четверг, 6 июня 2024 г.

Löbison "De Lo Que No Se Habla No Se Olvida"

All the most interesting things are made avoiding thinking too much of the commercial prospects - and there's another proof. Meet Löbison, a tiny little project from Seville not every indie blog would write about.
Juamba d'Estroso has got the "blues" voice - you know that deep low cracked baritone-type of voices. So I would rather expext him playing something in the vein of Madrugada or lesser-known chicagoans The Great Crusades. But what he plays in fact is the 'genre-fluid' underground music rooted in chamber pop and garage rock. 
Listening to his most recent album I wonder if he's aware of French guitar-driven experimentalists Experience because the tracks like "Normalizando La Honestidad" showcase the same approach Michel Cloup and his peers often use, mixing the dense guitar sound with shamanic drums and spoken-word-switched-to-shrieking vocals.
Moreover, I'd like to trace some links to Railroad Jerk, underestimated New York-based indie pub rockers who were one of the Matador Records's first signees. 
The sound is dense and definitely not cheap (what you might expect from a low profile band), the mood is rather neurotic. Juamba's voice takes on operatic tones when needed. “No Me Quiero Morir” goes strictly to the list of the year's best, and so does the album as a whole.

четверг, 14 декабря 2023 г.

Lo mejor de 2023. Top 50 Albums, 01-10


My life is like that. For the most of the year, while at work, I listen to music, write opinions on it and do some other useless things - and I get paid. I can’t say “i get paid for this” because that’s not what they pay me for. They pay me for what I do every November. In November the budget campaign starts, and it makes me spend 14 hours a day seven days a week in the workspace estimating the next year plan. It's exhausting. But this is what I get paid for for the rest of the year.
The timing of the budget campaign coincides with the closure of the musical year. Closing the musical year also requires effort and time, but nobody pays me for this. It is much more satisfactory and interesting than doing the budget exercise but I have no time for it cuz the time is eaten by budget. So, every November for me is a clusterfuck.
This year the clusterfuck has splashed over onto December due to unstable markets in Russia and ensuing complications with the planning process, so I'm writing this snatching minutes from working hours.
The life has changed.
The year 2019 I travelled to Europe 9 (!) times - most of them with the direct flights. This year I managed to travel only once with huge stopovers and enormous overpricing. My attempts to find myself a job in Europe turned out fruitless. I get pretty close to losing hope. There's still life in Russia. People are laughing, underground bands are playing, restaurants are open. You can purchase european wines and cheese. All at least twice as much - but you can, if you want to, keep on sticking to your habits. There's still life in Russia but it's a wrong one, and I don't feel good living it through. The albums below along with those listed in the previous #LoMejorDe2023 entries made me feel much better anyway. Thanks for this.

BC = Bandcamp, AM = Apple Music, YM = YouTube Music

10. Medalla "Duelo
BC 
This band should be huge. The new album with its post-hardcore influences, metallic sound, emotional approach and strong melodies clearly proves it. This is the true rock music - not those chart toppers heralded as such (you know who I'm talking about).

09. Speaker Cabinets "Tales From New Babel
Quite unexpected guests in the top ten. Electro-rock trio Speaker Cabinets spent almost seven years recording the concept disc "Tales From New Babel". The new songs are sparkling with energy. The quality of the songwriting is such that, say, Brendan Flowers would kill for the tracks like “Reflections” or “Doomsday”. Speaker Cabinets are also one of those bands that deserve much more attention than they've currently got. The most obvious reason is prolificacy or, more precisely, the absence of it. This is the second album by the Barcelona trio, when the first was released back in 2016. Perhaps with the release of "Tales From New Babel" the situation would change. At least, I hope so.

08. Apartamentos Acapulco "La Reconciliación
BC 
On the first two albums ("Nuevos Testamentos" (p)2017 and "El Resto Del Mundo" (p)2019) Aptos. Acapulco were slow, atmospheric and immersed in textures. On the pandemic "El Año Del Tigre" the sound got more punchy, with more emphasis on songwriting. "La Reconciliación" continues this trend adding another stylistic element: the band now sounds closer to Arista Fiera, Terry Vs Tori or Lua Gramer - i.e the bands that mix shoegaze with indie pop. “Closer to,” of course, does not mean “exactly like,” but the changes are already noticeable. I don’t know where it would lead them but so far the results are inspiring.

07. Madee "Conundrum
After reuniting three years ago Madee sound more like a mixture of early Death Cab For Cutie and The Appleseed Cast of "Two Conversations"-era. And, damn, how wonderful it is! It's like emo music for those well into their forties. 
It's so sad that the band called it quits again this fall. 

06. Gazella "Gazella
In mathematical context the term “degeneration” doesn't bear a negative connotation. So when I call the long-awaited Gazella album 'degenerated shoegaze equation' this should not be misleading. I don't berate it. What I'm trying to say is that shoegaze as performed by the Valencian band reaches a certain critical point in its development.
The internal tension of this album reaches Alcest-y heights; lead vocalist Raquel Palomino moans more than she sings; the guitars sound like a breath of wind; fans of Blonde Redhead's "Misery Is A Butterfly" and "23" are invited to the chat. Sounds alluring? For sure.

05. Repion "Repion
In August 2018 I saw Marina and Teresa live, and they got me stunned. The same year the Iñesta sisters released EP "Donde Escapa La Luz" that contained “Ciudad De Vacaciones” - the song that quickly became my go-to melody to whistle in my spare time. That happened before that well-documented 90's fem-indie boom (Bully, Soccer Mommy, Lomelda, Momma, Beabadoobee, Olivia Rodrigo, etc.) sky-rocketed right into Pitchfork Media's 'best new music' section. So I'm glad to pronounce Repion leaders not followers.

04. DOM "Warm"
No other album this year made me say to my couple Tati: "I don't want this music to end - ever!"

03. Niños Luchando "Territorio"
Here is a short list of artists Niños Luchando are compared with in reviews: Radiohead, The Postal Service, Moderat, Grizzly Bear, Depeche Mode, Parade. I have to admit, all these comparisons are worthless. This album is a value of its own, it needs no stupid comparisons.
The appeal of this music is built upon accurately measured portions of intimacy and sadness soaked in atmospheric indietronica where the guitars are so muted down in the mix you're never sure they are really there.

02. Gaf Y La Estrella De La Muerte "Pyramids"
The Grower of the Year.

01. I Am Dive "Fear Of Missing Out"
While on vacation in Spain last August I was asked twice what album I concider the best this year, both times I replied: "Fear Of Missing Out" by I Am Dive. The first time I had to go to my spotify account to give a friend a listen. The second time the man who asked me yelled: "Yeah, I know those guys! They are kind of underground kings right there in their hometown of... ummm, Sevilla, right?" Right.
Despite their recognition in the indie scene, Esteban Ruiz (vocals, guitar, programming) and José A. Perez (programming, guitar) live their lives far from public eye. We rarely see the news from the band, the live schedule is rather scarce, and the social networks may stay dormant for months. It's partly intentional, partly not. There is a thing I don't feel I have the right to reveal (I believe I've read the band speaking on this but right now I can't find it anywhere) and all the great things like great new album, distribution deal with Rough Trade, opening for Explosions In The Sky all are diminished by the reason why Esteban is forced to perform alone. Fingers crossed for the future, because this band is one of a kind, and our broken world would be even worse without I Am Dive and their unique blend of indietronica, post-rock and trip-hop.

вторник, 12 декабря 2023 г.

Lo mejor de 2023. Top 50 Albums, 11-20

BC = Bandcamp, SP = Spotify

20. Burro "Burro"
A side project of vocalist Beatriz Montiel of Trice and acoustic guitarist Conrado Isasa (a room with a view, Isasa) makes slow-burning songs whose mood goes either to Cocteau Twins or to post-rock. Actually, there are only two instruments here: an acoustic guitar and a voice. More precisely, 'the voices' - Isasa is silent but Beatriz uses different singing techniques to sound like multiple singers. 

19. Rayo "Turbocapitalismo 3000"
Madrid-based female trio started in the post-Hinds world, and if they only wanted to they might have been treading the path of those trying to replace Ginebras from their fem-punk/pop leaders position. But apparently they didn't. The trio took the left turn now sounding like the arithmetic mean between Las Odio (with whom they share the guitarist Agata) and Hickeys - another Madrid all-female combo inclined to the vast spectre of genres from kraut to Midwest emo. For Rayo the Midwest emo is hardly a thing, instead of it the Talking Heads and "So"-era Peter Gabriel influences are showing through.

18. Guineu "Una Sacsejada"
The feather-light indie pop of the young Catalan Aida Jimenez's second album demonstrates how shamelessly inventive pop-punk can be when you are influenced NOT by Avril Lavigne.
The author herself says that the charm of her music lies in the dissonance between positively sounding melodies and lyrical trash. I can neither confirm nor deny this since I don't speak Catalá, but in an interview Aida revealed the main idea of the lyrics as a journey through different facets of the expression “Joder, estoy jodida” (“Fuck, I’m fucked”). Joan Colomo (Unfinished Sympathy, Zeidun, La Celula Durmiente and elsewhere) reviewing this album puts it more softly: “Hey, I’m not feeling good actually because I’m getting older and stuff happens to me, of which I haven't been warned."

17. Capitán Sunrise "Playlist Para El Apocalipsis"
Santí Diego and his band have released a new album full of indie pop, danceable tunes and bittersweet lyrics about little people in a big world. Regardless of what Santi sings about the music is sunny and joyful like the sun accidentally pouring upon your face. It’s impossible to resist its charm. Autumn blues? Now I know a great remedy, folks!

16. Uniforms "Trance"
BC 
I don't really get the current status of the band. Months ago they posted a message in their social media speaking, inter alia: "This is not a definite farewell, it's just a little see you later, but who knows..." I still cross my fingers hoping them to return someday, but if it's not the case, well... At least they brought us 2.5 albums of top-notch shoegaze during their run. 

15. Anacronía "Euritmia"
It's the second album of the improvisational supergroup consisting of K0manec1, Blue Rondo and Audiometría members - all notable representatives of the Canary Islands' experimental sub-scene. They got themselves Rolands, Corgs and Moogs, grabbed various flutes and even didgeridoos. The result is half an hour of timeless electronic music with live (but heavily processed) guitars and the slight touches of ethno for both the brain and the body - with this music you can relax in a comfortable chair with your eyes closed, or you can stand up and unleash your motoric instincts.
 
14. Alexanderplatz "Noches Blancas, Mañanas Negras"
If this disc consisted of 9 songs it would be a contender for the Album of the Year without a doubt. But it consists of 11. I personally don't like "Ascética Básica" and "Cada Vez Me Echas Menos De Menos". Anyway, you can imagine how great is the rest of the album based on album's position in the list.
The former leader of the iconic "sad indie pop" duo Klaus & Kinski Alejandro Martinez Moya can create beautifully soft and endlessly sad songs - and he does so effortlessly. Except for those two tracks mentioned above.

13. Pan "Salva Mil Inviernos"
It's so easy to identify who was at the helm during the recording sessions for this album, but it could be a great mistake to put all the merit solely on the producers. The impact of Manuel Cabezalí and Victor Cabezuelo is obvious to everyone who's familiar with Havalina and/or Rufus T. Firefly back catalogues - however, this impact is not formative. The only thing systemically important is the songwriting of Teresa Martinez

12. Los Jaguares De La Bahía "Do It Yourself"
The Paco Loco-led band gravitationally pulls people from Furia Trinidad, Turmalina, Tiburona and Subterráneos to mutually create music that is strangely attractive and completely sick at the same time.
Do you remember the band Thinking Fellers Union Local #282? Los Jaguares De La Bahía use the same approach as the aforementioned Californians: noise, no wave, let's steal a piece from Kraftwerk, avant-garde, some great melody, extraneous noise, someone knocking a boiling kettle with a chair leg, another great melody, wait.... do someone remember why (and how) we came here?
I clearly exaggerate, but I hope you get the idea.

11. Sidonie "Marc, Axel Y Jes"
Mark Ros turned 49 this year, ending up seeing a therapist to process the communication problems (could we call it unexpected for a man who has been successfully cultivating the reckless stage persona for decades). His band turned 30. This new album is his way to tell us: “We’re having kinda birthday party here... Let's have beer and pizza?" Beer and pizza. Nothing extra. Sometimes it can impress much more than the gloss, shine and swaggy show-off. Having returned to the settings of "Fascinado" and "Costa Azul" albums, the band recorded ten simple songs that fit perfectly being placed side by side to “fa-fa-fa-fa-fascinado” rather than to any of the newer records.


понедельник, 11 декабря 2023 г.

Lo mejor de 2023. Top 50 Albums, 21-30

BC = Bandcamp, SP = Spotify, ?? = ??

30. Ajeeb "Refractions
Fierce yet melodic alt rock with traces of metal and stoner born out of the winds of Lanzarote island.

29. Matsu "Oscilación
The crispy raspling electronica for those who [like me] consider Combray's "Ullapool" a cornerstone album of the genre. The latter's mastermind Raul Burrueco guests on the track "Reacción" - no surprise though.

28. Belako "Sigo Regando
The Basque quartet's new album sounds way more cohesive than "Plastic Drama" (p)2020 that gained the nationwide acclaim but for me seemed like emotional rollercoaster. The songs "Orein Orain" and "Pretty Handsome" could even be attributed as 'tender' - for the first time in over ten years of the career.

27. Los Sara Fontan "Queda Pendiente" 
When their name first appeared in public, Sara (violin) and Edi (drums, he is also half of the duo Za!) swore off recording albums. Therefore, they are well known as a live phenomenon, not as a studio act.
Despite that fact, and also the fact that pedals, processors, loopers and all sorts of different digital processing tools were involved in the creative process in addition to the violin and drum kit, the result has such a lively feeling, such a natural feel - and it's truly captivating. They're just as good in studio as live.

26. Neuman "Waterhole
For me it's the best album of Neuman, and also the manual of how to make your best album via constantly repeating yourself. It may not look like the best assessment, and I don't really get in full how it works - but without demonstrating any new tricks Paco Roman has created his ultimate set of songs showcasing everything he's great at.

25. J "Plena Pausa
??
"Plena Pausa" is inspired by the late Basque fillmaker Ivan Zulueta's early works archive. From my point of view, J never released such the tightly constructed music since "Encuentros Con Entidades". But whilst the mentioned album was 'heralded' as by far the worst album of Los Planetas given it had been created during the period of [mostly drug-induced] turmoil - this new solo record would more likely sit on the top of the year end lists at it apparently was made with open heart and clear mind.

24. Mujeres "Desde Flores Y Entrañas
The fast-paced skin'n'bones rock-n-roll of the Catalan underground kings Mujeres gets thicker and mellower with every subsequent release - but those changes are rather minor and don't modify the basic concept only providing their music with better perspective.

23. Rombo "Plaers I Terrors De Confort Domestic
Four years since the release of their previous album "Clara Montse Núria", the Rombo girls have changed a lot. First, they got them a boy in the band. Second, they stopped sounding like early Quasi (sweet melodies seasoned with lo-fi guitar noise). Now they sound much closer to the groove-focused bands like Melenas without losing their hallmark melodicism - which suggests that for Clara Molins the French chanson, especially Françoise Hardy, means a lot.

22. Lagoss "Imaginary Island Music Vol.2: Ascention
Lagoss is a Canarian trio consisting of longtime friends Mladen Kurajica (various incarnations of GAF) and Dani Garcia (Tupperwear, Salétile) along with Gonçalo F. Cardoso from the portuguese label Discrepant Records.
"Ascension" is an instrumental album loosely based on the concept of the construction of a space elevator from the top of Mount Teide to E.T.E.S.S.A., the space station closest to Earth, by the united forces of two human civilizations - terrestrial (Guayechi) and underwater (Aguachachi).
Of course, the basic idea of this concept cannot be understood without a libretto. The human voices are present on the disc, but in a very distorted form so they don't tell any recognizable narrative. The music is strange - as always for all those three involved. I don't think any one of them have ever made music that could be described as 'normal'. Digital jazz, dub, noise, space rock, tribal, industrial, scratch, music-concrete, amon düül, if you know what I mean. But despite its convoluted uniqueness it's entertaining and sometimes enormously beautiful.

21. Bum Motion Club "Claridad Y Laureles
They have created the best song of the year. "Deprisa, Deprisa" is super catchy with its leading synths and fresh take on "quiet/loud" dynamics. 
Overall, this album has a lot of guitars but the main melodic lines are always created by synths. It sounds different, and sounding different is always the better.

среда, 6 декабря 2023 г.

Lo Mejor De 2023. Top 50 Albums. 31 - 40


BC = Bandcamp, SP = Spotify

40. TOU "Creixin Els Arbres
The Catalan artist Albert Segura mixes electronica, synth-pop, kosmische musik, early era Depeche Mode on his debut longplay to make a listener dive into some unsettling atmosphere. The track "La Guerra" could easily fit for a totalitarian sect drama's soundtrack. 

39. Charnego "Regreso Al Futuro"
This indie supergroup consists of Atención Tsunami, Biznaga and Being Berber members. At the beginning of the disc it seems like Biznaga connection prevails but as it rolls on the tense electro-rock rhythms of Atención Tsunami along with overall psychotic atmosphere of their peers Disciplina Atlántico starts to dominate.

38. Sonic Beast "Accidental
Another supergroup in this list. Bad Mongos, Bullitt, No More Lies, Illinoise, Ultramarinos Costabrava Studios, brothers Garcia, Sant Feliu de Guixols... For those initiated, each and every word here could cause an urge to grab it immediately.

37. Bons Nois "Delta
This delicate and tight indie rock album with touches of dreampop shocks with its sonic excellentce - especially taking in mind that it was recorded by the young band entirely on their own.

36. Belén Bandera "Bamboo, Nature's Calligraphy
A neo-classical ambient masterpiece. 70% of this disc is silence - but what a beautiful silence it is.

35. La Paloma "Todavía No
The metropolitan quartet effectively juggles the Everclear, Weezer, Cala Vento and Triangulo De Amor Bizarro influences adding huge amounts of youthful anergy.

34. Bullitt "Major B
For a time being I had no idea how to tag Bullitt. The term "melodic punk" gets too close to "pop punk" who Bullitt surely aren't. Power pop? Alt rock? Yes, but not really. This album helps greatly to come to conclusion, so now I know how to describe their music correctly: just imagine Bad Religion recruiting Noel Gallagher for lead guitar.

33. Triángulo de Amor Bizarro "SED
Arguably the best TdAB album? I believe "Salve Discordia" is still at the top spot but "SED" comes close. Less emotionally chaotic than its predecessor "triangulodeamorbizarro" (p)2019, "SED" adds some new colors to the band's palette without spoiling anything they brought to perfection before.

32. Florent Y Yo "Florent Y Yo
The songs of Los Planetas' founding guitar player are covered with haze of dreampop and lightweight psychedelia, at times sounding like if The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart turned to kraut rock.

31. Havalina "Maquinaria
After sonically entertaining but otherwise non-consistent and emotionless "Muerdesombra" Havalina crafted their best album since "h" along with former bass player Ignacio Celma returning to the fold.

вторник, 5 декабря 2023 г.

Lo Mejor De 2023. Top 50 Albums. 41 - 50

And now, when all the preparations are done and all the introductory statements are said, let's start the countdown.

BC = Bandcamp, SP = Spotify

50. Látigo Mantra "Fisura
Grunge-tinged alt rock from a Madrid-based band is utterly melodic and effervescently energetic.

49. Hola Lis "Foravila"
Elisa Bernal, half of the quiet folk duo Hibernales, writes songs that are equally sad and heartwarming, transmitting trauma and hope at the same time. Sonically it's a total opposite to the previous entry.

48. Gonzalo Fuster "Valentía, Lealtad Y Dignidad
Also known as El Ser Humano, Gonzalo goes through personal turmoil. "Trauma and hope", vol.2

47. Antiplancton "Otros Cuerpos
A missing link between León Benavente's "Vamos A Volvernos Locos" and Havalina's "Muerdesombra" is better than both referential albums.

46. Garrafa Nadal "Disputa
It seems like there is some kind of indie rock belt conveyor installed in Manacor, Mallorca. Roig!, Jorra Y Gomorra, Da Souza, to name a few, came from the same location. Garrafa Nadal wear these connections on the sleeves but they've got enough personality for not to be mixed up with the better-known compatriots.

44/45. Coherence "Unilateral
wud "Meant To Collide
These two Catalan bands play post-hardcore in slightly different ways (wud are more inclined to melodic angularity while Coherence find their comfort in sonic textures) but the result is equally enjoying.

43. Katovit "Cosas Que Nunca Te Dije
Lo-fi/ 90's indie rock finest - let's put it as simple as it gets.

42. Joaquín Pascual "Baladas Para Un Atraco"
I've read a string of mixed reviews on this one, but for me this is undoubtedly the best effort by former Surfin' Bichos co-founder/ Mercromina frontman. The quite limited instrumentation only emphasizes the case of "less is more".
"El Accidente" is one of the best songs of the year.

41. Pandan-Lagl "Teatro Del Absurdo
Juan Carlos and Cristina from El Relevo Aleman go synth-pop without abandoning their signature angular melodies more appropriate for Midwest emo. An unexpected but highly satisfying encounter of two rarely mixed genres.

Lo Mejor De 2023. An Introduction

This was an amazing year. I feel kind of embarrassed saying this from within the frontiers of a country that still tries to eliminate its closest neighbour and now is in the process of banning at least 10% of its population via naming the LGBT+ people extremists - but musically it was really an amazing year. I'm used to making year end lists, I have been doing it for years and years, and rarely I went through such the mind-blowing exercise trying to elect 50 best albums of the year before. Fortunately it is 50! If it was 30 I'd have my head crack open for sure.
There were at least 70-80 albums in consideration out of the total 300+ releases I listened to throughout the year: from Cabello Prieto Azabache's "No.1" released 11th of January to Gazella's self-titled released 24th of November. Due to suffocating level of competition I was pressured to erase "Planes Para Días Grises", the most recent disc of my dear friends Igloo, from the final version of the list - the painful decision I still feel sorry about - as well as some other pretty great albums like Featherweight's "Ojalá Eternidad", Carolina Otero's "POPalina", Cucudrulu's "Zozobrar A Tiempo" or Vuelve Zinc's "No Lo Merecemos". Let it be kinda Honorable Mention for them.
Moreover, I would like to mention a handful of EPs and mini albums to be singled out, such as No Fucks' "No Fucks II", The Magic Mor's "Retrato De Amor Primitivo", Nøgen's "Åben Cirkel", Alondra Galopa's self-titled and Pálida Tez's "Viaje A La Habitación Del Fondo De La Casa". They deserve your full attention despite their diminutive stature.