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Philly Magazine

DANCE:THE NEXT BIG THING:

Philly may be known for its R&B, but with deSoL, playing the Mill Creek Tavern on December 5th, there's a new Latin flavor in the mix. A seven - piece unit (including Albie Monterrosa, left) that originally formed in Asbury Park , this band is now using the City of Brotherly Love as the base for its rapidly expanding operations. Recently signed to Curb/Warner, the group has a single planned for the new year and an album to follow almost immediately. Now is the time to catch them live, while they're still playing intimate clubs and experimenting with their set lists. The band's sound is already fully formed, drawing on such early Santana hits as " Evil Ways " and "Oye Como Va" for a heady, polyrhythmic blend of chanted melodies and mystical atmosphere. It's no oldies act, though; deSoL takes this model and fuses it with contemporary elements like big modern rock hooks and flourishes of rap and hip-hop beats. The effect is something like a cosmic radio that's pulling signals from all over the world into a vibrant, pulsing flow.
-- Ramsay Pennypacker

$6. December 5th. Mill Creek Tavern, 42nd Street and Chester Avenue ; 215-222-9194.