Las Resenas Casuales. El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado "La Dinastia Scorpio"

El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado "La Dinastia Scorpio" (p)2013 Limbo Starr (in Spain)

With the nonsense name and unorthodox appearance the band from La Plata, Argentina delivers strangely attractive music in the vein of Pixies mixing Black Francies' angular melodic structures with lightbodied psychedelia and noise rock.

'Lazy' or 'relaxed' are the best words that can describe the music of Santiago Motorizado and his allies. The lazy guitar parts, the elastic rhythms, the tight basslines and the relaxed vocals are mixed here to the perfect results. Despite the terms 'noise' and 'psychedelic' used in one phrase may remind you of some bands whose music hardly being rhymed with 'pop', the music here is nevertheless easily accessible and got absolutely nothing to alienate the occasional listener. And a translucent cloud of a hazy druggy flavor sweetly wraps up the landscapes of El Mato's songs which are unbearably catchy. Even the few tracks you may consider sleepy at first - like "Nuevos Discos" or "Noche Negra" - may at last attract you cos in fact they have the stones in their pockets.

"La Dinastia Scorpio" is the fourth effort af the band and it seems like it's dedicated to feelings and issues of the youth (chicks, booze, music, you know). But even if you're in a weak position at Spanish with the Argentinean pronunciation (maybe just like me or even worse) the music here speaks for itself regardless of the lyrical content.

Excellent.

The best tracks: Chica De Oro, Mujeres Bellas Y Fuertes, Noche Negra, El Fuego Que Hemos Construido

Las Resenas Casuales. Niños Mutantes "El Futuro"

Ninos Mutantes "El Futuro" (p)2014 Ernie Producciones

The fresh product from the perfect Ernie Producciones' roster.

In the second half of 2000s one of the 'Granada's Big 3' bands (Los Planetas, Lagartija Nick & Ninos Mutantes) has abandoned loud guitars in favor of a bit calmer stylistical approach and finally appeared to be some kind of Spanish Travis - as it was visible on the last couple of albums. And now here it comes: "El Futuro". With such the name chosen for the album hardly you must expect something that would be just the repetition of the past.

Press 'play' and what you've got? You've got "Robot", and this is the purest Travis' melody which was written not by Travis themselves! Just listen to the words: 'Es el futuro?/ No es para mi', which means: "Is it the future?/ For me it isn't". The things could not be clearer than that. But don't hurry making conclusions. The next song "Sto. Domingo" starts to thread the other path that leads you to the gorgeous "Hermana Mia" which is definitely one of the best songs the band made throughout their lenghty career.

On the song #5 "Todo Va A Cambiar" the tonality of the statements has changed: 'El futuro ha llegado a esta ciudad' (The future has come to this city) - but the next track "Boomerang" somehow sounds like the band isn't that happy. This beautiful midtempo song  brings you some kind of melancholic mood and the following "Huesos" only strenghtens the feeling. Fortunately, the band makes a decision not to drown you into the lake of grief and makes another turn to the light with "El Lo Que Hay".

When the music finally stops "El Futuro" leaves bittersweet aftertaste like the future is here but no one is really happy with the fact. But this is definitely great album with the unlimited smash hit potential.

The best tracks: Hermana Mia, Todo Va A Cambiar, El Lo Que Hay, El Circo

And yes - this is #50 post. A jubilee!

Las Resenas Casuales. Guerrera "Mauna Loa"

Guerrera "Mauna Loa" (p)2014 Matapadre Discografica

Krautrock and "Farfisa" from the Galician supergroup.

This album delivers the audio collages where the vintage ritual psichedelia meets black voodoo happening soundtracks. Hitting Birth, TchKung! - these names came into my mind first of all, and while Guerrera definitely did not aim to distinguish the drug-infused primal angst of the first mentioned as well as the shattered semi-unconcious state of mind of the second (I suppose los componentes de la banda have never heard about TchKung! at all) the music is convoluted and adventurous enough to be pretty uneasy listening even for the ones prepared. 

The album is divided into two parts of 18 and a half minutes long compositions consisting of the deep instrumental layers of endless guitar passages, sound effects, spasmatic octopus drumming and rare reverbed vocals all shaken but not stirred.

It is absolutely impossible to mark out the best tracks in here due to the fact that there are only two tracks and both are amazing.

You may grab the album on the 'name your price' basis FROM HERE (Matapadres's bandcamp page) if you'd want to.

Las Canciones Ocasionales. Garamendi "Colores"

A song by Antonio Garamendi, the singer/songwriter from Bilbao.

Las Resenas Casuales. Blusa "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!"

Blusa "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" (p)2014 Sello Salvaje

In my high school years I always wanted to start a post-rock band. If I did, my band would be 15 years old to this moment. The guys from Blusa really did. And their post-rock band is almost 15 years old now. Despite such the considerable (for any band) age "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" is only the sophomore full lenght release this instrumental quartet from Sevilla has brought to life. Accidentally this is the second post-rock album that came into my hands for the last couple of weeks - this is really large numbers for me taking in mind that I was 'cold turkey' with post-rock for... I don't know... 5 years or so. The first ring has rung for me last autumn when I received my order from B-Core Disc and they added a labelmates compilation named "Sound Of Barcelona" as a present for me, and there were a couple of post-rock bands on the list. Listening to it sitting on a passenger seat in the car that my wife Tanya drove I was thinking something like 'What the fuck! I completely don't get it why I so abruptly quit with post-rock! I have to return to it!' And now the Universe tells me the same.

So, returning to the subject... I'm not so familiar with internal sub-trends of the genre and due to this fact I'm not able to classify Blusa to one category or another like any stratification junkie would do. But the only category I'd want to put this band is 'cool things'. The music of Blusa is winding and rhythmically diversified (did I use 'rhythmically diversified' word sequence almost in every review? I should stop doing so) within a song. Also it is far from boring... 

Let's stop for a second - I just recalled why I quit with post-rock: the answer is because it became so common place that I started to find it boring. Sorry for this escapade. Ok, I'm ready to resume to "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" 

It also has some sharpness that made me feel like this album would sound best in the empty uninhabited houses with rough walls and total absense of soft or fluffy things - it seems like the three-dimensional system of coordinates constructed by the band's rhythm section will fit the non-residential spaces the best. Within this system the guitars are swirling and flowing back and forth and coiling inward in the pre-orgasmic thrill that never rises up to scullcrushing crescendos that made A Place To Bury Strangers or God Is An Astronaut famous but never falls down to disconnected mumbling as well. Despite the sound isn't that thick and rich it doesn't seem like an issue cos Blusa's music is uplifting and driving enough to satisfy the listener without additional grease and glance, and it also has some positive vibe. Summarizing my impression I should admit that I've listened to the album two times in a row - and it was not because the player was cycled and I just missed the moment when the second cycle has started. No, my player was not cycled. I've finished the album and then started it again because this was my intention.

The best tracks: Facenda, Montebello, Acroflecha, Aruba

To listen and/or buy click HERE (Bandcamp)

Los Treinta Principales. #20. Niños Mutantes "El Sol De Invierno"

#20. Ninos Mutantes "El Sol De Invierno" (p)2002 Astro Discos

What we can hear now on the current albums of Ninos Mutantes ("Las Noches De Insomnio" and "Naufragos" and possibly the next "El Futuro") is not what the band did 12 years ago. In the beginning of 2000's the music of the Granada-born mutant children was more upbeat, more loud and more driving. And "El Sol De Invierno" was a quintessence of these past years containing plenty of great songs which considerably differ one from another but never fall off the plate.
"La Ultima Vez" meets the listener with the 'quiet-loud' scheme worn out by grunge but here it sounds pretty fresh due to the catchy melody, the curling guitar passages and total absence of drug-infused gloom. In "En La Tierra" you could almost hear the echoes of Placebo's definitive album "Black Market Music" - but without this band's trademark depression and self-loathing. "El Corazon Es Un Cazador Solitario" easily flows two thirds of its timing like quasi-americana ballad and then dentro de nada explodes with guitar bursts. Even the electronic "Sigue La Luz" is strong enough to be not just a throwaway intermediate segue. The only misstep is "Algun Sitio, Algun Lugar" which is a bit too repetitive to work well.
I can't tell you that this album is inventive or something like that. But here the band had upgraded 'good' to 'perfect' adding to the scheme their melodic gift and attention to details and all this prevented "El Sol De Invierno" from being "Super 8" 10 years late derivative.

I don't know exactly what kind of splash this album caused - maybe none. Maybe it just promoted the band from the second league into the top indie bands of the state. But I suppose that the impact should be in setting the new standards of the powerful and catchy guitar-driven pop rock in Spain.

The album was produced in two formarts - standard and extended with 3 bonus tracks. Two of them - "Ser Feliz" and "Manual De Autoayuda" - are amongst the best tracks of the album.

The best tracks: La Ultima Vez, Gente Normal, Sigue La Luz, Ayer (cancion alemana)

Las Resenas Casuales. Lula "Viaje A Marte"

Lula "Viaje A Marte" (p)2013 Lucinda Records

Lula is the power-pop trio from town of Castellon led by Spanish indie rock longstay Patricia Escoin who made her name in the end of 80's fronting the band called Los Romeos. The previous albums of Lula (this one is the fourth) were partly spoiled by the songs which might be described as' filler'. But "Viaje A Marte" is absolutely free from this type of trouble - all the songs here are catchy as the fisherman's hooks. Additional fine feature: Pat Escoin has very clear and beautiful voice and she uses it masterfully.

This may not be the most original genre in the world of rock music but it's really well-structured and made with passsion so there's no reason to wrinkle your nose in disgust: "Viaje A Marte" is the kind of album very easy to fall in love with, and if you don't - the chances are you're a snob.

The best tracks: L, Universos Paralelos, Desde Lo Negro and any other song on the album