Album Notes

GAINESVILLE SUN - Scene Magazine - Sound Check
Friday , April 12, 2002
"PRODUCTO DELIVERS THE GOODS" by Douglas Jordan
Whenever a new band emerges, there's a tendency to conjure up reference points- usually bands people are familiar with- to describe it. Perhaps nobody is more guilty of this than those of us who write about music in the press. Trouble is, every once in a while, one comes along with a sound so unique that such shorthand comparisons are difficult. Producto, a foursome playing the Common Grounds Saturday night, is one such band.But, if I were forced to attempt to reference this group, I'd say it's a little like Siouxie and Banshees meets the Sugar Cubes, but with a blues-rock foundation, Of course. There's much more to Producto than that. Fronting the group is a face that should be familiar to those who followed the local music scene over the years. Ane Diaz, You might remember Diaz as part of The Causey Way or further back, Sumac and Ndolphin. Her mysterious beauty, captivating stage presence and haunting voice have charmed audiences for years. Diaz sings and plays bass for Producto... Diaz stresses that even though many of the ideas originate with her, the group's music a joint effort. "Music is always a collaboration" says the Venezuelan-born Diaz. ... We always make the final call together. I do have a specific sound I go for, but all of us go there very naturally"...
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 Öyster Cult and sometimes they don't sound like Blue Öyster Cult, at all, but they rock!" So far her friend has been right on all counts. The powerfully languid vocals of Ané 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.