5 años. Participation in crowdfunding

The year 2018 marks the 5-year jubilee of this tiny music-related blog. Now I'm finalizing the string of kinda 'special issues' to celebrate this. The penultimate special issue is right here right now, and it's dedicated to 5 albums I participated in financing (in temporal order).
The sixth album, La Perra de Pavlov’s “Cronica De Un Movimiento” is the only one I’ve never received physically.

Sin Rumbo “LUZ” (p)2014

SPTF

Baden bah! “Futuro/a” (p)2014

OFFICIAL SITE

Nixon “El Ultimo Fuego” (p)2015

BNDCMP

Second “Viaje Iniciatico” (p)2015

SPTF

Proyecto Solaz “Propaganda” (p)2017

BNDCMP

5 años. 5 Albums More

The year 2018 marks the 5-year jubilee of this tiny music-related blog. So I'm in the process of making of kinda 'special issues' to celebrate this. The fourth of them is right here right now, and it's dedicated to 5 more albums (this time without ranking) I’d like to put emphasis at – reasonably, but without one common reason for all of them.

Tania de Sousa “Taniatank” (p)2014 Talka Records

This album was recorded with the help of Correos’ frontman Fermin Bouza and one-of-a-kind Fermin Muguruza. The additional amount of attention should’ve been attracted to it by this mere fact - and it did some splash at the moment of release, I recall. But the initial buzz was not prolonged for more. As the album sounds better than any given pop punk band’s ‘the best of’ compilation I could only express my regrets that it doesn’t seem to receive some continuation cos it looks like Tania quit making music now to pursue other interests in her life.

SPTF

Sin Rumbo “Forma Parte Del Espectaculo” (p)2012

My Spanish isn’t as fluent as I might want it to be. There are moments when I speak quite easily, and otherwise there are moments when I stuck like a dumbhead with no words in my mouth. This August I talked to Pablo Rodriguez-Salinas (guitar) twice, and both times were of the latter kind, to my self-depreciation. I tried to explain him that the whole Sonorama thing has started for me with Sin Rumbo’s performance back in August 2013. That performance was mostly based upon “Forma Parte Del Espectaculo”, so this album itself is a milestone in my own history of interactions with rock español.

SPTF

Moriran Todos! “Saltar” (p)2015

I bet you’ve never listened to Moriran Todos! cos the band ain't pretty active on the mainland of Spain. They’re from Canary Islands and “Saltar” is their first LP. This album has the right feel. It’s not overproduced. It’s not intended to be taken too seriously. It’s not that case, you know, when you can physically feel the burden of the commercial expectations (or expectations of any other kind) in every song. It’s kind of lighthearted album. Even if it was born too far from music epicenters – it’s hardly a reason for discarding it. The term ‘cool’ was intended for the albums like this one, and coolness never depends on place of birth.

BNDCMP

Mi Pequeña Radio “Donde Esta Lo Que Un Dia Fuimos” (p)2012 Bohemia Music

From my point of view, for this album the gap between the attention it deserved and the attention it received is the greatest of all. It seems like I am the only person (apart from its auteur David Tabueña) who still understands how good the album is. I recommended it to my friends, to my facebook and twitter followers. I put it in the 2nd place of my 2013 annual Top30 list. It all never seemed to work. The band put out another EP (which was great as well) and then quietly disbanded. As of now David plays guitar in Cycle. For him it’s all Ok today, but I still feel some kind of guilt about Mi Pequeña Radio’s ill fate.

BNDCMP

The Bright “Lineas Divisorias” (p)2015 Subterfuge

Definitely it is the most frequently listened album for me through the last 3 years. I may return to it in different moods, in different places and in different situations. This is my constant choice when I ain’t up to listen to something new. This is my constant choice when I don’t know what I want to listen to. Frankly, this is my constant choice - whenever.

SPTF

#Sonorama20. Interlude. The 5 Years Rankings

As this was our fifth Sonorama (some kind of a jubilee) I'd like to select some best events we witnessed for these years.

Top10 performances on secondary stages (including Plaza del Trigo that should in no way be considered secondary):

10. Love Of Lesbian – 2016, Plaza del Trigo (concierto secreto)

09. The Handicaps – 2013, Red Bull

08. Sin Rumbo – 2013, Carson Camping

07. Igloo – 2013, Plaza del Trigo

06. Yo, Estratosferico – 2017, La Carpa Meetin Arts

05. La Habitacion Roja – 2015, Plaza del Trigo (concierto secreto)

04. Disciplina Atlantico – 2016, Burgos

03. Ninos Mutantes – 2014, Plaza del Trigo (concierto secreto)

02. Havoc – 2015, Burgos

01. Maryland – 2014, Plaza del Trigo. The best ever concert I witnessed in my whole fucking life.

Top5 discoveries:

05. Proyecto Solaz

04. The Bright

03. Bestlife (Under Your Seat)

02. Correos

01. Joe La Reina

Accidentally, all of them are of the year 2014. I hope this year's discoveries (Yoyo Banana, Tierra Vertical and Molina Molina) will enter the next rankings successfully passing the test of time.

Top5 of our fails:

05. 1st night of Sonorama 2013 when we tried to enter recinto ferial with our Canon D450 in the bag and they didn't let us go.

04. Our unawareness of conciertos secretos (2013) as there were nobody to tell us about.

03. Wrong place for Rufus T. Firefly (Plaza del Trigo, 2015) in the epicentre of watergun wars.

02. Never being present on all the accompanying events (breakfasts, visits to bodegas, tastings, etc.)

01. Totally missed concierto secreto that followed the aforementioned Rufus' performance - that one with Zahara, Xoel Lopez, Sidonie, Angel Stanich and others.

The Best Of 2014. Albums 11 - 20

20. Yani Como "Tu Ninca Te Aburres"
(p)Art Of Troya

With every next album (this one is sixth) my Persons Of The Year (I suppose they know why I call them so) become better and better - just like good DO Ribera del Duero wine.

19. Tania De Sousa "Tania Tank"
(p)Talka Records

With the ideological help of Fermin Muguruza and the full throttle guitar support of Correos' frontman Fermin Bouza this Pais Vasco native punk girl creates the melodic monument to the feminine power.

P.S. "She's the model and she's looking good..."

18. Proyecto Solaz "Homeoextasis"
(p)Digimusic

Named after the Lagartija Nick song "Solaz", the six-piece from Almeria released their first album in the very end of 2013. 9 noisy nervous restless tracks of experimental alternative rock with the perfect 'from intimate to earcrushing' vocals of Maria Martinez and Standstill-like rhythmical structures.

17. El Columpio Asesino "Ballenas Muertas En San Sebastian"
(p)Mushroom Pillow

Misanthropic electro-punk from the Pamplona-born post punk quintet - as cold and icy as Baffin's Island and as friendly and cheerful as an iceberg that crashed Titanic. 

You have longed for the next "Toro"? - Haha.

16. Puma Pumku "Is It In You?"
(p)Matapadre

The impressive first long play (produced by the members of Triangulo de Amor Bizarro) from the Galician psychedelic quintet is the reign of echoes, reverb, detached vocals and old-school dreampop-drenched instrumentation.

15. Sin Rumbo "LUZ"
(p)self-released

The band on the verge of 'making it', Madrid-based Sin Rumbo have changed the direction before releasing their most ambitious project yet. But despite the genre-bending metamorphoses "LUZ" could star as a perfect example of how to change the ways and methods without losing your face.

14. Carmen Boza "La Mansion De Los Espejos"
(p)self-released

"Gran artista y mejor persona. No, en serio; hago canciones" says the bandcamp page of Carmen Boza. Her album is a true gem of the semi-acoustic folk songs and 'a girl and a guitar and a tiny backing band' template. All the 11 songs here are absolutely fantastic.

13. Velcro "Hojalata"
(p)El Hombre Bala

The great collection of re-recorded and re-produced early tracks of the Canarian leftfield electrorock outfit. As I said earlier in the beginning of this year, "Hojalata" is full of great tunes and catchy choruses and happiness for everyone who's into the post-shoegaze alternative dance rock. Since then my opinion has not changed.

12. Blusa "¡Toca Breakbeat, Perro!"
(p)Sello Salvaje

The best feature that "Toca Breakbeat, Perro!" wears on its sleeves - and that makes this wordless album so exciting - is the four musicians' outstanding three-dimensional thinking and the ability to construct the compositions with almost architecturally detailed use of the sound space.

11. Las Ruinas "Toni Bravo"
(p)El Genio Equivocado

These tracks may seem simple enough but the truth is they are so perfectly constructed that could work even without vocals ("Ultimo Tren" as a proof) said I a month ago. Like Blusa, this post punk trio also has an exceptional three-dimensional creative vision - but they use it in another way: instead of creating the slowly evolving soundscapes they make 2 minutes long songs with equally fine results.

Las Resenas Casuales. Sin Rumbo "LUZ"

Sin Rumbo "LUZ" (p)2014 Sin Rumbo

The band on the verge of 'making it', Madrid-based Sin Rumbo have changed the direction before releasing their most ambitious project yet.

Honestly speaking, I was pretty sure that they would embrase considerable success with their previous album "Forma Parte de Espectaculo". Though [probably] not so successful in terms of box office, this disc helped much to consolidate the band's fan base, and before making the further steps ahead the band decided to take some time to re-group forces, to start and successfully finalize the crowdfunding campaign, and then to finally present to us "LUZ" (as usual this album was released independently). By the way, this year marks the band's 10th anniversary, and it seems like the last two years have changed the Sin Rumbo's face more than the previous eight years. Now the band wears on the sleeves the 'electronica-cross-guitars contemporary indie' template whose reflections we may see/listen in the bands like Polock, or, for instance, Sin Rumbo's close friends The Noises (not to mention the best-known bands in this sub-genre). For not to get caught within the cliche's boundaries the guys have used one [not so] simple but effective method: the diversity.

The opening track "Frecuencias" welcomes you with Delorean-like sounds and catchy chorus, while the stomping "Horizonte" has stylistically almost nothing in common with its predecessor. The next song "1789" is a perfect piece of fast noise-pop - at this point I felt myself like I was discovering the world inside the moone along with the [arguably] best album Apples (In Stereo) ever produced. And with "Volveremos A Casa" and "Cambiar El Final" (the latter could remind you of Hurts) this feeling even increased. The things calm down a bit in the second half of the album that consists of the songs which are more in line with the bands previous works. But as a whole "LUZ" could star as a perfect guide to how to change the ways and methods without losing your face.

The best tracks: Cambiar El Final, Volveremos A Casa, Inercia, 1789

Sin Rumbo Facebook

Sin Rumbo Sitio Oficial

Los recuerdos de Sonorama 2013

Just spent some time editing the [mostly poor quality] photos I've made with my mobile phone till Sonorama fest in August.

Sin Rumbo:

Cyan:

Igloo:

Leon Benavente:

Pumuky:

Havalina:

Stay:

Xoel Lopez & his band:

The New Raemon & Maga:

Mi Pequena Radio:

Garamendi:

Dorian:

Sonorama Ribera 2013. The Aftermath

Just uploaded some hi-res photos of Igloo, Mi Pequena Radio & Sin Rumbo to my Flickr account:

Igloo set

Mi Pequena Radio set

Sin Rumbo set

All photos were taken by Tanya.

Sonorama Ribera 2013. The Report. Day 1, 15.08.2013. The arrival, the first impressions and disappointments

Sonorama is a multiple-staged festival with the daily schedule for almost 30 bands. In 2013 it had 7 stages divided for 3 units:

1. Old town unit: 2 stages - Plaza Del Trigo & Red Bull Tour Bus located in the old town of Aranda with operating time starting in midday.

2. Campus unit: 1 stage - Carson Camping located in the Park of General Gutierrez with operating time starting at 5 p.m.

3. Main unit: 4 stages - Ribera del Duero, Castilla y Leon Es Vida, FutureStars & Carpa Electronica in the 'recinto ferial' starting at 7 p.m.

The 1st day had something to offer us:

Plaza del Trigo: The Girondines, full, Pasajero.
Red Bull: Mine!, Para Normales, Los Zigarros.

Carson Camping: Los Nastys, Sin Rumbo.

FutureStars: Drow, 84, The Handicaps, Sexy Zebras, Santos, Autumn Comets, Kuve, Los Maranones, Klein.

Castilla y Leon: Los Tiki Phantoms, Solea Morente y Los Evangelistas, Mucho, Triangulo de Amor Bizzarro.

Ribera del Duero: Luis Brea, Jaime Urrutia, Belle & Sebastian, Loquillo, Mendetz

The most interesting ones from this list for us were, definitely, full, Los Tiki Phantoms, Mucho and Autumn Comets, not to mention Solea Morente y Los Evangelistas - the project of the daughter of the passed flamenco performer Enrique Morente and the supergroup Los Evengelistas consisting of the members of such the renowned bands as Los Planetas and Lagartija Nick.

First of all, the timeslot of our arrival in Madrid - plus time we should spend for driving from Madrid to Milagros, plus time we should spend for accomodation in the hotel - made the gig of full undistinguishable for us. 

First time in Aranda

So when we finally came to Aranda and entered the gate of old town there was some band playing on the Red Bull Tour Bus stage (and it was really the top of the tour bus as the scene) at the time when no one should be playing at all. And this band (unnamed for us) was really cool.

Me & the band on the bus top

The guys played fast as hell but melodic guitar-driven garage-like rrrrock using the microphone stands and the stage protection bars (preventing the musicians from falling from top of the bus to the ground) as the tools for playing their guitars at the final part of their gig.

Only the band

5 minutes on the festival, 1 and 1/2 songs - and I was already in love with this place!

The band finalized their show with the loud feedback drones and we came along the narrow brick-paved street to find the Plaza del Trigo stage empty.

That was OK but we had at least one problem - we did not know at all where to go to convert our printed confirmations of tickets purchase into the wrist tapes which should be used for the tickets. There were lots of people around who had already obtained them - but I was in trouble formulating the question even in Russian. ''Donde podemos..." - what?

We decided to follow the crowd, and the crowd appeared to approach the Park of General Gutierrez. At the gate to the park I noticed a guy and a girl who were unmistakingly defined as the servicemen. Pulling the printed tickets off my bag I run to them, shouting my famous ''Donde podemos...?" And somehow it worked. The guy have shown me the right direction adding the misterious term 'taquillas'. Despite my some nervous state of mind I understood almost 100% of his speech (except the aforementioned 'taquillas') and we followed the specified direction to find (from the 2nd attempt) the magic 'taquillas' which appeared to be the wooden booth with the smiling girls inside. One of the girls have made for us all we needed at the moment and we left the place absolutely happy with our white-and-silver wrist tapes on returning to the park to look at the bands Los Nastys & Sin Rumbo.

Tanya with the smiling girl in taquillas

Happy

Happy 2

The park was crowded with the tourist tents and the young people mostly slightly drunk on cheep beer and calimocho, the mix of red wine and cola.

Los Nastys didn't impress us at all. They played garage rock mixed with the light-weight version of latinocore, and they tried to diversify it with the convoluted bass lines, but the picturesque-looking bass player missed the timing too often, and the band sounded disorganized at times. Their 40-minutes set away, we were sitting on a bench awaiting the band Sin Rumbo who, as I had known from youtube, got at least one good song in their back catalogue.

Los Nastys

Sin Rumbo came onstage and started playing. During the 1st song Tanya came close to the stage to make some photos of the band. When she returned we looked on each other and both said 'Let's go dancing' because the band was really great. Not to say 'they got one good song' - they had no bad songs at all! The music was melodic, driving, cohesive and well-performed. The guitarist who looked as the twin brother of my good pal Danil Senchishin made the high jumps never missing a stroke. The guys were really cool and their show made us feel so happy we never thought we could be. And it was only the early evening!

Sin Rumbo

But the things went absolutely wrong a little bit later when we followed our steps to the 'recinto ferial' to enter the main stages territory. At the entrance we were banned for possession of the photo camera Canon EOS 60D which was considered 'professional'. We left our car too far to run to it, leave the camera and then come back - and while there were not so many bands interesting for us to perform at night we decided to return to the hotel to have the supper, drink some wine and have a good sleep before facing the next day which seemed to be much more eventful for us with the trip to Valladolid and the string of sets in the main unit of the fest.

P.S. The band we saw at the Red Bull revealed to be The Handicaps.