Ten years of hard work and genuine soul-searching has led to the band’s selection of the finest musical ingredients and cultivation of an organic variety of sounds resulting in a truly original rock band. Mexican-American brothers Kinski and Rodax—the vocalist and bass player—like so many first-generation Americans working toward assimilation, initially overlooked the richness of their roots. Anima, their first band together, was a punk/new-wave band almost completely devoid of their Latino heritage. Although the lyrics were in Spanish, the two weren’t into being referred to as a Spanish version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, resulting in their voyage away from rock en español and into an English repertoire. As the pair matured and selected other band members, they have come full circle, attaining the subtlety of a good wine and the hardiness that only embracing one’s culture can bring.

Monte Negro has matured past the natural tendency to bring too many different elements to the table when writing and recording music. From an overproduced sound full of bleeps and fodder from a DAT machine, to heavy drums, and too many guitar sounds, the band has developed a much more refined style. In accordance with the more you eat, the less flavor, Monte Negro has realized just how powerful simplicity can be, which is highlighted on their new album, Cicatrix, which will be released in August 2007 through Feed The Hungry Music/Adrenaline Music Group.

The road to enlightenment, however, is long. Kinski, whose older brother nicknamed him after the neurotic German actor Klaus Kinski, began hanging out at the Hong Kong Lo in L.A., catching rock en español acts as the movement gained momentum in the mid-'90s. Rodax, who studied and played jazz in Mexico, carved out a broader musical landscape before moving to the states. Kinksi and Rodax then recruited Jason Li Shing, a Chinese-Japanese American guitarist, at his high school talent show. Jason’s selective taste for aggressive rock can be juxtaposed with his passion for such expressive female vocalists as Bjork and PJ Harvey, and he eventually underwent his own musical rite of passage that led him to learn the koto, a Japanese traditional zither, and experiment with the harp. After trying a heavier sound with another drummer, Monte Negro hired drummer Xavier Lopez and arrived at its current line-up in 2003 with the band name, Madrepore. As the band’s sound evolved with Cicatrix, the band decided to reflect this with a new band name, Monte Negro.

The music of Monte Negro, defies a simple description. Most say melodic rock, which is true, yet there are distinct undertones and layers making it eclectic and bohemian, American yet definitely worldly. Their music has landed them in magazines such as Spin, La Banda Elástica, and Billboard, and they have worked with famed producers such as Gavin MacKillop (Goo Goo Dolls, Sugarcult) and Tone (Green Day, Carlos Santana). Playing alongside bands like Todos Tus Muertos, Incubus, At The Drive In, and Molotov, Monte Negro most recently performed with the Mexican alternative band Zoe and L.A.’s multiethnic band, Ozomatli.

Today, Monte Negro is finally producing the sound they describe as an "amalgamation of styles filtering through our creative sides." Pop sensibilities mix with darker experimentation to give the listener an acoustic journey through the Monte Negro landscape. Monte Negro’s goal is simple: play for a lot of people and get a reaction.

As lead singer Kinski states, "We hope that people either love us or hate us. As long as we can get a visceral reaction and not be met with indifference, I think we've achieved what we set out to do."

With a savory attitude and an accomplished new sound, Monte Negro emerges as a nourished entity.

Evanescence

The White Stripes

Rock band Evanescence also topped this year's list, picking up five nominations including Best New Artist and Best Rock Album for their multi-platinum breakthrough release, Fallen. Other five-time nominees were rapper Eminem and the late Warren Zevon. Also receiving multiple nods were Willie Nelson, Jack White of The White Stripes (three with his band and one individual), and classical composer Jose Serebrier with four each and Christina Aguilera with three, including Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for her smash hit, "Beautiful."

Willie Nelson

Eminem

Warren Zevon

The 46th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 8, 2004, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast on CBS from 8-11:30 p.m. on the East and West Coasts.

BMI's Grammy Nominees

SIX NOMINATIONS
Pharrell Williams

FIVE NOMINATIONS
Eminem
Evanescence
Chad Hugo
Warren Zevon

FOUR NOMINATIONS
Willie Nelson
José Serebrier
The White Stripes

THREE NOMINATIONS
Christina Aguilera
Jeff Bass
Michael Brecker
Chick Corea
Anthony Hamilton
Alison Krauss
Lil' Kim
Shania Twain

TWO NOMINATIONS
Audioslave
Black Eyed Peas
Jorge Calderón
Ry Cooder
Foo Fighters
Fountains of Wayne
Aretha Franklin
Rich Harrison
Heather Headley
Bishop T.D. Jakes
Toby Keith
R. Kelly
k.d. lang (SOCAN)
The Matrix
Martina McBride
Aaron Neville
Nickelback (SOCAN)
Pink
Neal Pogue
Earl Scruggs
Wayne Shorter
Snoop Dogg
Sting (PRS)
Union Station
Doc Watson
will.i.am
John Williams
Lucinda Williams

ONE NOMINATION
Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Akwid
Allman Brothers Band
Audio Adrenaline
Marcia Ball
Luther Barnes & the Sunset Jubilaires
Buju Banton (PRS)
Mark Batson
Steve Berkowitz
Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones
Carla Bley Big Band
Blind Boys of Alabama
Blue Highway
Michelle Branch
Randy Brecker
Brooks & Dunn
David Bowie (PRS)
Joe Budden
Jimmy Buffett
Martin Buttrich (GEMA)
Café Tacuba
Michel Camilo
Cam'Ron
Caribbean Jazz Project
Rosanne Cash
Stanley Clarke
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
The Crabb Family
The Crusaders
Sam Cooke
Adrian Cosentini
Diamond Rio
Ani DiFranco
Reggie Dozier
Jimmy Douglass
Eagles
Fred Ebb
Kurt Elling
Scotty Emerick
The Flaming Lips
Floetry
Bill Frisell
Kenny G
Vince Gill
Gorillaz (PRS)
Percy Gray, Jr.
Buddy Guy
Eddie Gonzalez
Jimmy Gonzalez y El Grupo Mazz
Pat Green
Stephan Haeri
William Hamilton
Roy Hargrove
Faith Hill
Dave Holland Quintet
Eric Idle (PRS)
India
Intocable
Jane's Addiction
Etta James
Keith Jarrett
Jars of Clay
Norah Jones
The Jordanaires
John Kander
Peter Kater
John P. Kee
Garrison Keillor
Kitaro (JASRAC)
Korn
Dave Koz
Nathaniel Kunkel
Patti LaBelle
Amel Larrieux
Glenn Lewis
Mark Levine
Linkin Park
The Light Crust Doughboys
Lonestar
Irving Lorenzo
Patty Loveless
Luis Miguel
Timo Maas (GEMA)
Marilyn Manson
Masters at Work
Donnie McClurkin
Del McCoury Band
Tim McGraw
Sarah McLachlan (SOCAN)
Jim McNeely
Joel McNeely
Pat Metheny
Bette Midler
Ismael Miranda
Molotov
Joel Moss
Newsboys
Bob Norberg
Les Nubians (SACEM)
The Oak Ridge Boys
Walter Ostanek (SOCAN)
Joe Pace
Dolly Parton
Nicholas Payton
Ray Price
Queens of the Stone Age
Eugene Record
Relient K
Don Rollins
Roomful of Blues
The Roots
Scott Rouse
David Sanborn
Pete Seeger
The Sensational Nightingales
Thomas Z. Shepard
Brian Setzer Orchestra
Sean Smith
Luciana Souza
Los Straitjackets
Micheal Strange, Jr.
Jimmy Sturr
Howard Tate
Susan Tedeschi
Télépopmusik (SACEM)
Jacky Terrasson
Los Tigres Del Norte
Los Tucanes De Tijuana
Caetano Veloso
Rhonda Vincent
Redd Volkaert
Muddy Waters
Charlie Wilson
Gerald Wilson Orchestra
Kim Wilson
Vickie Winans
George Winston
Wayne Wonder
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Yerba Buena
Maury Yeston
Yellowjackets

It was a chilling, unforgettable moment for Jane's Addiction. The group from nearby Los Angeles was not only celebrating its homecoming as headliners of the recently revived Lollapalooza festival (a multifaceted tour originally conceived by Jane's vocalist Perry Farrell in the early '90s), but it was celebrating its formal return to the rock scene with its first album of new songs in 13 years.

Both the Strays comeback CD and its performances on the first Lollapalooza tour in seven years, have recently helped to cement Jane's Addiction's status as modern rock godfathers. The group helped establish the groundwork in the late '80s for the epochal grunge movement that soon followed.

Not long after it first emerged in 1986, Jane's Addiction was being labeled the best and most intriguing young band in Los Angeles. Merging punk, metal, art rock and folk into a unique and compelling sonic stew, the quartet was often labeled the "new Led Zeppelin."

The group released two stirring albums on Warner Bros. Records, 1988's Nothing's Shocking and 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual . The latter album proved to be the group's much-deserved commercial breakthrough.

Inter-band tensions and substance-abuse problems contributed to the band's breakup in 1991 just as it seemed poised to rocket to superstardom.

The immense promise of Jane's Addiction appeared in danger of never being fully realized or appreciated. Fortunately, Farrell reconvened the group in 1997 for a six-week tour and an album called Kettle Whistle that consisted of live tracks, outtakes and two new recordings.

The group's real test occurred when it released Strays this summer. Would Jane's Addiction still be viewed as relevant in today's vastly different rock scene? Judging by the music, the answer is a resounding "yes."]]> 2003-11-16T17:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/musicworld/entry/233459 Artists, Angel, The, Jane's Addiction, Navarro, Dave, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The, Musical Styles, Rock, Musicworld, Hitmaker As a founding member of the pioneering alt-rock band Jane's Addiction, Dave Navarro has helped redefine rock guitar. During his brief, mid-'90s stint with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Los Angeles axeman solidified his reputation as one of modern rock's most innovative accompanists.

But with the recent release of his Capitol Records debut album, Trust No One, Navarro has emerged as a solo artist in his own right. Fans expecting indulgent displays of instrumental heroism will be pleasantly surprised. Though the album features plenty of Navarro's apocalyptic guitar, there's also a delectable surfeit of acoustic guitar textures and curious production sounds. But ultimately, Trust No One showcases Navarro's heretofore unsung songwriting talents, most notably his impressive lyrical skills.

In fact, Trust No One is one of the most honest and insightful meditations on rock stardom in recent memory. Songs like "Avoiding The Angel" and "Very Little Daylight" chronicle the guitarist's spiritual struggles, while the single "Rexall" cleverly rebukes idealistic music fans. "I hate my life . . . I want the life you think I have," Navarro sings in a voice dripping with irony. Shunning trendy fatalism, Navarro has created an earnest masterwork that offers a revealing peak inside the surreal world of rock & roll.

As if the album didn't offer enough insight into Navarro's psyche, the guitarist recently released his autobiographical book, "Don't Try This At Home" (Regan Books; $29.95 hardcover). With its sordid tales of band politics, romantic breakups, failed drug rehabilitations and professional mishaps, Don't Try This At Home - like it's musical companion Trust No One - dispels the myth of the glamorous, carefree rock & roll lifestyle.

"The music on this record was written because these four people get off on making music with each other."
-press statement for the Red Hot Chili Peppers album, Californication.

They have survived the death of a founding member, numerous personnel changes and highly publicized struggles with addiction. Yet despite all the upheavals, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have retained the optimism and prankish humor that made them alternative rock legends. On their latest Warner Bros. Records album, Californication, the Chili Peppers exorcise their personal demons without stooping to cynicism or self-pity. In fact, the album opens with singer Anthony Kiedis declaring that "life is beautiful around the world."

Laughing in the face of adversity is standard procedure for the Chili Peppers. Unlike some of their alt-rock peers, the foursome never succumbed to fashionable moodiness. On hit albums like Mother's Milk, BloodSugarSexMagik and One Hot Minute, the band combines chest-thumping funk rhythms with r&b-inflected melodies and uproariously lusty lyrics. The Los Angeles quartet is also renowned for its camaraderie. In performances and interviews, founding members Kiedis and Flea (real name Michael Balzary) openly declare their love for one another and their bandmates. The band seems to delight in challenging staid, macho notions about masculinity.

But the band's controversial antics have never overshadowed their music. Bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith make up one of the most respected rhythm sections in modern rock. Recently, the band welcomed innovative guitarist John Frusciante back to the fold. Frusciante, who co-composed such Chili Peppers classics as "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge," left the band in 1992 at the height of their success. Some critics credit Frusciante with rekindling their creative fire.

Founded in Hollywood in the early '80s, the Chili Peppers immediately carved a niche by being the first rock band to combine edgy punk attitude with hardcore r&b rhythms. The band had released four critically acclaimed recordings when founding guitarist Hillel Slovak died of a drug overdose in 1988. Bowed but undaunted, the group recruited Frusciante and Smith and scaled the pop charts with their 1989 recording, Mother's Milk.

In the wake of Frusciante's 1992 departure, the band recorded their 1995 album, One Hot Minute, with former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. A four-year hiatus ensued, but fans attending the 1999 Woodstock Festival in Rome, New York discovered the foursome had lost none of their raucous appeal. During the band's frenzied performance, concertgoers ignited bonfires and toppled scaffolding. The story made headlines worldwide and added further fuel to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' hellraising mystique.