Eddie Gumucio

There were more than 30 albums released this year by local artists of all stripes. Here are the ones I liked best: "When There You Were ...," by Eddie Gumucio: If you've only heard Gumucio's acoustic shows around town, you haven't heard one-tenth of his capabilities. Backed by the Skeletons, Gumucio's latest songs shine given the full-band treatment on this one.

-Michael Brothers - Springfield News-Leader

I like this song because the singer has such presence. The fact that he can make "happy, happy, happy..." sound good is a credit to his abilities. The way all the instruments compliment each other without overpowering too, at any point in the song, is impressive. I hope you like it when I say this but I like you for the same reason I like Third Eye Blind and Everclear, your words and songs aren't overproduced. Great soul, flow, mojo, whatever, well done.

GARAGEBAND.COM

- significanteffects/ Costa Mesa, CA

laid back with great string arrangement and infectious vocal melody...the guitars are great like a cross between stevie salas and queen....the vocalist is superb...powerful,with a smooth,pitch perfect voice, this whole band really knows how to perform.....lovely hooks, nice sentiment......great arrangement(lots of little touches and variation), recorded and mixed to within an inch of perfection..reminds me of that steve earle song a little,cant remember what its called though..pop as it should be,but so seldom is these days..

GARAGEBAND.COM - THEE / Nottingham, UK

Eddie Gumucio's problem hasn't been making the record charts, it's been determining which of his records is actually representative of his sound.
"Some of the program directors came back and said I was on their alt-country chart or their world music chart or the indie chart", said Gumucio. "I guess they really liked the hybrid quality of it."
Gumucio, an American by birth, spent most of his childhood in La Paz, Bolivia, and often refers to his songs as something of a melting pot sound. While growing up he was exposed to everything from Tom Jones to the Violent Femmes and traditional Andean music. In second grade, he hit the stage performing KISS covers at the school talent show (a friend's older brother sent the records from America.)
"That time spent down there, even on an unconscious level, probably had a lot of play into my inspiration and my motivations," said Gumucio, who performs in English and Spanish.
Now living in Springfield, MO, Gumucio spends about 10 days each month touring the Midwest, while writing songs as diverse as his musical inputs.
"I tend to write about things that have gone on or went on in my life," he said. "So on some songs, I'm exorcising certain things. On the flip side, I write songs that are also surreal, imagined stories."
"Insecto" is one such imagined story. Gumucio sings about a day in the life of a bug, taking on its persona and watching the giant world move about him. On "Space Trip", the singer explores his childhood dream of blasting off to the cosmos.
"There are songs where I start from a clean palate and see where I come up lyrically", he said. "I make no apologies, I certainly wear my heart on my sleeve, and I approach it from the emotional standpoint - I think that's me being as honest as I can be."
Not that anyone said space-travel shoudn't be the stuff of songs.
His most recent release - a duo with Mike Henderson called "Skin and Bones" - captures the intimate feel that Gumucio relishes when performing acoustic sets.
"I've had the opportunity as a solo artist to get outside the bar circuit", he said. "I can play at coffee houses, art galleries or daytime events through civic organizations back home, and that's rewarding - being able to play to such a diverse demoraphic."

--by Brett Wertz

- The Reader

Having crossed four continents and 35 countries by the age of 21, Eddie Gumucio has always been more of a nomad than an ensconced "local musician." So it is not surprising that the singer-songwriter ostensibly based in Springfield, hasn't played Kansas City in two years. Instead he's been gigging from the Midwest to the West Coast. Gumucio plays a homecoming concert with his band, the Elecrics at McCoy's Public House at 10pm, showcasing new songs as well as selections from his debut disc, 2005's When There You Were. Many of the album's tracks balance ringing guitar leads with atmospheric acoustic jangles, recalling Big Country and the Cure's unplugged efforts. However, the bilingual vocalist tosses in a few twists, such as the animated rhythms and festive horns of "Latin song" and jam-band flourishes that evoke his stint in the alt-groove group Michyksaseal.

--Andrew Miller - The Pitch

Gumucio drinks from the well where the waters of love and life run deepest.

--Steve Hankins - Springfield Free Press