Red Cortez readies ‘Virgin Ideas,’ plans residency

Kevin Bronson on
3

Over three-plus years of fine-tuning their steamy blues-rock, Red Cortez must’ve played more than a dozen slots supporting residency headliners. Now the L.A. quartet is getting their first residency – in February at the Satellite – and just in time. The foursome of Harley Prechtel-Cortez, Ryan Kirkpatrick, Calvin J. Love and Diego Guerrero is putting the finishing touches on their debut album “Virgin Ideas.” Recorded in sessions with two producers, Ethan Johns and Kevin Augunas, the album follows last year’s self-released “Hands to the Wall” EP (and three EPs they made as the Weather Underground). “Virgin Ideas” is as fervent sonically as it is conceptually, aspiring to the same visionary scope as the authors and beat poets Prechtel-Cortez so admires. It translates live, too. The frontman promises of the residency: “Expect love and noise to collide in a beautiful juxtaposition.” The not-quite-finished version of “Virgin Ideas” title track topped the KROQ Locals Only playlist earlier this year. Have a taste.

||| Stream: “Virgin Ideas”:

||| Live: Red Cortez plays every Monday in February at the Satellite, co-hosted by KROQ Locals Only and Buzz Bands LA.