With A Name Like Mitchell Froom, It Has To Be Good

There’s something fascinating about Mitchell Froom’s name. Say it out loud: it’s both lyrical and industrial at the same time. It evokes evergreens and oranges, sometimes smoke from chimneys of the London cityscape, sometimes dry grasses of Baja Mexico.

His records – those he’s performed and those he’s produced — sound like his name. Particularly those for Latin Playboys and Los Lobos demonstrate a genius for combining new electronics with ancient instruments.

I have Latin Playboys and some of solo stuff around somewhere; I’ll dig them up.

In the meantime, here’s a cut or two that are readily available.

Los Lobos – Angels With Dirty Faces

A brilliant demonstration of his ability to meld together a soundscape of electronics and instruments.

Crowded House – Chocolate Cake

A sneakily sarcastic song that could’ve suffer from too much of what was trendy at the time. Instead, Froom let the lyrics shine.

Suzanne Vega – 99.9F Degrees

It sounds a little dated today but still has something special about it.

Artwork: Rock & Roll (Acrylic/Oil on Box Canvas) by Cindy Todd