Biography
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Years Active
2008 – present (17 years)
Lagartija are a 5-piece band from Piacenza, Italy. They formed in October of 2008 and recorded their material quite quickly, releasing "Ricordi?" in May 2009. Originally six, bass player Fabrizio Maffei left the band after the album came out and now vocalist Sara Aliani handles bass duties as well. The band members come from diverse musical backgrounds and it flavors their music well. Sara has performed in choir as well as in rock bands. Guitarist Andrea Poggi notes post-rock as an influence. Keyboardist Fabrizio Delledonne has jazz and classical experiences. Saxist Christian Piga comes from a jazz and brass band background, and drummer Michele Molinari had too many influences to choose one. All claim affection for progressive rock and Radiohead.
Musically Lagartija are a fascinating chameleon who took my ear instantly. They are an example of modern Italian progressive rock with RPI sub characteristics and they possibly fit other subgenres too. While not obviously influenced by the classic 70s Italian scene, they possess the same free spirit of experimentation those bands had in an updated, yet still richly Italian-vibed sound. (Not unlike Il Babau I Maledetti Cretini, recent Arpia, and Architrave Independente in that respect, though they sound different.) There is a bit of everything here: rock, alt-lounge, smoky art rock-jazz, and a bit of avant-garde. There is lots of sax, some piano, Italian vocals, and dramatic artistry (they've even employed ballet around them as they perform live). One can hear some post-rock influence at times, other times the guitar can be more aggressive.
December 2011 sees the much anticipated second album from Lagartija. "Particelle" has been released through Lizard Records and you can hear a sample below. Keyboardist Delledonne has been replaced by a second guitarist, Marco Libe. The second album shows compositional and performance growth with a dreamy psych-tinged fusion flavor. You can get the new CD from BTF, Camelot, or Syn-phonic.
-Jim Russell/Finnforest
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