight scent of madness are all over the record.
At certain points, it almost feels as if though the band is parodying something / someone. However, they’re also capable of getting the balance right between samples, distorted vocals, chanting and all the other elements and still sound original (which is not an easy feat to accomplish these days).
Production-wise,  there’s also a heavy ambient sheen that surrounds tracks (not unlike the effect that can be heard on Nirvana’s “In Utero” – even though the band’s sound have nothing to do with grunge).
Most certainly, its hard to find many direct comparisons with Jodienda and their music – there’s a lot of genres and styles mixed together, but in the end they got their own sound. Now its a matter of polishing it and taking it further.