Las Chicas Del Volleyball
ACHO BROTHER
(Spanglish Records/myspace.com/achobrother)
Now on their third album, Acho Brother — singer/guitarist Hector Mayoral and drummer Zak Byrd — prove as adventurous as ever, blending Mayoral's breathy, impassioned vocals and aggressive acoustic six-string work with myriad found sounds, ambient washes and superb saxophone work from Jeremy Powell, as well as jazzy piano courtesy of Fay Olan. The Puerto Rico-born, Florida-raised Mayoral alternate between singing in English and Spanish; there are melodic ballads and experimental noise excursions. Few other Tampa Bay acts are making music this challenging, varied and rewarding.
This article appears in Dec 19-25, 2007.