Album Notes
* Bonus track from the film "Once Upon a Time in Mexico"
Guitars & Castanets features everything from such stirring rock 'n roll tunes as "Texas Burning" and "Lonesome Rider" to mariachi-inflected charmers like "La Gitana de Triana" and "Fiesta Sangria." It includes tributes to such inspirations as Joe Ely ("Joe's Gone Ridin' "), Alejandro Escovedo ("Guitarras y Castańuelas") and Johnny Reno ("Sax Maniac"), and counts among its musical guests some of Austin's most noted players: guitarist Charlie Sexton (hailed for his work in recent years with Bob Dylan), acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist Jon Dee Graham, nylon string guitar wizard Rick Del Castillo (of the rising Austin Latino rock band Del Castillo), keyboards player Michael Ramos (known for his work with The BoDeans, Lucinda Williams and Patty Griffin), bassist Mark Andes (veteran of such classic rock acts as Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne and Heart), San Antonio guitarist Joe Reyes (of Lara & Reyes) and saxophonist Johnny Reno (long-time member of Chris Isaak's band), among others
“On her second album Guitars & Castanets, Patricia Vonne gives her storytelling a jolt of good ol' rock & roll energy, letting tracks like "Rebel Bride" and "Joe's Gone Ridin'"(a tribute to likeminded pioneer Joe Ely) kick down the doors, slam you up against the wall and plant a wet one right on your mouth. Acoustic tunes like "La Gitana de Triana" and "Guitarras y Castanuelas," meanwhile, reflect her Latin American heritage without skimping on the energy level. Vonne also brings a much-needed sense of glamour to the proceedings, blowing a lot of the dust off her Southwestern art direction with a sexy glare that reeks of self-confidence. Is the No Depression crowd ready for Glamericana? Let's hope so. “ -Michael Toland/High Bias
“She plays castanets, she works without a net, and the audience likes it better when she walks onstage. With the release of Guitars & Castanets, Patricia Vonne's second album stakes her claim on Texas border rock and mines a rich vein of golden Mexican rhythms. Vonne's "Traeme Paz," a bonus track on her new album, was also featured on the soundtrack of brother Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” ---Margaret Moser, Austin Chronicle
Artist's Bio
Vonne attributes her genre-fusing style to growing up in San Antonio on "my mother's music and my brothers' record collections." The Spanish folk songs sung by her mother and Saturday afternoon matinees at San Antonio's Olmos Theatre watching classic movies and MGM musicals formed the foundation of her aesthetic. But her musical fate was sealed by her first live concert by Reno and his band The Sax Maniacs and fed by such favorites as Ely, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Los Angeles-based Chicano rockers The Cruzados.
Vonne honed her talents in New York City singing back-up and playing bass in the band Mick & The Maelstroms, and then began writing her own songs after meeting her creative partner and husband Robert LaRoche at a show by his band, Virgin recording artists The Sighs, at Manhattan's China Club. After developing her Tex-Mex musical brew in New York City and building a following with gigs at some of Manhattan's premier rock clubs, Vonne and LaRoche moved to Austin in 2001 to bring her music back home to Texas.
Releasing her debut album of recordings made in New York on CoraZong Records, Vonne was hailed by the Austin Chronicle for her "bilingual tour de force [that] melds eclectic with electric and exudes an elegance seldom associated with rock." Similarly, Texas Monthly editor and writer Joe Nick Patoski noted how her "confidant, tuff gal vocals, sharp musicianship and smart lyricism don't just promise the total package; they deliver the goods from the get-go."
And now with Guitars & Castanets, Vonne celebrates her return to the state that is her home and all that music means in her life. "It's a musical reflection of my heritage," she concludes. "It's my way of giving thanks to my family, these wonderful musicians that have had such an impact on me, and all the inspiration and joy that I've gotten from music since I was a child."
The European edition of Guitars & Castanets, available here, includes as audio bonus track Patricia’s interpretation of the traditional ‘La Cigarra’ and video clips of ‘ Sax Maniac (live at Antones)' and ‘Traeme Paz’ a song featured in the film and on the soundtrack album for "Once Upon A Time In Mexico." The clip mixes film footage with Patricia’s performance.
Vonne stays busy touring Texas – And the world, recently playing Europe yet again, this time doing a show with Patricia’s idols, Golden Earring!
