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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.


суббота, 3 августа 2019 г.

Sonorama Ribera 2019. 15 'Small Font Size' Bands

I have to admit that I’m not familiar with the most part of the ‘minuscule font size’ bands from the Sonorama 2019 line up. So I’ve tried to listen to them in brief to frame the opinions. Anyway, it didn’t make me to come to any certain conclusion apart from to act by circumstances on location cos I liked those like El Verbo Odiado, Meridian, The Rebels, St Woods or Division Minuscula – but hardly to the point there I could build some plans upon them and, moreover, surely recommend them to other people. Now I’d like to declare the following: I will certainly try to see the aforementioned bands cos chances are they are cool. 
Anyway, the main ‘small font sized bands’ list is as follows (in alphabetical order).

Agoraphobia – they’re young’ they’re loud, they’re upbeat. They’re the Galician chicks that take the L7’s legacy and bring it into the 21st century better than Donita Sparks & Co do themselves.

Alexanderplatz – Spain is brimming with the high quality bands that crossbreed indie pop with indietronica. This one is the project of the former Klaus & Kinski Alejandro Martinez Moya

Apartamentos Acapulco – the potential successors of Los Planetas not only by location but also by contents.

Ballena – I think their album “Navarone” was nice. So I eager to see how it may sound live.

Basanta – the Spanish take on ‘occvlt rock’. A nice try, as far as I can see.

Boogarins – for me, this Brazilian band is the most anticipated one (along with Javiera Mena) from ‘the other side of the pond’.

The Crab Apples – the great female band from Barcelona. I narrowly missed them last year in Primavera Sound as I observed Xavier Calvet’s performance inside the MACBA building right when they played exactly outside.

Crudo Pimento – a band impossible to categorize. They exist in the universe of their own and create the music of their own. 

Echo – a couple of years ago we caught them playing in acoustic format at the MeetinArts tent – and it was kinda gutwrenching cos the voice of Carmen Alvaredo was so powerful. It’s interesting what they sound like now.

Igloo – the friends, nuff said. 

Invisible Harvey – one of the most unexpected artists of this edition of Sonorama. The Catalan singer/songwriter (a resident of El Genio Equivocado) represents the kind of artists that are rare birds in the large events.

Mostaza Galvez – genre-wise I dunno really what they are playing but they are definitely not bland. In fact, they are the exact opposite to ‘bland’.

Nina Coyote eta Chico Tornado – the personified hurricane, that's what they are. The psychedelic/ garage/ sludge duo from Basque Country. 

Presumido – arguably one of the hottest synth pop bands of the moment. 

Rayo – one more female band playin’ loud music in this list. Seems to be great.