Patricia Vonne

Patricia Vonne

Top Of The Mountain

Patricia Vonne has worn many hats in her day: singer, songwriter, bandleader, actress, activist, award-winning animator and more. But with the release of her seventh album, Top of the Mountain (Bandolera Records), she takes her musical career to a new level.

 

Following on the heels of her acclaimed all-Spanish album, 2015’s Viva Bandolera (which made the Top Eight list in the Huffington Post), Vonne’s new effort incorporates all the multi-faceted components that define her unique musical persona; rock, folk, flamenco, bilingual Tex-Mex and Latin strands that, taken together, form a rich and colorful tapestry.

 

“I’m a ninth-generation Tejana,” says the San Antonio native and Austin resident. “A fusion of many cultures and musical influences.” Asked to describe her music to a stranger she replies, “I call it roots rock with a south-of-the border flavor. It’s always been important to me to embrace my Latin heritage through my music.”
The defiant, stand-your-ground title track sets a declamatory tone as the rest of the album winds a sinuous path through the border radio groove of “Lil’ Lobo,” the careening rocker “Graceland Trip,” “Madre de Perla,” a flamenco-flavored tribute to Vonne’s mother, the spaghetti western soundtrack that is “Western Blood,” and much more.

 

Vonne enlisted an ensemble of gifted musical guests to flesh out the tracks, including Fort Worth sax virtuoso Johnny Reno, bajo sexto player Max Baca, guitarists David Grissom and Joe Reyes, and keyboardist Scott Plunkett, from Chris Isaak’s band, along with co-producer and guitarist Rick Castillo. Vonne herself plays lead guitar on “Western Blood.”

 

Featuring co-writes with Joe “King” Carrasco, Alejandro Escovedo, Willie Nile, Steven Medina Hufsteter of the Cruzados, and longtime performing and songwriting partner Robert LaRoche, Top of the Mountain allowed Vonne to explore new aspects of her multi-cultural creativity.

 

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Tracklist:

1. Citadel 03:13
2. City Is Alive 03:15
3. Illuminaria 02:28
4. Top Of The Mountain 03:34
5. Lil’ Lobo 04:30
6. Madre De Perla 02:38
7. Tidal Wave 04:12
8. Graceland Trip 02:45
9. Western Blood 03:00
10. Conción de la Boda 02:51
11. Lekker Ding 02:06
12. God’s Hands 03:49
13. Stop The Madness 04:01

Total:  42:22