In the call for something greater, a sweet, harsh, inexplicable sound drifts out over the Atlantic toward the hungry hearts whose number are legion.
The land of commodity gives us, of course, Producto, the Athens, Georgia-based band.Now comes Producto 3.
The third album, the bass, drums, the guitar all in one package, seamlessly twisted around and through sweaty, streaming lines of handsome heartbreak, a"... follow my tears to the river you drink..." The vocals approach on a vast stairway rung with power chords instead of handrails - ferociously tearing at the last vestiges of Pop. This femme fatale with the silky contempt trades on her fever like it's the only gift she has to give you. The ten new songs could only be the newest evidence for that creep who will not die, that Deus ex Machina of creation cannibalizing commerce with the newest Producto. (AF)STOMP AND STAMMER, Atlanta, Ga- July 2007 by Jeff Clark
One of the most impressive and underrated Athens bands has for years been Producto. But if you never heard of them, it's partially the band's fault - they've gone through several lineup changes, they rarely play outside of Athens, and their first two CDs had unattractive packaging. And they are not the easies band to pigeonhole - to their credit, but when the Flagpole Athens Music Award has them on the hard/heavy rock category ( which they lost to We Versus the Shark) you have to wonder, because while Producto can rattle your fillings with the best of them, they also have songs of incredible, stirring tranquility and beauty. Anchored by stunning vocalist Ane Diaz and Page-worshiping guitarist Frank McDonell, and with the rhythm section of bassist Philip McArdle ( since replaced by Keith Reardigan) and drummer Creston Spiers, Producto dazzle on their third CD, simply title 3. Producers Ken Stringfellow (of the Posies), Bill Rieflin ( current REM drummer) and Andy Baker ( vet of all sorts of Athens bands) skillfully capture the fury and poetic allure of the group - tender cuts like "Manue,l" "LaLa" and 'McDearis" are intemateand moving while the rockers
("The Time has Come," "Psychonaut," et al) reach an anthemic plateau. Whether singing in English or other tongues, whether softly seductive or erupting into a banshee's wail, Diaz never loses you attention - her voice is a wonder of poise and power. Album of the Month.
FLAGPOLE- ATHFEST-10 More Years Please!-June 28, 2006 by Will BrooksI think the reaction of nearly every person in the Caledonia Lounge on Saturday had to be about the same when they heard Ané Diaz first belt out long-held notes that overpowered the music and echoed through the room. You can choose your own expletive, but the basic emotion was amazement. Here was this nearly operatic voice matched with some of the best musicians in town: Frank McDonnell, arguably the best guitarist in town; Creston Spiers, former percussion major and Harvey Milk vocalist, on drums; and former Star Room Boy Philip McArdle holding his own on bass (not usually his instrument of choice) in very esteemed company. The result of all that is a band able to very precisely control the rise and fall of sometimes very complicated songs. The sweltering heat of the club went well with the intensity of the songs, and the crowd just became more tightly packed as the set went on. For good measure, the band, riding the buzz from a strong Flagpole Athens Music Awards performance, threw in a wonderfully executed cover of The Glands Pretty Merrina - and it takes a lot to cover a Glands song and make it sound good. The last time I saw Producto was with a completely different lineup. Its grown into one of the best bands in Athens, without a doubt.FLAGPOLE - ABC- December 7, 2005. Chris Hassiotis
Athens Producto, centers around the magnetic stage presence of vocalist An Diaz and the jaw-dropping guitar work of Frank MacDonell, though bassists Andy Baker and Nick Bielli and drummer Aaron Wegelin join in. The band plays an entrancing, dramatic blend of intense rock meshed with heartbroken siren songs and traditional Venezuelan numbers.FLAGPOLE - Club Notes -August 31, 2005 by Ben Gerrard.Relief comes in a potent dose at the hands of local band Producto playing at the Caledonia Lounge. I ask someone at the bar what she knows about the band and she says, "A friend told me that sometimes they sound like Blue yster Cult and sometimes they don't sound like Blue yster Cult, at all, but they rock!" So far her friend has been right on all counts. The powerfully languid vocals of An Diaz are at the forefront of this band, but at its core is the aggressively industrial and darkly stirring guitar work of Frank MacDonell, who achieves some of his isolating soundscapes by playing his guitar with a bow through a range of effects pedals. Diaz is now interspersing fiercely angular Athens rock with a laid-back Venezuelan folk song that sways to a gently waltzing rhythm.
When the dark indie rock returns, I also become very aware of the heavily pulsating basslines of Andy Baker, as Producto's next song rocks out with a post-new-wave-punk groove. As Diaz & Co. continue their stylistic twists and turns, they take on a country-meets-Debbie Harry vocal feel before cruising into a comfortable Laura Morgan cover. With its diverse range of styles and extreme musicianship, Producto is all the non-conforming confrontation and melodic power that I could have hoped for.
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