Street Signs

Energetic, latinoturkodetroit music that wakes you up

Better than I thought.. Latin-Rock/Rap that can be fun, but probably won’t revisit.

Not too bad. Just not really my thing 2ith335

really enjoyed it, didnt recognize the name but once i started listening i recognized the voice. 10/10 would listen again

This album has EVERYTHING

A colorful mix with some interesting influences but ultimately not one of my favorite albums.

I'd like to start by saying I had to buy a CD of this album as it's not available on any streaming services within the United Kingdom. This album sounds like they are having a lot of fun, however, some of the songs are hip hop which I am not too fond of, but others sound exciting. Standout tracks: Love and Hope, (Who Discovered) America?

Latin pop/rock that is on this list for reasons I can't figure out. Even critics didn't have much to say about it and only two tracks are on Spotify. Probably not essential then? Only Tracks: Believe; Love and Hope

Don’t do it for me. Didn’t really love any element of the fusion that was being attempted. Seemed more all over the place as opposed to a unified vision.

honestly wish i left this at did not listen. could i write poetry to this? n

No me gusta

Unavailable

I had no sides what I was listening to, but I liked it. The blend Latin, Middle Eastern, EDM, jam rock and reggaeton was weird and cool and a perfect start to summer. Key tracks: Love and Hope and Street Signs. This is definitely a listen again.

This is alright. It sounds like a slightly more eclectic Santana Supernatural. It kicked off pretty great and then just sort of faded into the background for me. I may have vaguely heard of this band before but had never listened to them. I wouldn't turn it off if it was on but I doubt I'll reach for this one again.

at least it's not another bland rock pantheon thing we're in the Rage Against the Machine category where the group's political convictions are worth taking more seriously than their music music: respectfully hated. (⌐■_■)

Political angle ✅ Music that doesn’t just wash over me ❌

this is a COOL album and one that's absolutely unlike anything we've heard before. members of ozomatli are from latin america, and a lot of the music contains latin elements. interestingly, there's a sitar on the opening track and it gives a south asian feel to the album, even though the sitar is only on the first song. but i stand by that south asian sound isn't as strong as the latin sound but it persists throughout the album. not only that, ozomatli doesn't restrict themselves just to hip hop, and everything about this album is so refreshing. i'm obsessed with these lyrics! i had no idea ozomatli was so passionate about multiple social causes, and it's wonderful to hear such a strong presence in their songs. not only that, the songs are catchy as hell! somehow ozomatli creates such powerful lyrics while making absolute bops. no complaints.

This was such a fun album! It certainly defies genre expectations. There is tons of Latin flare in here, mixed with rock and even hip-hop! And really, the "Latin flare" exhibited here is more than that -- it's mastery over MANY Latin styles. The opening track, "Believe" mixes in a handful of other unexpected genres, notably a very South Asian sound! I also really appreciated the mixed-language lyrics as it added a layer of complexity and intrigue to the album. Ozomatli gives us something rather unorthodox. There is just so much going on here, and honestly, all of it is good!

Now that's how you blend genes. A fantastic mix of Latin and hip hop. But like a classic kind of Latin. Great stuff

The only street sign this album needs is "CAUTION: Great Musicians at Play". 4.5/5.0: Excellent

fun. fine.

A challenging listen. In the sense that it was challenging to find somewhere online to actually listen to it; otherwise these latin vibes went down pretty easily. I thought the blend of styles worked well, except maybe the rap and record-scratch bits which sound a bit naff and dated to my ears. It’s hard to form a 100% complete picture of the album as my YouTube listening experience was fleshed out with live versions, drum covers and demos, but I liked most of what I heard. If I could listen to it properly perhaps I’d like it a little more or a little less, but for now I’ll hedge my bets and give it 3.5 stars.

Pretty fun. Good party music.

Great grooves. 4 stars

Wide variety of genres, from funk/hip-hop to traditional. Not surprisingly, I much preferred the traditional.

Not much substance, but I love the mix of styles.

May 6, 2024 Hey this guy stole the guy from Jurassic 5's flow- oh, it's the same guy. Cool I'm quite enjoying this. It's trying to be all things to all people, but it's also vibrant and celebratory- & something I needed to accompany some of the first warm weather this year. HL: "Love and Hope", title track, "Te Estoy Buscando", "Saturday Night"

# Playlist track - Believe # Notes - For some reason only the first couple of tracks are available on Spotify, I've pierced the album from Youtube Playlists. - Never heard of them before, album starts with a very cool mix of western vibes and my hopes are UP. - Unfortunately, the album doesn't really take off at all. - There are some interesting moments, cool riffs and vocals and you can kind of forget that you are listening to a boring album. After a few minutes, that cool little piece of music will be reused 10 times and you'll be back to thinking that this is a boring album. - Filled with interesting ideas, but none of them really pan out. 2 stars.

Sono ciò di cui avevi bisogno senza saperlo

Un 3 politico perché l’album non esiste su Spotify e sono troppo pigra per cercare le altre canzoni qua e là :)

È carino? Sì. È valsa la pena cercare le canzoni singolarmente su YouTube (e non trovarle nemmeno tutte)? Più o meno. Lo andrò mai a riascoltare? No

Ah that’s a shame. I loved the debut album by these guys. Awesome mix of Latino funk and positive Hip Hop. I think I first saw them on The O-zone with Jayne Middlemiss and Jamie Theakston… there’s an esoteric UK throw back you weren’t expecting to see today. I can see why this one isn’t rated highly on here, the one track on Spotify does not do it justice and listening on YouTube feels like a real chore these days. I would recommend digging through some of their stuff though. I loved these guys back in the day. 5 stars, partially for the nostalgia.

Well produced and arranged music but not that interesting.

There are so many great funk records. There are so many great Latin records. There are so many great Latin alternative records. This one is just not it. Feels like a token modern Latin album chosen by someone who isn't really into contemporary Latin music. That being said, there are a few real bops (mostly hip hop ones) and I cannot in good conscious give this a 1/5 when I know there's a Kid Rock album on the list.

Thoughts before listening: Latin inspired hip hop funk group. This band used to hit my radar cause their style got them booked on a lot of the jamband festivals I was going to. Pretty surprised to see them on this list though since I never thought of them as being overly well known. Review: So Santana's Supernatural album meets Jurassic 5? This isn't bad, but as has often been the case, it feels like the editors missed when trying to guess which mid-00s albums were going to stand the test of time. This has largely been forgotten over the last 20 years, and quite frankly I don't remember it making much of a splash back then either. Best song here is "Saturday Night" which has a chorus that sounds like what Eminem was doing around the same time mixed with a ska style breakdown in the chorus. I am also enjoying the more Latin inspired songs. Very chill sound...this gets 3-stars.

Fine and fun, spicy and swinging – one might like it better if one were a better dancer.

Definitely not my cup of tea in full honesty. Great music just not for me.

Only partially on Spotify

Quite enjoyable and diverse Latino / Middle Eastern (?) funk and groove. Verges on Miami Sound Machine at times which isn’t a good thing, Shakira, Shakira at others. Minus a star for being a bit of a faff to listen to on YouTube. Come on guys - sell out like everyone else please.

It’s got that nice Latino upbeat vibe which is hard to dislike, and the rap/hip-hop mash up was decent, albeit at times it was a bit too Ricky Martin musically speaking.

Only managed to find one song and quite enjoyed it, made me want to go on holiday. There latest song moose on the loose could become a family favorite but still only 2 stars due to lack of availability.

A varied collection in style and quality.

Absolutely loved these guys! Kind of a cross between Santana, Island music/reggae and rap!

Couldn't listen to whole album - not available in full on any standard platforns

Didnt have time to delve into deeply. Like but not as good as Santana?

‘Street Sounds’ is enjoyable enough as background music, well performed and produced, but doesn’t really do anything interesting enough overall to make it essential listening for me. ‘Nadie Te Tira’ however is the one exception, and the best track on the album.

Hmm no

It was kinda fun and upbeat, the lyrics weren't the deepest and It tailed off a bit at the end.

The only other artist I've heard say their own name so many times on their music is Jason Derulo. Parts of this album are Jason Derulo-tier but other parts were quite good actually.

This was fun, more of a 3.5 than a 3, just got a bit repetitive and a few duds

That was fun

This album was stylistically interesting with latin rock, middle eastern melodies, and rapping. I enjoyed the cover of Waiting for the Bus by ZZ Top.

This one was fun to listen to

Interesting, a couple songs I liked but mostly felt a bit less memorable to me as a record. Based on the description I was hoping for something a bit more like Cafe Tacuba, but it's a much more divergent mix of influences on it.

10 min langt

Somewhat interesting Latin rock/alternative album. No real standout songs and nothing to bring me back for another listen.

What?!?!?!

Felt like a Saturday Night full of Love and Hope.

Latin inspired funk and shit like that, rather shallow though.

Amazing fusion of Latin music and modern hip hop. I loved this album so much be it is such a cultural crossover and hits on so many levels.

Shoutout Madden 2005! Hit stick!

The year is 2024. The hopes of recovering a copy of this historical musical masterpiece are minimal. I search far and wide, but to no avail. I give up all hope. A friend is successful. He has found a copy of this hidden gem in an ancient format. Compact Disc they call it. Only the rarest of devices are able to play such a relic format, so I pack up my PlayStation 2 in a bag from the local pizza shop (as was the style at the time), add a bunch of cables and adapters to be able to hook it up to a modern television, and spend the next 90 minutes in public transportation. Finally I am able to witness the ancient treasure with my own eyes. The disc goes in, the console beeps and boops, and we gently use the joystick to start the first of 13 mysterious tracks hidden behind a gradient of colored cubes. The reward is minimal.

This was the first album on the list, about 600 in, that I was unable to find anywhere online. Luckily a lovely guy in Germany sold it to me. In the form of a CD … Which I listened to on my friend’s PS2 … A true 00’s album experience. I could have done without some of the more rap oriented songs. The turntables as well. But it’s mainly just Santana lite. And due to the fact that I now somehow own this record I might be more positive towards it than I should be - but I feel like we’ve been a journey together already.

Album no longer available in full on Spotify. Listened to main single. It was ok.

This is so CRAZY funky! Saturday Night is a BOP and the record as a whole is so much fun! A perfect blend of rock, funk and hip-hop. A WONDERFUL album overall.

Overall a nice surprise. A very listenable and enjoyable recording with Latin, hip-hop influences. Even the songs sung in Spanish are enjoyable. Notable songs are "Believe" and "Love and Hope". I am glad this album was included in the list!

A few enjoyable moments here or there but mostly not street signs I care to pay attention to. Unlike stop signs. It's very important that you come to a full stop at stop signs, and if you will be turning then please be sure to use your signal indicator to inform other drivers of your intent to turn. To be a safe driver is to be a predictable driver, so please, I implore you, be predictable.

Pénible à écouter. Un mélange mal habile de genres. Certaines pièces ont l'air d'être des parodies.

Nix! Inte apdåligt dock.

Geen tijd gehad om alles op youtube op tr zoeken maar dit smaakt zeker naar meer Is dat obama??

I'm unsure if I listened to the right album, but it's okay. I'm happy to see some Latin (or Chicano) rock on the 1001 list, but I'm sad that it is far from the best Latin rock available. Being a 2004 album, there are plenty of options that can easily replace this one with much more success. Let's see if the book contains more options in the future.

pretty odd

certain albums come up and you think “great this is going to wreck my spotify algorithm” music for people who have no other term than “world music” for music composed beyond their shores

Really interesting fusions of genres going on here. I loved the first four tracks and couldn’t really connect with much of the rest. Favorite songs were Believe, Street Signs, and Cuando Canto

Believe 3 Love and Hope 3 Street Signs 2.8 (Who Discovered) America? 3.2 Who's to Blame 2 Te Estoy Buscando 3 Saturday Night 2.4 Déjame en Paz 2.5 Santiago 2.5 Ya Viene el Ozomatli Sol (The Beatle Bob Remix) 1.9 Doña Isabelle 2.5 Nadie Te Tira 3 Cuando Canto 2.8 Score: 2.661538462

Latin rock, funk, jazz, hip hop. Some of the early 2000s record scratching elements are a bit cringe, but overall it's really cool and fun. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Believe Date listened: 13/03/24

what the hell how does this work

I quite likes this, but the alhum kinda falls off after the first two tracks. If the rest were as good as those two, and if I didn't have to cobble together this album from like 3 different sources, this would've been an easy 4.

Mixed feelings. I was actually pleasantly surprised, I really enjoyed this fun little record. The first two songs are clear highlights, and even after that it's pretty good, high tempo throughout. Thing is though, they often say 'best ability is availability', which this one does not have. Could have easily been a 4, but too annoying to listen to with having to find songs from different sources.

I listened to the Coming Up album from 2003 because this one wasn't on my streaming service. I've always liked the more Latin styles of music. The album I listened to put me in the mood of traveling with purpose through a beautiful yet unforgiving landscape...reminds me of a girl I know.

Didn't really take much from this album. Very generic and not worth a second listen.

First time listening to this group and I like them. But then again, I like any Latin inspired music.

Ikke så spændende, ville nok være federe uden sangen på hahah Føler ikke noget specielt for det her. 2/5 til 3/5, ikke godt, ikke dårligt

I want to like this more than I do, but the longer it went on the more it just reminded me of the salon I used to work at for my summer job where the owner insisted on playing Latin music ONLY. She did this because she believed it put people in more of a "spending" mood. Meanwhile, I can't tell you the number of complaints I got over my summers there from actual regular customers wondering why the music was always the same and always lame. Oh and by the way, her version of "Latin music" was Lou Bega, Aqua, and 3 mail order purchased 90's Samba CDs. The sound system was a 5 CD changer boom box and those were the only CDs ever allowed to be played in it. This album would have been an improvement to all of those CDs - and yet, my past sonic trauma is still triggered by this sound and style. I listened, I was surprised by how peppy it was and I bopped a bit, but I won’t be coming back again.

I enjoyed this.

Listening to this had multiple health benefits including a lifting of spirits, and a slight loosening of hip joints. Suffice to say I had never heard of this band before today and I am so glad I know of them now.

What a fun listen! Latin funk, rap, pop, ballad. Even though they're singing in Spanish, there was something about a couple of the tracks that reminded me of the music in Bollywood films. Love and Hope and Ya Viene el Sol were favs.

Pretty good. I liked the variety. Didn't dislike most of the rap, which is saying something for me. Another great candidate for 3.5*. Rounding up with this one, for a change.

Good

Un punto menos por lo difícil que es poder oír el puto álbum completo.

Genuinely had no idea what to expect before going into this one. Was pleasantly surprised by the rock/latin/rap fusion going on here. I liked the Spanish lyric sections, but the rapping is where this album gets high praise from me.

It's been a while since I listened to Latin jazz - hip hop fusion. This album is good, but different than other Ozomatli albums I remember. Less hip hop. 3/5

Very fun and chilled, with so many different genres it almost sounded like a compilation album (in a good way) But ... a pain in the proverbial to listen to, since it's not on any of the streaming services. I can't give it 5 when I couldn't hear it all, even though I loved what I did listen to

not bad but i don’t suspect i’ll listen to this album or even think about it again

It’s not earth shattering but it had me grooving the entire time. Very enjoyable listen even if it’s not a “great” album.

What a jam — shocked I missed this album in 2004. Love the blending of all these genres (rock, ska, salsa, some middle eastern inspired strings 😍)

Only 2 tracks available

Talented musicians with good beats, but not my cup of tea overall. Still, solid.

high energy album with salsa, rap and rock styles.

I live in LA and I don't know how this represents LA

Spotify is missing most of the songs on the album

Believe - 7/10 Love And Hope - 7/10 Street Signs - 7/10 (Who Discovered) America? - 8/10 Who's To Blame - 8/10 Te Estoy Buscando - 7.5/10 Saturday Night - 8/10 Déjame En Paz - 7.5/10 Santiago - 7.5/10 Ya Viene El Sol (The Beatle Bob Remix) - 7.5/10 Doña Isabelle - 7/10 Nadie Te Tira - 7/10 Cuando Canto - 7/10 TOTAL - 96/130

This album was a little all over the place. It is primarily Latin funk with some hip hop and jazz influence. I enjoyed this album the most when it kept to the funk and jazz aspects. The rap bits almost feel like an afterthought. It was common at this time to have rap verses but they are never the strongest part of a song.

Such a broad-hitting release. Love the diversity of sound.

Good mix of different genres. Not something I would usually listen to.

sadly only had one song available in south africa on spotify and that one song did not impress me enough to try and find a different way to pirate it. the good old men in suits deciding who can listen to what win again.

Not my style

I like this one. I had not heard of this band or heard any of their music, at least not that I recall, and this is a fun album. Catchy, good energy, and very skilled performers.

A little long winded but p good.

Ooh, I'm digging this. The 1st track gave me Oojami vibes. Spanish lyrics are a plus!! I'm checking out their other stuff

Much hip & shoulder action was had during the playing of this album, it varied greatly, but was overall a fun album.

I mess around with all the elements they are trying to use here, but despite the diversity they still sound like trash.

Best song is who discovered america

Nadie Te Tira LOVE!

Half the experience is trying to hunt down the entire album. I listened to some Youtube playlist that was missing several songs, had some random dude's drum cover with 1k views in place of one of them, and a version recorded during the pandemic over Zoom or something. This is schizophrenic as fuck. I have no idea what I listened to. It was pretty fun, but I'm very confused as to what this even is or why it's noteworthy. Love Chali 2na though. Man's got one of the best voices in hip hop. I wish he was on more songs.

Toller Slap Bass im ersten Stück!

Not bad. Cool mixture of rock and Latin. Unfortunately not available on Apple Music in my country.

Fuck yeah. I had to assemble this in YouTube and include live versions. This shit rocks though. Might try to pick it up on vinyl at some point. Unexpected greatness.

Latin funk rock that incorporates hip hop, alt rock, and early 2000s teen pop. Very much a product of its time. It's pretty repetitive and derivative with clear inspirational sources, and most of it is forgettable or exhausting as the Latin novelty wears off. But it's coherent, produced and mixed well, and offers several creative ideas with a few outstanding bangers. Favorites: Love and Hope, Who Discovered America, Saturday Night, Cuando Canto

I've heard the name before, and probably listened to a song or two. But never sat through a whole album. Not bad, nice latin beats, but not sure I'm coming back to listen to more.

"World-wide party people get ready." LOL, no.

This feels distinctly early-2000s to me and I'm not sure exactly what it is about it. It's got this like latin boy band thing going on, with a rap verse or two on some of the songs. It's a mix of English and Spanish lyrics throughout. It's solid but somewhat unremarkable overall. A few songs that are decent, a few that I really didn't like very much. I don't really remember it, but apparently "Saturday Night" was on the Madden 2005 soundtrack, so I'm sure I had heard it before. I generally liked the non-rap songs a bit better, and think they're at their best when they lean into the some of the more latin-sounding instrumentals, otherwise they can come across a bit generic boy-band. There's a few points where it gets a bit funky too which were cool ("Nadie Te Tira" in particular). The random 1-minute piano song near the end was an interesting choice. Overall this is perfectly fine and generally pretty fun sounding (though the lyrics are fairly political at times), but doesn't hit any major highs for me. Favorite song: (Who Discovered) America? Other: Saturday Night, Ya Viene El Sol, Nadie Te Tira, Cuando Canto 2/5/24

Unexpected, rhythmical fun, but not something I’ll listen to again soon

didn’t like this, the songs aren't great are kinda bland. overall not for me.

If "Smooth" by Santana got turned into a band, this is what it would sound like.

An album worth a listen. High energy and fun. Makes this project worthwhile to hit these discoveries

It sounds like Ricky Martin, Juanes and Maná recorded an album together.

Nice mix of Latin and hip hop elements.

I liked a lot of the instrumentation. I didn't like the rap parts, nor the nasally guy's vocals. Best track: (Who Discovered) America? Worst: Who's to Blame.

This is a fun album I’ve never heard of. Incredibly, wildly, and comically inconsistent in style, but always consistent and quality. 4/5

Ahh well, not on Spotify and only some tracks available on YouTube. Tbh 9 tracks was probably about enough, 13 would be overkill. I liked it and it was a fun listen. Kinda want to give it 3.5

A lot going on, slightly jarring sonic mishmash

It's fun but not super memorable. A cool mix of genres though..overall a good time!

One of those bands that can get a festival crowd going, but I don't really need to hear records of. Lucky, given they're not on Spotify

Sounds like a soundtrack to a early 2000s telenovela

Found most of the album on YouTube. It was fine but not worth much effort to seek out. Who's to blame was probably the best song from it. Would recommend that one.

Wasn’t available on Spotify but didn’t like their artist page a lot Wish it was just foreign singing

I enjoyed what I listened to but most was unavailable!

Wish.com Santana I felt. I only had 9 of the songs from the album as I couldnt find any others due it being unavailable in the UK, assembled from random covers and amv's. Wasn't too impressed with the sound, first song was kinda good though. Weird Arab/Latin america/ska/reggae vibes. Might as well listen to Santana where it's done better.

This is fun. Not perfect, but really good.

Every song a fucking banger

Bleh

Interesting LA-Latino fusion. Their song “Saturday Night” was featured in video games and films. A pretty unique sound.

Dip, dive, socialize. Are You Ready for the Saturday night? Just one example of how fucking lame this pile of crap was. Yea, they sound musically talented enough, it’s like a high school band got together and started a group but none of them had any cool lyrics to write. Maybe the Spanish lyrics were cool, but based on what I heard of the English lyrics, I’m gonna assume they were equally lame. Album artwork is bad, they rap was bad, the band name is bad, band name is bad. Glad it’s over 2 stars

it was good but mostly in spanish 3

Not on Spotify.

ne

Ces gars-là imitent si bien les beatles qu'ils mériteraient presque une émission quotidienne animée par Nikos.

Alors la c'est enorme, obligé d'écouter des covers de l'album tellement il est visiblement blacklisté par toutes les instances musicales. Dommage car il était vraiment pas mal.

fantastic fusion of LA musicians incorating Indian raga, hip-hop, second line, East LA R&B, funk, and an absolute wedding banger that has been lost in my rotation and is now at the forefront.

A little too much rapping on some songs, but some really strong ones as well. Would love to see them live one more time....

2.9

Love me some Chali 2na

This was actually really fun and I kept listening to songs of theirs after the album finished.

I liked some parts quite a bit, and not others. Ends up right in the middle.

only one song on spotify and i can’t be bothered right now to find it over the internet so it’ll have to wait: i don’t like what i can hear right now anyways. oh ok, i’m surprised, some rapping came on and it wasn’t so bad, but still i will have to youtube it or something so it’ll have to wait.

This must’ve gone hard in 2006 because no way this was added any later. Usung latin music makes your album at least a little good however so I can’t hate too much

Could only listen the first two tracks. I wouldn't mind if the rest of the album was also available

This was all over the place. After the first couple songs, I thought they were an east Indian boy band. Then they threw in a bunch of genres. Not bad though.

It's a dang party!

This has been one of the biggest surprises and best albums in this list so far. This is awesome stuff.

liked

Hiphop latin rock. Çest vraiment pas mon style et c'est pas si fou pour être honnête, mais bon ça va 2.85

Good album!

over produced, but there is music worth listening to here. Saturday Night is the beginning of it settling in and it gets a little better through to the end.

Note: Spotify has pulled all but two songs from this album ('Believe' and 'Love and Hope'), so this review is based on the two songs I had access to. The two songs I listened to are a jumble of genres including (wince) "rap rock". Not my thing. Overall: 2/10

I enjoyed this. Buena Vista Social Club vibes.

Put this one in the category of new favorites. I feel like I have been on a roller coaster of emotions with this list the past week. Two all timers gave way to a stinker, and now that stinker has turned into gold. I don't think this album made any splashes, per the wiki, but it was used on a ton of soundtracks, specifically video games. I read on there that there was an MX vs ATV game that I swear we played on the Xbox, I listened to that one, Saturday Night, and while no memories popped up, I could tell that was a good song for that game. Regardless, this was one of the more fun albums I've heard on this list. In fact, I listened to it a few times last night while I was doing some Aqua Death Run on Fortnite. When I think of Latin music, and especially that sort of music you'd hear at some big party, this is exactly that kind of music. I didn't like every song, and it is slow to start, but once it gets going it really cooks. Also I was shocked and delighted to see Chali 2na gracing Who's To Blame, his lyrics sounded so similar to some of his on Jurassic 5 and Reanimation. Guy definitely had a message he was trying to convey, and all those albums came out within a year or two of each other. Favorites: (Who Discovered) America?, Who's To Blame, Te Estoy Buscando, Saturday Night, Nadie Te Tira, Cuando Canto

Hmmm. I appreciate this entry for variety's sake, and though it's not one I'd feel comfortable kicking from the list, there wasn't much on here that appealed to me. A really cool mix of styles and genres, but often the lyrics and end-product missed the mark for me. It was a fine listen but unfortunately not much I'd return to here. Favorite tracks: Ya Viene el Sol, Cuando Canto. Album art: Pretty striking, this one looks familiar to me. A street sign (surprise, surprise), and it kind of looks like the man crossing the street with the woman is being struck by lightning? Not certain that's what they're going for. I like the storage/garage door background too. 2.5/5

Dude this album was awesome! If I'm honest I love Chali 2na so his feature helped me get on board. I'm going to explore more of their music. That's only happened with a couple different groups on this whole list.

did not listen

This band is one of those weird blasts from the past that I sorta forgot about. I remember seeing them live some time in the 00s and really enjoying them. Then I just sorta forgot they existed over the next 15 years. I enjoy the music on this album a lot, that's where it really shines. The vocals on this album have not aged particularly well. There's nothing wrong with them, they just sound outdated now. If this album was entirely instrumental, I would have rated it higher, but the rapping especially weakens the experience for me 3/5

This was a fun latin/ hip hop fusion album and featured a song I had forgotten about from my childhood. Not a genre I would seek out, but I can tell they are among the best at what they do. 6/10

Fun album, with good production. Style and production is incredibly of it's time. Not my kind of genre, but fun with interesting hiphop elements.

No thanks

I recognized one song that I kinda like, the rest of the album left me wondering "why..."

This is just absolutely not my thing.

Up beat, a lot of fun.

Lots of energy. Seem like they'd be fun to see live if you were in the mood for it.

que divertido!

Chali 2na saved this from being a total disaster.

Cool record. Not at all what I expected. I gave it a second listen and ended up just as intrigued.

For being a fusion of American and Hispanic rock/rap, it is actually pretty decent, but I think the downfall of the combination is just the perceived lack of authenticity. Any attempt at serious commentary, particularly on a few songs, is just hard to be taken seriously with the latin rap/rock combo. The band certainly knows how to write a hook and finds really catchy melodies to make this a really easy listen. 6/10

Un album qui part en force et qui est très intéressant par son mélange éclectique de styles. Des gros bangers et une ambiance festive. Mais vers la deuxième moitié je trouve que ça commence à s'essoufler et ce qui rendait l'album intéressant le rend fatiguant à la longue. 6/10

Ozomatli's "Street Signs," released in 2004, is a diverse and genre-blending effort that captures the band's eclectic musical spirit. This album is a fusion of Latin, hip-hop, and rock influences, creating a lively and danceable atmosphere. While tracks like "Saturday Night" and "Who's to Blame" showcase the band's musical prowess, the album as a whole lacks a cohesive thread, and the multitude of styles may feel a bit scattered. While it falls short of being a groundbreaking release, "Street Signs" is an enjoyable listen for those appreciating a mix of cultural influences. A middling 3/5 rating reflects its varied but somewhat disjointed nature.

Lyrics are shallow and dumb. Music is derivative and uninteresting. Total waste of time.

A veritable Jack In the Box of music. Sure, it's a bit confusing to follow-up a burger, with a taco and an egg roll, but it's tasty.

Three songs in and these are all too repetitive and not to my taste. I'll keep listening but this just doesn't do anything for me.

Latin jazz + salsa + funk + hip-hop... These are all things I like. Recommended, would shake my ass again.

I think its fair to say this is a unique band and sound. I thought it was great, but can appreciate it may not be everyone's groove.

Cool but not my style

Pretty good. Will I ever listen again? Nope.

Unable to find the album on a streaming service

Most of the songs are unavailable on Spotify (at least in my region). I don't mind it, but I wouldn't go through the trouble of accessing it elsewhere.

Spotify only has one song available too me so I can't really give much of a review so uhh soz 😂

This was a fun blend, but there was something about the production that just rubbed me the wrong way.

Oh wow. I was already excited because of the obvious Nahuatl name, and then was really floored with the overall execution on display. Diverse, Rich, and Fun all in a perfect length record.

Had to track a copy of this on Discog as it wasn't available on any of the platforms I subscribe to. Blended world music, surfing several genres.

Hahaha Jared, “Ricky Martin-esque” is the adjective I was searching for. This album immediately sounded like 2004 and I’m just not sure that’s a good thing.

Big oof after getting Amy and the Avalanches this week. I guess I prefer the hip hop sections over the Ricky Martin-esque parts but I really didn’t like any of it

7/12, 58%

Like an American Cat Empire. Some of it was kinda corny and the rap verses definitely didn't help with that. But damn there are some great songs here

There is the skeleton of something cool in this album, an intestine mix of styles with eastern and western rhythms. However, the majority of this album is wrapped up in such a glossy and poppy package that there was very little for me to really enjoy outside of a few tracks. If there were a few more songs like Déjame en Paz or Ya Viene el Sol, for example, then I think I would have rather liked this album.

This is a very disappointing album. It is nowhere to be found on music streaming services. After a lot of effort to get it anyway, the album is mediocre with uninteresting rock songs with a bit of latin flavor. It sounds commercial, but it's too bad to have a change to impress any audience.

Ass. I don't like the fusion here

It was okay but once again not something i would gag about

Some of the hip hop seems corny. But the horns, guitar, and funky vibes are cool

Pleasantly surprised. Love the latin rock and in your face salsa vibes. Reminds me of Cat Empire here and there.

Couldn’t listen as wasn’t on Spotify

Great upbeat Latin Funk! The world needs more music like this…

Yeah loved this guy

I remember seeing Ozomatli at a festival a few years ago and being impressed enough to go find some albums. Sadly the recorded material was underwhelming, not quite able to capture the energy of the live show. Revisiting this today, I still can't quite shake that slightly disappointed feeling.

Good fun. Lively and different. I almost understood some of the slower Spanish! Hooray!

Yet another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex Aside from the opening track, the rest of the album was unavailable on Spotify. Listening on YouTube wasn't fun. Turns out my neighbour had a copy, (thank you Sam! 🙏) This album wasn't what I was expecting at all. There's a big old mix of genres and influences going on here, definitely worth exploring. I'd picked up on Chali 2na on the Who's To Blame track, (such a distinct voice, who I mostly know from Linkin Park's remix album). Overall I enjoyed it, but it's a bit all over the place to be a classic album.

Bien aimé les rythmes et arrangements à saveur sud-américaine au début, mais à la longue, je me suis lassée. J'ai fini par trouver ça irritant.

What a ride. Sydäntä on pelissä, mutta kokonaisuus on... ei nyt tylsä, muttei sykähdyttävä, ja vähän sekava. Plussaa vilpittömyydestä, taitavuudesta ja kantaaottavuudesta.

Harvinaisuus: melkein tahattoman kuuloista naivismia. Lisäksi nämä ovat kappaleita, jotka on tehty viihdyttämään, ja lopputulos on ihan ok.

Cool shit. Really enjoyed this.

Just because you put a latin twist to mediocre music doesn't make it any better.

What the hell is this??

This album seems to be straight out a cheap dance movie from 2004 where there are two enemy dance troupes who end up doing a big dance together at the end of the film.

Take the worst parts of multiple musical influences and blend them together. Might be the worst album I've encountered on the list.

Fun little album. Very dance-y, I loved the fusion of international sounds. Latin, reggae, hip-hop, etc. Makes me wish I was fluent in Spanish.

At first this seemed easily comparable to Ra, but as the album went on the diversity kept growing. This was really interesting, not really pigeonholed within grunge.

Mezcla de pop con ritmos electrónicos y con toques étnicos. Con solo 2 temas es difícil opinar. No pintaba mal, pero faltan más cortes disponibles

I feel like I’m in an episode of burn notice (extremely complimentary)

An interesting fusion of salsa, jazz and hip hop. When it works it sounds great, like Los Lobos meets A Tribe Called Quest, but when it doesn’t it’s super annoying, like Ricky Martin meets the Black Eyed Peas. I almost wrote this off completely given my ignorance around Latin/World music, but when I heard the banger that is Nadie Te Tira, it clicked. This is definitely the perfect example of a band that wins a Grammy, mulit-cultural enough to seem like an “edgy” pick, but with enough radio friendly presence to score an animated film. Overall pretty mediocre.

Love and Hope was really good

Boy, this one was all over the place.

Favorite Tracks: Believe, Street Signs, Dejame En Paz, Santiago, Nadie Te Tira

I really didn't get anything out of this. Thought it was overall pretty boring.

After so many decades of rap, fusion is needed to make it bearable. This fusion with Latin music works for me. I’ll keep this in the Thanksgiving weekend rotation.

It gets off to a decent start, with the Blaxploitation funk of "Believe". I like the mix of different genres and the strings, without straying too far off track. Bringing hip-hop into the mix was inevitable but not my favourite and the overall sound is a bit too Grammy-ready for me. Between a 2 and a 3.

Move along, nothing to hear here.

There’s some fun rhythms and tunes on here but in the end it really wasn’t worth the effort taken to find and listen to it (I still haven’t managed to hear the whole album, just a handful of studio songs interspersed with live versions)

This really wasn't to my liking at all. The single biggest issue for me was that it didn't feel cohesive at all. It was a mixture of latino rap, some rap that didn't feel latino, 'Who Discovered America' which felt like a worse kind of radio smash hit version of Santana's 'Smooth'. Then there was 'Dejame en Paz', which was something completely different? I think if some of the tracks were hand picked and put in another constellation, it might not have been as bad, but this just didn't fly at all. But to be fair, the tracks didn't really leave any impression on me regardless so maybe not.

I'm honestly not sure if I managed to listen to the real album or not. Found a playlist on youtube but some tracks were missing and some were not original recordings. It was very different from most music on here and I enjoyed most of it. I don't think it would end up on any of my toplists but it felt summery and fresh.

Enjoyable album. I kept wondering where Carlos Santana was. I liked the more rock/funk tracks with horns the most. Solid band.

It was an interesting mix of Latin and hip hop. I can't remember any of the songs. It was alright but I don't think I would listen to it again. It was better than a 2 not really a 3. I will round up

Better than I thought it would be, but dimery has a real knack of picking albums that have lost their relevance. I imagine these guys are terrific live. But on recording? Eh it’s ok. A must listen? Nah. A have a listen and maybe you’ll enjoy. 2.5 rounded up.

N E V E R H E A R D O F T H E M AND E X P L O R E D T H E I R OTHER ALBUMS AND THAT WAS FUN This music *could* rock the house, up loud. Party music for the 90's ? Its dated, so now sounds almost ironic, in a good way, mostly, but not fully.... its ok, like the others day. I think for today it needs speeding up slightly, we're more caffeinated now. Catchy lyrics ... Their kids maths song is so, so good. "maths, thumbs, "

My kids were totally into this band. Pretty sure they saw them at The Metro in Sydney in 2007. This sort of Latin dance music wasn’t new but it sure was catchy. The use of rapping was probably what attracted my kids to the band. I see that Track 5, Who’s To Blame, features rapper Chali 2na, from Jurassic 5., who also produced it. It’s one of the cuts that features a strong middle-eastern influence. Check out the lyrics to that - I imagine they were penned by Chali. I saw him perform earlier this year at the Oxford Art Factory, at a gig promoted by my son. The guy is a saint. I also loved the track (Who Discovered) America? - worth it for the fantastic distorted guitar break in the middle. The whole disc was an extremely enjoyable listen.

This album is a gumbo of hip hop, rock and latin funk, with a gumbo of world music influences (ska, middle eastern, a touch of reggae, lots of different latin styles). It's fun, and I'm sure it goes off like a bomb live. I kept thinking "I bet this is the sort of band that played Womadelaide" [annual Australian world music festival], and sure enough, they headlined there in 2005, touring this record. But there are a bunch of bands out there that do this sort of world music stew (cooked on a rock/funk base to make it easy to understand for western audiences). They are all entertaining live, but their records all sound pretty similar, and often don't capture the excitement or energy of their live show. I had some difficulty tracking this album down online (only two songs on spotify, patchy coverage on youtube), which suggest to me that this album does not have along-lasting relevance. It won a Grammy in the year of release, but it is not going on my want list. That said, if someone said they had a free ticket to see them at then Enmore Theatre, I would totally go.

not a fan. feels too naive 1 -S agree -A

It's a fun album, and the first song is absolute killer. After that amazing opener, the album faults a little bit in songs that are eerily similar, but it's a party in my headphones regardless, and you're all invited.

omöjligt att lyssna på, bra album 10/10

Couldn’t find it. Listened to one of their other ones and it was shite

I think they used every corny latin music trope in existence, as well as some underwhelming rap. A couple songs were kind of catchy, but it was mostly annoying

I'm not sure I was able to listen to all of this. I ended up listening to live versions of some of the tracks on YouTube. A shame because I quite enjoyed some of what I heard. I'd feel bad giving this a 2 and I'm sure I didn't experience a 3 so 4 it is.

I enjoyed this, I think, but it was tricky to find.

Meh. Despite the fact that this is so genre-bending, it ultimately feels like something unremarkable and not unique. I like some of the rapping, though.

A lil reggae, a lil ska, a lil hip-hop. Not bad!

Feels like it was trying to ride on the highs from Santana's Supernatural, but in an unoriginal generic way. Song breakdowns with rap feel forced and inorganic.

Fun in small doses. A little trying at full album length. Overall I liked it more than I didn't.

This must be the 1001 numbered album on the list. Overall very disappointing and bland.

Mish mash... Hear tabla and record scratches with Spanish music.. rap also sometimes.. it's too much

I'm sure I'd love this a lot more if I didn't actively hate it.

I can (and did) listen to this all day. Best track: (Who Discovered) America?

Straight ass

This is one of those projects that, despite of looking fun, tends to tire me out. Each song sounds quite similar, event to my Latino ears…

I've never heard of this band before. I really enjoy their sound. Gives me Cat Empire vibes

Put lyrics aside it's a pretty nice collection of world music...

A rare occasion where I couldn't track down the album anywhere. Listened to some of their KEXP set from 10ish years ago and wasn't impressed. I guess one star cause I couldn't find it?

Not for me

*Loud snorting noise* Wee wee wee *Loud snorting noise* Wee wee wee *Loud snorting noise* Wee wee wee *Loud snorting noise* Wee wee wee Get it? Because it makes me go to bed. Grab your blankets and your teddy bears for this one, folks.

So Bland its unreal. Also very hard to find. The 1001 guys put this in, just in case it became big. Unfortunately, anything remotely contemporary is a risk.

Hard to find, and even then didn’t geta purport chance. Loved dejáme en paz

It was alright. Not sure I'd listen to it again. Also not sure why it's on this list. Not anything mind blowing.

This album is the hot mess we've grown to love from Ozomatli where Latin vibes and hip hop lyrics blend with DJ music. This album is fun and lively and has the protest movement themes of their other music. That said, it doesn't touch the 1998 break out self-titled album which is a truly groundbreaking one, especially for the time. If you ever get a chance, go see them. They throw a good party.

Ozomatli was everywhere in LA in the early 2000s and somehow I never listened to them until now and guess what... I wish I had seen them. I must've been afraid of anything that would need thought and was looking for less chore in my music at the time. Now, all these years later when I want nothing more than to smoke a bowl, put in some earbuds and drown out the family and the kids... this hits the spot.

"Street Signs" was a very cool mash-up of styles from Ozomatli. For such a diversity of sounds, they came together well. I was surprised to hear of the group's early connection to Jurassic 5, with Chali 2na and Cut Chemist being original members who came back to contribute a bit on "Street Signs." Great sound, great political messages, great positivity.

This was almost a five for me but there are too many tracks I don’t love. Excellent throwback for me and reminded me of some very fun concerts with friends. Love the jumble of styles and the LA-ness of it all.

This is quite the multi-stylistic album. I hear Middle Eastern, Latino, hip hop, and American rock music. I like most of the styles, but they feel jammed together rather than cohesive.

Definitely enjoyed this more than I expected

Couldn't find the actual album on spotify but listened to some of their other stuff and really liked it.

Viva la música latina

Onko kyseessä uskomaton albumi.. ei löydy spotify apple music.. hidden gem incredible.. Eka biisi uskomaton.. sen jälkeen kuullosti vähän siltä kun et pyyhi kunnolla ja kikkareita jää perskarvoihin. Sitten myöhemmin, sinun on pakko repiä ne rämmäleet irti ja silmät kostuu.

interesting mix of styles, doesn't really work though 2

Majority of the album is not available on spotify or on youtube and i did not feel like trying to find more after 3 songs. The music seemed bland

Please feed me more like this. About to start listening to these guys on the reg.

Fun album, a lot to like here

Really enjoyed the album. Going to need a few more listens to catch the lyrics given they're half in Spanish, but really enjoyed the 3 listens.

Not my cup of tea. This is what i say when i think something is shit. The English inner city indian rapper during the first song is enough for me to stop listening. If you want to hear something similar to this only better and done by a better musician then give Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan a listen to.

This was corny as hell, but there was some groovy instrumentals in here

This Lin Manuel Miranda ass bullshit. Oh god this might be the worst thing we’ve gotten so far

I managed to scrape together a few tracks, as the whole album is not on any streaming service accessible to me. From what I have heard, this is a very nice mixture of styles, Latin pop being predominant. I could do without the occasional Hip-Hop/Ra, but it's still quite strong in spite of that. 3.5/5

A fun album, sounds like a party. Maybe that's why it wore me out - it started feeling long only about halfway through.

I found this to be completely irritating. Mostly because it's so melodramatic, without ever really backing itself up with anything truly potent. Trying way too hard to do way too much (and appeal to a mainstream audience). It felt like a double album despite only being 52 minutes. The moment that made my eyes roll back in my head was when they had that live announcer person hyping up the band, and then they incorporated it into the songs via sample. A revolution? Hardly. The only thing saving this from a 1 is if this has come out in the 90s, it might have been slightly more impressive.

Meh, it’s fine but just feels like a pop party but that’s not my thing.

I love the energy of the album; seems like an extension of what Santana did with Supernatural. I also love J5 so I loved the Chali 2na song. My only complaint would be that at some point the music did get kind of formulaic/repetitive, but overall it's kind of a banger all the way through.

Fun mixture of styles. Makes me want to dance.

Sounds interesting but not for me 2/5

Yet another puzzling entry on this list. So how is it? It's alright. Some of the genre mashing clicks, some of it comes off as messy and corny. There are some really good hooks in here, but some duds in the tracklist too. It certainly wasn't an arduous listen to get through, so I thank them for that. At the very least, the band seems to be having constant fun, so it's hard no to crack at least a few smiles.

Couldn’t really listen to this as it wasn’t on Spotify and only some tracks were available on YouTube. It sounded like a Latin hip hop album with a couple of the J5 lads popping up here and there. It seemed pleasant enough but not something I’d come back to.

Funky and fun. I love seeing my Jurassic 5 connection. Was it life changing? Nah. Fun though.

If this album was a street sign. it would be a "dead end" one for me. That sign would lead to a great place, objectively speaking--filled to the brim with ideas drawing from a vast array of genres going from latin funk-rock to rap, with a clear emphasis on so-called "world music" (like the gnawa/qawwali-inspired opener "Believe"). But as great as that place is on the paper, that early-naughts version of Santana still feels like a dead end for me. Because the whole thing is a little too safe and devoid of personality, as skilled the players and composers in that band were. And because this album didn't necessarily age very well, like a lot of stuff from the naughts. So unless I knew someone living in that dead end street, there would be no reason for me to return there after my first visit. Oh, another thing. I fully concur with the author currently topping the reviews section of this app: there's an awful lot of divergence between different versions of the 1001 Albums book, with a lot of more contemporary releases added and then quickly removed depending on the reissues of the original book. And indeed, it's almost like the people who curate this don't know how to evaluate music form the 21st century for its lasting impact. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, which translates to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5 + 3). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 501 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 237 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 114 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 149 (including this one)

Sounds like a different artist each song. Thought it was a great wee slice of fun

Músicas del mundo. Está bien. Un 4.

Música del mundo, salseo, bah, varios estilos. Rollo patatero.

Oh what fun! I'm glad I had a chance to listen to this album it was really enjoyable. Fave tracks would be (Who Discovered) America?, Saturday Night, and Dejame En Paz. Cuando Canto is the perfect closer leaves you feeling relaxed afrer all the hype.