Freeload: Rodriguez, “Sugar Man”

July 21, 2008


Recently at FADER HQ we called up Sixto Rodriguez, aka Rodriguez, aka your mom's favorite folksinger if she grew up in South Africa in the 1970s, so he could tell us everything about his life and his sidebar profession as a construction worker. It was awesome, and you can read it in a not-so-distant-future issue of le FADER. Facts: Rodriguez is from Detroit, cut Cold Fact in a basement in 1969, and released it just before his then-label went out of business. It was re-released in South Africa in the '70s and S-Rod became a crazy cult hit. Bigger than like, Simon and Garfunkel. This is the first jammerating single from Cold Fact, finally breathing its official breath on the protective oxygenated bubble that is the internet, so break out the Sex Wax, light up for Arbor Day, "Sugar Man"'s longing voice and lovely psych guitar are made for late-summer sunset on grey beaches. Which is perfect, considering Rodriguez will play his first-ever U.S. show this Saturday, July 26, at the Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York. Poetry, amigos.

Posted: July 21, 2008
Freeload: Rodriguez, “Sugar Man”