www.MysteryMachineProductions.com, San Francisco, CA
You'd swear Yo, Flaco! were straight outta' The Mission, or at least the East Bay. They're well-funked, "hotter than Chalula" fusion of rhyme and rhythm, jam jazz, Afro-Latin and old school hip-hop is literally dripping with the Bay Area's eclectic world flavor yet these boys are actually from, get this, Denver. They've been keeping it real Rockies-style for a few years now, steadily building a loyal following of funksters, and now they're ready to share they're growing repertoire of infectious ass-shakers with Bay Area heads. Beatsauce FM's DJ Raw B will also be on hand, spinning hip-hop joints before and after the show. Yo, Flaco! is online at www.yoflaco.com

Yo, Flaco! shows eclectic talent on 'The Skinny'
Gazette, The (Colorado Springs),  Dec 24, 2004  by J. ADRIAN STANLEY THE GAZETTE

Title: "The Skinny," by Yo, Flaco!

Style: Hip-hop, jazz

Personnel: Adam Bartczak (trombone, conch); Brandon Martin (guitar); Derris Miles (vocals); Ethan Raczka (tenor saxophone); Matt Piazza (keyboards, piano); Nate Graham (vocals); Neil McIntyre (vocals); Seth Murphy (drums); Wes Coplen (bass); Ron Miles (trumpet); Kenneth Clark (percussion); Dae Dai (backing vocals); Jans Ingber (backing vocals)

What's this band all about: Yo, Flaco! is a Denver-based band that formed six years ago.

"The band is all about making live jazz-infused, improvisational- based, hip-hop music," says guitarist Brandon Martin.

The group enjoys performing at 32 Bleu, the Fox Theatre (in Boulder), the Soiled Dove (in Denver), and other locales across America.

"Our goal is to be able to make a good living doing this and to be able to tour the world doing this," Martin says. "We want to spread the music."
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Inspiration for the album: "Our inspiration is always just pushing ourselves as individuals and as musicians," Martin says.

Best CD moment: "I think every individual in the band has moments where they really shine," Martin says.

Biggest influences: Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, Soulive and Charlie Hunter

CD vitals: 15 songs, 65 minutes, produced by Yo, Flaco!, Kevin Clock of Colorado Sound, and Alan Evans (of Soulive)

Test drive: www.yoflaco.com

Available at: www.yoflaco.com, www.BestBuy.com, www.SamGoody.com, www.Amazon.com, www.CDuniverse.com, and Independent Records

Catch 'em live: Yo, Flaco! and Askimbo will play the Soiled Dove at 8 p.m. Dec. 31.

Tickets are $65 and include the price of an all-night open bar.

Tickets may be purchased at www.soileddove.com or at the Soiled Dove at 1949 Market St. in Denver.

Review: Mixing jazz elements into hip-hop might not be a new idea, but Yo, Flaco! effectively turns the style into a unique sound.

>From the funky beat and aggressive wordsmanship of "Now or Never" to the beckoning boogie of "The Party's Right Here!," to the soft jazz and lyrical windows of "Stinger's Last Stand," this album is truly mesmerizing.

Although a few of the beats have dance appeal, Yo, Flaco!'s strength is not in making MTVready, booty-bouncing club hits.

The band seems to prefer a mellow approach, placing musical and intellectual prowess above popular appeal on its priority list.

The result is stirring. At times the band seems to take control of the music -- embarking on journeys through conundrums of sound.

Other times, the MCs take center stage, laying down firstclass rhymes and encouraging the audience to think about their world and their lives more critically.

"Nice Guys" is an impressive relationship song. While issuing a warning to men who fall prey to manipulative women, the MCs still maintain their poise and maturity.

The song doesn't resort to verbal abuse or misogyny -- a rarity in modern hip-hop.

"(There'll Be Another One) Here She Comes," stands out for its heavy R&B influences, reminiscent of Stevie Wonder.

Although not the best track on this stellar album, it certainly demonstrates the eclectic talents of the members of Yo, Flaco!

* BUDWEISER’s “Bud True Music” program – Yo, Flaco! was chosen by Budweiser to be a part of their National Sponsorship program which promotes and supports Unsigned Bands from around the country. A huge honor!

* JAMBASE.com’s “Bands To Watch In 2004” – Yo, Flaco! was named by JamBase.com as one of the Best Unsigned Bands in the Country as one of their “Bands To Watch In 2004”. 2004 could be the ‘year of Flaco!’

* “ AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS” Presents The Coca Cola New Music Award – The American Music association, CMJ, Dick Clark Communications & Coca cola searched for America’s ‘Best Unsigned Band’ to perform live on the American Music Awards Broadcast in Jan., 2002. Yo, Flaco! is very proud to have made it into the Top 3 Finalists. They are one of the first 3 unsigned bands to ever be nominated for an American Music Award!

* WESTWORD’s Music Awards – Yo, Flaco! has been nominated in the Westword Music Awards as one of Colorado ’s “Best Bands” for the past seven years. Over a 5-6 week time span, readers of Westword ( Colorado ’s largest alternative newspaper) are invited to vote for their favorite bands in various categories. Yo, Flaco! won their category in1998 (Latin/World Music) after having been together less than a year. & the group won, not one but two awards in 2000! They received the award in their category (Eclectic) and in a new category… Readers were able to vote for their favorite bands in the various categories and then write-in their choice for the ‘Best Of Showcase;’ a true honor! & Yo, Flaco! has won 3 times, in 2001 thru 2003 as the best Hip-Hop band and now in 2004 they were placed in a new category as best Funk/Soul band & won!

* SAM GOODY “Bandemonium” / Best Unsigned Band In USA Contest – Yo, Flaco! was proud to have been chosen as one of the top 10 finalists in Sam Goody’s annual ‘best unsigned band’ search.

* 2000 JIM BEAM National Band Search – Each year the folks at Jim Beam hold a national search for one of the nation’s ‘hottest unsigned bands.’ Competitions are held in five markets around the country, Phoenix , Denver , Chicago , Cincinnati & Boston . Bands submit material to an area radio station whose staff chooses the five finalists, then each band plays a quick 15-minute set in front of a panel of judges (made up of people from the music industry.) The winner from each region advances to the national competition held in Phoenix . Yo, Flaco! won the national competition and was named “Best Unsigned Band in America 2000” by Jim Beam!

* 1999 Jim B.E.A.M. (Benefiting Emerging Artists in Music) Grant - Out of hundreds of applicants from around the country, Yo, Flaco! is 1 of only 27 artists/groups in the U.S. awarded this prestigious honor. “I’m extremely impressed with Yo, Flaco!’s talent and dedication to its music,” said Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens. “I’m well aware of the struggles artists face in trying to make it in the music industry and I hope the B.E.A.M. grant helps provide a boost to the members of Yo, Flaco! as the band attempts to further its career.”

* FESTIVALS – SXSW 2001, main stage at “The People’s Fair” (7 years), “AT&T LoDo Music Festival” (3 years), “Cherry Creek Arts Festival,” the 1 st annual “Mardis Gras” celebration and Grand Opening of Invesco Field.

* THE FANS – We have around 2,500 people on our mailing list & it just keeps on growing! Our shows continue to get bigger & bigger. The support of the band is wonderful – & for that we say thank you!

* CD SALES – Yo, Flaco’s debut CD sold almost 1,000 copies. Their second effort, “Skeptamistic” has sold over 5,000 copies and their latest CD “Goin’ At It” has sold over 4,000 copies.