Sounds fun but the music reviewers are the only persons whose activities weren’t spoiled by the covid19 pandemic. All other parties of the business were affected: musicians, clubs, festivals, promoters, labels, record stores etc. – everyone but reviewers. Nevertheless, my own activities were affected by my laptop’s hard disk crash that ruined the list of 400 albums I had listened to up to that moment (along with my whole iTunes collection). Moreover, I was totally crashed by the untimely passing of my best friend due to post-covid19 complications. That fact derailed me and switched me off the process to the point where I wanted to stop doing it this year. But at the end of the day the music appeared to be the best cure, the best painkiller, the best kind of helper to cope with the loss.
I think, the list you are about to find below - well, one fifth of the list - in no way is the list of anything 'best'. This is the list of impressions. I only hope this music will find its way to impress you as much as it impressed me.
50. Nestor Mir "Un Immens I Infinit Continent" (p)Malatesta
The best choice for those who, like me, have found the latest Pau Vallve's effort a bit too slow and/or sleepy.
48. Cementeri "Asma, Corte, Afonia, Pisoton" (p)Nooirax/ Spinda/ The Braves
For me, it seems like this music has its roots in Motorhead - but these roots, before reaching the surface of the ground, apparently came through the Betunizer-filled soils.
46. Lluis Paloma, 'Patinet' "Els Somnis Del Futur S'Escriuran Amb Acer!" (p)El Mamut Traçut
I don't know what it is. I pushed play button to taste it and then just found myself in the end of the last track. But I don't know how to describe it, and what to say more than "It's music".
As uncategorizable as the most part of Humo Intl. releases are, this goth/electro/art/punk music is strange, gutwrenching and evocative. And a bit frightening at times.
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.
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
The second and the last day of the fest should bring me one the most heart-wrenching experiences en mi vida taking in mind that earlier in my life I'd missed all the chances to see my favorite musicians live: Elliott Smith just died before I learned about his mere existence, and Smashing Pumpkins had already fallen from grace when they came to Moscow last year. So to see my current Most Favorite Band for me it's like.... I don't know what it's like, really. So all the day I was waiting for the moment. We might walk the perfect narrow streets of Badajoz, or feed the ducks in the parks, or look at the turtles in the waters of Guadiana, or have the drinks in cafeteria - everything was just a prelude.
The program of Contempopranea this day offered us the young band Happy New Year as the appetizer, then the English indie starlets Veronica Falls with their tiny variations on jangle pop and twee. The next persons of interest should be El Columpio Asesino, the Pamplona-based band that I've never tried (but always wanted) to fall for. I've never liked The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart so I haven't intended to go and see them, but Mercury Rev, who should follow, were one of the main focuses of attention for me. The renowned indie superstars who are spending the last years in semi-hiatus would came to Contempopranea with the one and only gig in Europe this year. Just the possibility to see them playing - no matter what - it was already giving me goosebumps. And then - Love Of Lesbian. I've never thought about trying to stay alive at the moment when they would leave the scene, so Fuel Fandango who would be the last band playing on the fest intentionally would not fated enough to catch our attention.
El Columpio Asesino
Right before the start of the Day 2 program we decided to take some rest instead of catching the shows of Happy New Year and Veronica Falls. So the Contempopranea Day 2 started for us with El Columpio Asesino. This band play quirky and harsh post-punk with strong melodic pieces that could be easily drowned in noise or in fractured rhythms - thus the pop hit potential of their songs is at least a moot point but creatively it makes them the band that is best loved by the other bands' members.
When we came in to the place the band was already playing. And they rocked. El Columpio Asesino live are like the good slap in your face. Or like bulldozer gone mad. The bursts of noise, the thick fog of shoegaze, wall of sound, you name it. The vocal duties are shared by Cristina Martinez (guitar) and Albaro Arizaleta (drums). The sound is three times louder than on albums. The kind of music that could make you sweat even if you just listen to it standing aside without a move.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
In fact, I've never listened to The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. I was enough with their first eponymous LP which I considered one of the worst albums ever praised in 2000's. So they should be only the intermission for me - you know, the good time to go and have a burger and a pint, or to stand the queue to the WC. But we came to the show only one band earlier, and at the moment we did not want to drink or eat or piss, so... So we were there standing right at the scene in the crowd. Kip Berman (yes I've managed to learn his name now) and his guys and a chick walked onstage, standed in line before us and then just fired full throttle. No, they were not more groundshaking than El Columpio Asesino - I suppose it's almost impossible - but fuck, the band that I neglected just turned my opinion on themselves absolutely down on the upside. Sometimes the things are changing in the good way.
Mercury Rev
After The Pains came off the stage some guys came onstage. Fuck, said I, this one with the mic seems to be Jonathan Donahue. And it was really Jonathan Donahue. The seminal 'indie rock meets pop psychedelia' band with over 25 years history just came in without pomp or anything and started connect the gear. Unlike their closest peers The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev in the last three or four years silently disappeared off the radars but their radiosilence didn't mean the dissolution. The godfathers Donahue & Grasshopper with the guys just took a break from busy recording and touring lifestyle. Contempopranea was their first European gig this year. When everything was ready to start Jonathan came onstage with the bottle of wine (he'd gonna drink it up till mid-concert). His voice was a little bit late and returned to him only on the second half of the second song of the set. So, Jonathan sang, Jonathan drank wine, Jonathan acted like a heron, Jonathan died and revived like a phoenix, Jonathan hardly stood on his feet. From my point of view and hearing I almost had no idea what Grasshopper was doing there on the far side of the scene. The sound was rich yet subtle and translucent - and the large part of thanks for it should go to the rhythm section (Anthony Molina and Jason Miranda). These guys were fucking great, incredibly great!
I shouldn't wish more when Mercury Rev finished but the main impression was still ahead.
Santi Balmes
Love Of Lesbian have so wide range of songs that one could easily compile a number of concert sets that would be greatly diversified in tone and mood. This night the band decided to show us their foolish side. The set included all the songs that I disliked the most, like "Miau", "Me Amo", "Pizzigatos" and especially "Si Tu Me Dices Ben, Yo Digo Affleck" (to put it correct, the band played these songs the way that they sounded much better than their studio versions). The most strange and foolish songs in the band's back catalogue were accompanied by a) the sometimes strange sometimes foolish videos on the backstage, and b) the stage behaviour of the band members. During the songs Santi Balmes faked the autocastration with the huge pink scissors, Joan Ramon Planell (bass) acted like he's Axl Rose (just take in mind that Joan Ramon Planell is two times heavier than real Axl)... But all this was not important for the crowd. The crowd roared, moaned, squalled like it was a million-mouthed Godzilla in her early puberty. Love Of Lesbian has really large fanbase, and the huge part of it are the young girls. I might be somebody's dad there in this crowd, really. Despite all the aforementioned we were having fun. It became even more funnier whan Santi came to the crowd right before my nose. I just touched him with my index finger, he was real.
Of course, to the moment when Love Of Lesbian's show was over we were not able to stand one more show, so we walked off to fall asleep in the hotel room.
