Mendoza

The son of a Mexican father and Spanish mother, Mendoza was born in Virginia, grew up in Spain and went to high school in Germany but now calls St. Louis home. The singer/songwriter’s sound is a reflection of his cultural background.
“There are songs in English. There are songs in Spanish,” Mendoza says. “It’s like going into a restaurant where they fuse Cuban food with American and French and Italian food.”
Mendoza’s most recent album — a self-titled album released last year — is a bit of a departure from his previous work and shows the influence of American folk-pop and some country music. Part of the inspiration for the album was performing on stage with Willie Nelson at The Pageant in St. Louis in 2006. Prior to that experience, Mendoza thought Nelson was “just country.” But he fell in love with Nelson’s lyrics and a sound he describes as “rock and roll mixed with gospel.”
With so many influences, Mendoza’s performances are never monotonous. Instead, they are high-energy shows featuring honest and deep social songs, from the hits “Julieanne” and “Night in Cusco” on his most recent album to a Latin-tinged cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”
“I try to make it a journey,” Mendoza says.
Mendoza also has performed with Los Lobos, Ben Folds, Duran Duran, Ziggy Marley and G-Love & Special Sauce. He’s performed for Pope John Paul II and lists U2 as a major influence. Six of his songs have been featured on MTV’s “The Real World” and he was a finalist in the 2007 Independent Music Awards.
For more about Mendoza, visit www.javiermendoza.com.
Tickets for Saturday’s show are $12 to $22 and are available at the Orpheum Theatre box office, 342-2299, or online at www.theorpheum.org. - Galesburg.com

Javier Mendoza's latest album truly is a blending of cultures.

Yes, that's a painfully cliched term. But how else do you describe songs that were inspired by Willie Nelson, recorded in Spain by an engineer who specializes in flamenco and electronica, with lyrics both in English and Spanish?

To understand the album, you'd first have to know a little about Mendoza, who makes a stop at the Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.

Today, Mendoza calls St. Louis home, but he was born in Virginia and moved to Spain at age 2. His father worked as a contracting specialist for the U.S. government, so his family was often on the move.

"From the time I was in kindergarten to 12th grade, I went to about nine schools," he said. "You adapt, but you internalize a lot because you don't have too many friends, you don't have a lot of time to make friends. When you internalize so much, you need some kind of outlet, and maybe music was that."

His family was full of musicians, but it was his involvement in "Annie" at a high school in Kaiserslautern, Germany, that solidified his future.

The music teacher there invited him to join the elite choir after his audition, and it boosted his confidence.

The thirty-something musician has taken a couple of music lessons over the years but never considered himself very patient. He's more self-taught than anything.

"I wouldn't consider myself a great guitar player," he says. "I'm a good songwriter, and I'm a good vocalist, but that just kind of happened, it was in my blood or in my soul somewhere."

Lately, Mendoza has been releasing music at a feverish pace (his recent self-titled album is his seventh full-length release) and flirting with the idea of joining a label but says he doesn't want to force it.

"I'm not going to jump at anything, because I'm doing really well on my own," said the singer, who was named a finalist in the 2007 Independent Music Awards. "So it'd have to be a really good deal. But I'm just interested to see what they have to say from the new album."

Mendoza says he will continue to perform as much as he can; he's been traveling around the country's concert circuit, and his music has particularly appealed to the college-age audience.

"My shows are really honest, and I really deliver a lot of energy and a lot of honesty when I perform," Mendoza said. "There's no gimmick. I think a lot of college students are tired of gimmick. They're hungry to hear something that's not trying to play into the industry."

Audiences may find they recognize Mendoza's music from MTV's "The Real World." He's had six songs on the show.

"I knew somebody that knew somebody on the production team, and I sent the CDs, and they liked it. One day I popped on the TV and there it was."

The royalties started rolling in and they continue today, but it's nothing to get terribly excited about.

"Once in a while I'll still get a dollar royalty when the episode's playing in Finland or the Czech Republic," he said.

Mendoza was opening for Willie Nelson back in 2006 and was so moved by what he heard that he delved into the music of other folk and country singers - Johnny Cash and modern singers such as Ray LaMontagne and Martin Sexton.

"I wasn't raised with Johnny Cash, so to me it was extremely new, listening to these people," Mendoza said. "I really was in awe of how they were writing and how simple their lyrics are, but so profound. So I started writing in that mode."

He took his songs to Spain, where he recorded the collection with the help of his cousin, a producer and engineer who specializes in electronica and flamenco. Mendoza says the project resulted in what he feels is his best work yet.

"Everything sounds very pure and very simple and earthy, but with underlying notes of pop electronica," Mendoza said. "I guess it's what I am; I'm kind of a purist when it comes to many things, but I also, you know, get on the Internet. . . . I think (this album) has blended my culture the best, all of my roots and my experiences."

Mendoza's audiences are treated to music that doesn't fit any niche; it's rock, it's pop, it's Latin. His lyrics are written both in English and Spanish, and Mendoza said he would write songs in any language he was familiar with.

"To me, it's all rock 'n' roll," he said.

Danielle Hatch can be reached at 686-3262 or dhatch@pjstar.com. - PJStar.com

International alternative rock artist Javier Mendoza brought his unique blend of musical influences to Athens Wednesday, May 26, performing to an enthusiastic audience at the Irene Bailey open-air theater on DEREE’s Aghia Paraskevi campus.

Against a backdrop of the twinkling lights of Athens, Mendoza treated the crowd to “Julieanne,” “Everything Changes,” and other hit songs that show why he was featured in December 2009’s Rolling Stone and People magazines.
Mendoza, who has written songs for Enrique Iglesias and other marquee artists, has already released ten CDs of his own, each combining new musical influences and inspirations. His music has been used in major U.S. television programs such as MTV’s Real World and Las Vegas.
Audience members danced to the embracing, nuanced rhythms of Mendoza’s music. DEREE dance students, under the instruction Cindy Trent, dance instructor at DEREE, added to the romantic atmosphere as they performed a modern flamenco influenced choreography to the accompaniment of the band.
Mendoza, who has performed with such artists as Everclear, Duran Duran, Los Lobos, and Willie Nelson, told his appreciative audience he hopes to be back on stage in Greece soon.
- American College of Greece DEREE

For three days in late April 1996, the sun-soaked Hotel InterContinental in Miami was a magnet for hungry musicians and powerful industry players. They’d gathered there for the seventh annual Billboard International Latin Music Conference. Latin rhythms reverberated through the hotel, lingered in the party atmosphere, then drifted out toward Biscayne Bay.

Among the performers: a singer/songwriter named Javier Mendoza out of St. Louis. He had landed a spot at the acoustic “Writers in the Round” program and was to perform a few of his songs, including “En Busca De Ti” and “Sellé el Recuerdo.” The combination of his silky, expressive voice, contemplative lyrics, smooth acoustic sound and good looks made an immediate impression on the audience. In a post-conference write-up in Billboard, Shakira got a lot of ink, but she wasn’t the only one to earn praise. “And there was no finer music than at the ‘Writers in the Round’ acoustic program,” the article stated. “Four superb songwriters—Warner/Chappell’s Fernando Osorio, EMI Latin recording artist Pete Astudillo, peermusic’s Mary Lauret and unsigned Javier Mendoza—fascinated the appreciative audience with infectious, well-crafted tunes.”

Ellen Moraskie, the Latin division vice president at Warner/Chappell who had a reputation for nurturing and developing the careers of young Latin musicians, was among those captivated by Mendoza’s performance. She made him a deal: Join Warner/Chappell as a songwriter. Not only would he be paid for his writing talent, but he’d also be attached to a label that could help him advance his own singing career.
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Before he boarded a plane back to St. Louis, Mendoza signed an exclusive contract with the company. A $30,000 advance would soon follow. The musician who had come to the conference in a cab left in a limousine.

On a fall evening more than 10 years later, a day after the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the 2006 World Series, Mendoza took the stage at the Lucas School House in Soulard, the headliner for a Halloween show complete with a costume contest—one he’d have to help judge. This was his second show of the day; the first was a backyard performance at a private birthday party.

Mendoza looked much as he did in Miami a decade earlier—time had been kind. The music business, however, had not been so gentle. Although superstardom had been elusive, Mendoza had built a following of hard-core fans ranging from college kids to middle-aged rockers, especially in and around his home base in St. Louis.

The crowd that night was thin, and the streets outside were empty. The city was still sleeping off a post–World Series hangover. But Mendoza wasn’t fazed. Onstage, he engaged the audience between songs with his dry sense of humor, giving a glimpse of his contrarian streak, softened with a sly grin. Musing about the Cardinals’ win, Mendoza, a soccer fan, asked the crowd whether a match-up of mostly United States teams really qualified as a world series.

Music was always a part of Mendoza’s life. Growing up in Madrid, he heard his father, Ricardo, playing the guitar and singing Mexican folk songs passed down from his father. (Ricardo’s job with a U.S. government agency meant the family moved frequently between the United States and Europe.) The family has other singers, too—Mendoza’s mother, Ana Cañas, and his two oldest siblings, Eugenio (Gene) and Ana-Maria. It was Gene who got most of the attention at family gatherings. “His biggest hit was ‘The Boxer’ by Simon & Garfunkel,” Mendoza recalls. “I would play the drums for him on my lap—trying to give a ‘band’ kind of sound.” Mendoza laughs, admitting his contributions weren’t always appreciated. “He’d tell me to shut up.”

Mendoza has also long loved soccer, another passion handed down from his father. The son played on a German semiprofessional team when he was 16 and 17—he lived in Germany during high school—and later played for Saint Louis University, from which he’d eventually graduate. When a knee injury put an end to Mendoza’s soccer dreams, he redirected that focus toward starting a career in music.

While this decision caused some father-son friction—“To me, it was not the most practical,” Ricardo admits—Mendoza pressed on. By 1993 he had a manager, Ken Hensley, the former keyboardist of the U.K. rock band Uriah Heep, who had moved to St. Louis in the early 1990s. Little happened during the first years of the partnership, but in the spring of 1996, Hensley scored Mendoza a spot on “Writers in the Round”; the limousine was purring just around the corner.

But tensions soon surfaced. For starters, there were disagreements about where Mendoza should live. Ellen Moraskie, the record-company VP, encouraged him to move to Miami, but Hensley advised him to stay put in St. Louis and fly to Florida when necessary. His image was also a source of strain. When he did visit Miami, photo shoots turned into mini-makeover sessions in an attempt to give Mendoza - St. Louis Magazine

St. Louis is lucky to have one of the best up-and-coming bands around. After being around for nearly seven years, the Javier Mendoza Band has become a giant of the local scene, particularly among the college crowd. Calling themselves a "transitional pop-rock" band, they've developed quite the following from devoted fans, and their talent and charisma were in full swing last Saturday night at their CD Release Party at Mississippi nights.
Opening alt-rock band Flynova performed a good set with a decent-sized crowd, but the dance floor didn't show real life until JMB came on.
When JMB hit the stage, the audience went crazy, giving the first of several rousing rounds of applause that evening. The band started off the evening with "Beautiful," the title track of their new CD, and proceeded track by track through the new album..
The new album is entirely in English, taking part of the Spanish-born Mendoza's Latin edge off the tracks, but they haven't lost their zest. The band's familiar bass, lead and rhythm guitar format, with its solid background of keyboard and drums, remains to drive their energetic blend of rock and Latin music.
They switch effortlessly from acoustic to electric, and can hold their own on long improvisations, blending the spontaneity of a jam band with the catchiness of radio-worthy hits like "Veronica." Where JMB really differs is in the Spanish/Latin influence. Many of JMB's more traditional sounding songs are in Spanish (Javier is from Spain and sings in both languages), but they also perform a lot of songs with Latin/Spanish rhythms and inflections, such as "Rococo Me."
On Saturday, the lyrics and intensity of feeling were impressive, even though not a word of Spanish was sung during the whole set. In fact, all the tracks on their new album are in English, which is somewhat puzzling for a traditionally latin-tinged band. That certainly didn't detract from anyone's enjoyment, but it was an unexpected change from the band's usual style.
Mendoza, guitarist Jim Peters, and bass player David Karns played with consummate musical skill, while displaying mischievous band interplay. All the while, drummer Moises Padilla and keyboardist Daniel Backman provided a rhythmic momentum behind the guitars. After finishing up their new album with "When You're Not Around" to rousing applause, the crowd chanted "Javier! Javier! Javier!" until the band returned for their encore. The JMB performed songs from their first two albums for their encore, performing them with more emotion and energy than ever before. The JM Band really has the ability to improve with every concert, a talent that backs up their growing body of fans and their ability to sell out larger venues, like they did Saturday night. The Band also knows how to connects with fans, at one point throwing out disposable cameras into the crowd so that they could record their experiences.
The JMB ripped through favorites "Step Into My Place," "Ojos Cordobeses," "Waiting for the Sun," and "Crazy Ride" while most of the audience sang along, before tearing into an absolutely incredible version of "Rococo Me," in which Mendoza spit out Spanish verse at about a million miles a minute and the crowd shook to the Latin beat. The extended performance also included Javier dancing with a woman from the crowd.
The concert Saturday at Mississippi Nights was one of the best Javier Mendoza Band has ever put on, and it seems they're primed for something bigger. They keep improving with time, and with their talent, passion, and caring attitude towards their fans, the Javier Mendoza Band will only continue to grow in popularity. If you're one of the uninformed few who haven't checked the band out, you're missing out on one of the best and brightest acts on the local music scene today. - Cadenza

This band was great. I kept looking around the place trying to figure out why there were so few people in the place. They were a rock/fusion/funk/latin group I guess, though I don’t feel like they would fit well in any of the genres with the mix they played that night although I bet they could taylor their offering to any of those as required. Latin dance grooves bouncing off of soft rock ballads and acoustic rockers they offered up song after song of solid material to the point where there was just to much to absorb (certainly the drinking and late hour didn’t help either). One of my table mates commented: “I feel like I’m at a show where some really BIG band decided to play a random club unannounced.� Normally I would scoff that off, but these guys were phenomenal. Crazy Ride and Rococo stuck out as stellar examples of fun and versatile musicianship. Jams were loose and free as everyone enjoyed themselves on stage (drummer, 2 guitars and a bass) . I’m not sure what else to say... I bought a CD after the show, and when they mentioned they were returning in March I made a mental note to myself about attending. If I were to make one negative comment it would be that some of the songs while technically solid and well performed lack a solid hook to differentiate songs from each other (but what band doesn’t have this problem sometimes). I look forward to future listening to clear this up.

Woke up this morning and popped in the CD (Live Album: Blueberry Hill). Still sounds great! I was very afraid it might have been the liquor, but that is not the case. If you get the chance, check these guys out. - Comomusic.com

The lights were low, and the mood was intimate. In the center of the Jazzman's café stood a newly erected stage adorned with a Taylor A-14 acoustic guitar, an amp and several monitors. In front of the stage humbly sat the man who would in soon entertain the some five or six people who lounged around. His demeanor was far from assuming, in fact it was difficult to pick him out in a crowd as the musician, but he was.

Javier Mendoza is the product of Spanish birth and upbringing and 13 years in America. When listening to Javier, one may feel music was his destiny, but his arrival in the states was actually based on something else. Mr. Mendoza came to America on a soccer scholarship, "It was my dream," he said "but I tore my ACL." It was this simple twist of fate that determined the path that Javier would take. Despite his original intentions music had been an interval part of his life from a young age. While he only received a semester of training, he sites family as his biggest teacher. Family members served as an interval part of his overall musical education.

You may be asking yourself "why haven't I ever heard any of Javier's music?" The answer is simple: you probably have. If you are a fan of MTV's The Real World Chicago and have found yourself humming the opening theme song "Waiting for the Sun" then you are familiar with the works of Javier Mendoza.

"I barely knew about it." He said laughing. He went on to tell the story of how his guitarist happened upon the show incidentally while flipping through the channels, and called Javier in Spain to inform him of the discovery. "About two weeks later I got a check for about $1.18, which was just about right."

You've probably heard Javier if you've had the chance to travel to see the concerts of Ziggy Marley, G-Love, Ben Harper, Los lobos, Duran Duran, The Roots, and Willie Nelson as he's opened for each of these artists. Who's his favorite, you may ask yourself. Well he loves all of those bands but the biggest influence on his musical life isn't listed above, it's in fact a little band known as U2.

"Most musicians are peers, but when I see Bono I go crazy." An adoring sentiment indeed.

Another reason you may not have heard Javier is because his of dismay towards the radio industry. "Radio is completely corporate" He says, "Mom and Pop stores are being eliminated." And what does he think about Clear Channel? "You want to boycott it, but you can't. It's a necessary evil."

For every reason you may not have heard any of Javier's songs, there's at least one reason to take the time and listen. This singer/songwriter writes on a level that doesn't exclude anyone. He writes on topics such as hope and love and incorporates an almost existential point of view in his songs. The lyrics have the power to leave one wondering why, as he puts it, "...nothing ever looks the same way twice."

Around the middle of the set, the café began to fill out. By now about 25 people were watching attentively, much to the delight of the C.A.P. Board who brought the event to Cabrini. The response of the students was a positive and enthusiastic one. Freshman and fellow musician Chris Sweeny said "He was seriously awesome, I love this kind of stuff." Freshman Jessica Fagotti had a similar sentiment, "He was absolutely amazing and I hope to see him big in the near future."

So what would Javier say to people like Chris Sweeny, a young musician in an unfriendly cooperate world?

"Don't stop writing! Material is the main thing, get out there." It's as simply as that.

Regardless of the adorning college kids here at Cabrini, Javier manages to always remain humble and candid. Through speaking with him, one can see his local celebrity (he's based of St. Louis and has a fairly large following there), collision with major musical stars, and easy acquisition of fans hasn't gone to his head. He still makes mistakes, and gets more nervous at church then in front of a crowd of strangers, if he saw Bono today he would "freak" just like an average fan, and he feels like playing with his band gives him something of a podium to stand behind. Javier is just a man with a guitar and six albums who has met everyone from The Roots to Duran Duran, preformed everywhere from St. Louis to Spain, and has his own website (www.javiermendoza.com fully equipped with internet radio and merchandise to purchase).

Mr. Mendoza's appearance here at Cabrini can be attributed to the efforts of the C.A.P. Board, keep your eyes open for future events sponsored by the group.

Posted to the web by Shawn Rice - The Loquitur

Javier Mendoza manages to blend his Spanish roots and his classic and modern rock influences into music gold. Last Wednesday, in the PAR, which the SPC had stylishly turned into a coffee house, Marist College was treated to the musical stylings of Javier Mendoza.

Truly a talented artist, Mendoza has received great recognition for his work. He was voted Best World and Pop Arist in St. Louis from 2000-2004 and received 2005 Budweiser True Music Artist recognition. Seven of his songs have been featured on MTVs Real World between 2000 and 2005 and Mendoza performed for Pope John Paul II in 1999. Aside from sharing the stage with Ben Folds, The Roots, Los Lobos, G-Love and Willie Nelson, Mendoza has also performed in over 100 universities in over 20 states and is a reular in the U.S. club scene.

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, there was barely a soul in the PAR at first. However, this did not seem to upset Mendoza as it might other artists. Instead, Mendoza approached the stage with a kind of confidence that you don't often see in performers today and after his opening song, "Part of History," it was easy to see why. He continued to enchant the audience with his voice and beautiful guitar by playing covers of hit songs such as Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" as well as original songs in English such as the spine-tingling "Part of History." Mendoza even played original songs in Spanish such as "Dime Luna."

Throughout Mendoza's performance, more and more listeners came into the PAR until the room was near capacity, attracting more and more women. Now, I know what the men who read this article are most likely thinking - that this is a singer only meant for the ladies. Well, you could not be more wrong. Javier Mendoza is indeed an artist that attracts the female audience, but he is also a fabulous guitar player and singer who tells very interesting, captivating and entertaining stories while he is on stage.

Toward the end of his performance Mendoza ended with two songs, the haunting "Beautiful" and a fun Spanish song, "Rococo." Afterwards, Mendoza did not rush off stage like many artists do, which was quite refreshing. Instead, he spent time talking to the audience members off stage and signing autographs for anyone who would ask him. Obviously, Mendoza knows that the fans are the ones who can make or break his career and he is thankful for each fan that he has.

Javier Mendoza has a huge career ahead of him because of his complete musical awareness and all around talent. He has all of the skills and more that is required of a true musical artist. If Mendoza was to perform at Marist College in the future, I would be one of the first ones in line to listen to his mixture of Spanish and English yet at the same time completely original music all over again. Don't miss him if you have the opportunity to catch him in person. - The Circle-Marist College

Javier Mendoza - Sunday June 10th @ the Central West End Art Fair & Taste

For sheer melodic rhythmic and structural orignality, Javier Mendoza's music conjures up a bacchanalian visit to Mexico. Crackling with passionate vitality, astonishing freshness, and beauty, Mendoza's music has the power to permate the soul and lift the spirit. With tempos that occasionally rush ahead of thenselves, and an array of textures that never descend into shtick, Javier carries a bracing creative energy that feels like a boozy growth spurt. And what could be more fun than that? - InsideSTL

“¿Quien es Javier Mendoza?” Esta fue la pregunta que me hizo un amigo cuando le platicaba de mis sucesos del fin de semana. Tengo que admitir que quede un poco, bueno en realidad bastante sorprendido; para contestar su pregunta solo moví mi cabeza en gesto negativo y le respondí, “¡No sabes de lo que te perdiste!”

Para aquellos que no lo conocen, Javier Mendoza es, sin duda, el mejor cantautor, tomen nota que no utilizo la palabra Hispano, de nuestra ciudad. Su música puede ser escuchada como parte de la rotación de programación diaria a través de más de 100 emisoras en 38 estados de EE.UU. y en Canadá. Su carrera expande desde 1999 hasta la actualidad; con 7 Long Plays de Studio y 1 en Vivo bajo su currículo e innumerables presentaciones en distintas ciudades por todo el país. Ha sido reconocido por distintas organizaciones, estaciones de radio y publicaciones locales como el Mejor Artista Latino de Saint Louis. Sus canciones han figurado en el programa televisivo The Real World en el canal MTV y hasta canto para el Papa Juan Pablo II, cuando su eminencia visito a Saint Louis en 1999.

Sus presentaciones son diseñas de acuerdo al local y el publico. Puede que sea el solo, o acompañado por uno o mas músicos, o hasta su banda completa. Cual quiera que se la situación pueden estar seguros de que quedaran satisfechos. Su melodiosa música es del genero Pop/Rock, y en ocasión lleva ciertos elementos y contra tonos de música flamenca u otras distintas influencias latinas. Su voz serena y templada hace perfecta armonía con la música y sus líricas, llenas de misterio, transcendente de romance, desamparo, traición, ilusión y esperanza nos llevan a otro momento y a otro tiempo, nos hacen parte de la historia que cuentan. Y por si a caso no lo había mencionado, sus temas no se limitan a una sola lengua, son escritos en español o ingles y algunos en los dos idiomas.

En una conversación reciente con el artista tuve la oportunidad de aprender un poco mas sobre el. Hablamos de los obstáculos que ha enfrentado y los éxitos que ha logrado, hablamos de su pasión por la carrera que ha elegido y de los sueños que fueron el ayer. Y el futuro; el futuro es aquí y ahora. En sus planes esta hacer un espectáculo donde se presentara con sus éxitos en español para toda su audiencia.

Quiero invitarles para que visiten su página de Internet www.javiermendoza.com . Allí podrán obtener mayor información sobre sus próximos espectáculos, historia, noticias y otras curiosidades. A ustedes que no han tenido oportunidad de presenciar su talento, ¡No se pierdan de verlo en vivo!

¡Gracias Javier, mucho éxito!
- El Mundo Latino

Javier Mendoza is a winner. He's won an award four out of the last five times he's been nominated in our horse race. The guy's so diverse he's been nominated in three different categories during that time and taken two of them (Best World Music in 2000 and 2001, Best Pop Band in 2003 and 2004). Next year, we're just going to concede that he's going to win something and have a Best Javier Mendoza Band category to give some of his competition a chance.

So why is our little one-man Latin explosion (and his band) so popular? Well, for one, he's dead sexy, at least according to his rabid, screaming fan base of mostly women, who regularly pack the house at all of his gigs. Seriously, one could imagine that whole neighborhoods in west county are missing all their ladies because they are at a club somewhere watching Mendoza shake his bon-bon. He doesn't just get by on his good looks, though; he's got music to back it up. His music is tuneful, vaguely familiar yet incorporating enough various elements of Spanish and world music to make it feel a cut above most other bands of that ilk and, while no one would ever confuse Mendoza for Motörhead, he rocks just enough to tie it all together. To top it all off, he's a hell of nice guy, the kind you really hope gets to do whatever he wants.

With the latest CD, Matter of Time, Mendoza and his band are once again laying themselves on the line. Recorded in bassist David Karns' studio, the band didn't have to worry about paying for studio time, so they were able to make sure that everything sounded just right, just the way they wanted it. This is what they think is their best record yet, and their audience agrees. Mendoza has a relentless touring schedule to promote the album, sometimes playing with the full band, sometimes doing solo acoustic shows, always out there trying to reach his fans and make new ones. Whether or not this record and tour make him the superstar his fans think he's destined to be is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: It's just a matter of time before he wins another one of these awards.

Erik Alan Carlson
- Riverfront Times