Album Notes

Pitch Weekly: The Best Bi-Lingual Group in Kansas City 2008

Best Bilingual Band
Making Movies

About 20 years ago, the Chi family moved from Panama to the Kansas City metro. Little Enrique, then 6, began to learn English. His fluency now is demonstrated by the thoughtful lyrics he writes and sings for his rock band, Making Movies. Chi, whose olive skin and blond dreadlocks make him stand out in a local scene dominated by white guys in black jeans, brings his own past to the musical table. On Tierra Firme, Vol. 1, the 10-track collection that Making Movies released this year, Chi sings every song in English and Spanish. That is, the record contains English and Spanish versions of every tune. In any language, the angst-filled songs rock.

Making Movies
Tierra Firme Vol.1: Lobos.Wolves EP (self-released)
By Richard Gintowt
Published on August 26, 2008 at 1:26pm

When was the last time you heard a band that said it liked the Police actually sound like it? Kansas City's Making Movies isn't exactly tearing up the charts like Sting yet, but the group is off to a good start with its debut EP, Tierra Firme Vol. 1. Packing a tight sound that emphasizes funky, offbeat rhythms, the EP targets both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences by presenting the same five songs in both languages. Minus the classic-rock and Latin infusions, Making Movies is essentially a stage-ready melodic-rock band that should win favor with fans of Death Cab for Cutie and other groups that value the interplay of a solid groove and a smart hook. Go see these guys live, and you'll quickly realize they've come a long way since recording Tierra; in the meantime, we can get by with this muy bueno introduction.