Показаны сообщения с ярлыком Linda Guilala. Показать все сообщения
Показаны сообщения с ярлыком Linda Guilala. Показать все сообщения

четверг, 22 декабря 2016 г.

Best of 2016. Albums 1-10

Today I've tried to count up the money I spent on purchasing the new music this year but quickly understood it was an impossible task. And what is more important - it was totally senseless. No matter how many Euros it took - it was the best investment ever. However many hours I spent listening - it was the best thing I could do. 

Previous entries:
Top50. Albums 11-20
Top50. Albums 21-30
Top50. Albums 31-40
Top50. Albums 41-50
Top10 - EPs and mini albums
Honorable mention #1
Honorable mention #2

10. Joan Colomo "Sistema" (p)BCore Disc
...Joan sounds absolutely organic and natural in every direction and every land he steps on...

09. Poomse "This Is How We Fail" (p)Espora
'Less dramatic, more Centro-matic' I wrote on "This Is How We Fail" 3 months ago, and I wrote it for the following reasons: 1) the new album doesn't contain such tragedy-filled tracks as "Daily Bread", and 2) the sound of the album is so perfectly shaped that you almost can imagine the room where it was recorded - the same thing as for Denton, TX uncrowned lo-fi kings' records (though Poomse are quite far from lo-fi now). I'd consider this album less obscure in comparison with "Poomse vs. the Kingdom of Death" and in many aspects more refined, so to speak.

08. Atencion Tsunami "Silencio En La Retaguardia" (p)Records Del Mundo
These men are the chameleons. If you ain't familiar with Records del Mundo family, I'm going to tell you they are same people who created the astonishing "Sillas Voladoras" under the name Incendios and "Pensamiento de Paz Durante Un Ataque Aereo" under the name Paracaidas last year. These projects differ considerably one from another in everything but the team. Different names, different genres - the band is the same. "Silencio En La Retaguardia" is the most unpredictable work of the troupe. Visually both legs in contemporary danceable indie rock, Atencion Tsunami manage to jump 3 miles higher what you may think about while seeing 'contemporary danceable indie rock' tag.
07. Lost Tapes. "Let's Get Lost" (p)Mushroom Pillow
I thought it could be just some good companion to La Habitacion Roja's "Sagrado Corazon" LP when I ordered the latter from the Mushroom Pillow online shop. I had a fear that the single LP might be damaged while travelling 4000 km alone and felt like I needed to choose something more to add some durability to the mail package. So I've chosen the debut album by LHR guitar player Pau Roca's side project LostTapes. All hail the small momentary decisions! This record doesn't even try to hide its influences but wears them proudly instead. Post-shoegaze Cool Britannia's (The Boo Radleys, Wedding Present), the 2000's indie pop (The Radio Dept.) along with the evergreen classics (New Order and Tears for Fears) are mixed in this palette to produce the colours of unique brightness and rare authenticity.

06. Sr. Chinarro "El Progreso" (p)El Segell De Primavera
...the melodic intuition of Antonio is flawless, and we can only pray for this perfection to be prolonged on the subsequent Sr. Chinarro releases...

05. Sorry Kate "Haven Hood" (p)Foehn
...during the first couple of tracks you have to adjust your mind and auditory nerve fibers to embrace the sound, and then sound embraces you...

04. Trinidad "Karma" (p)El Hombre Bala
...lo-fi? No, mostly it's no-fi. Fuck Wavves, fuck Hinds. It's the real spontaniety and the real sincerety transmitted to this world through the mind and soul of the real riot grrrl...

03. Berlina "Desertico" (p)Grabaciones A Montones
"Desertico" made me to dive into the dreampop whirlpoop this year. It may remind you of Catherine Wheel, it may remind you of Rufus T. Firefly, it may remind you of Havalina (it's no surprise it is co-produced by Manuel Cabezali) - with all components in right proportions and right places. "Desertico" is about the textures and thin atmospheres, about slow moves and 'where would they cruise at within the next seconds?' wonderings. "Desertico" is like the puzzle. Just try to solve it.

02. Linda Guilala "Psiconautica" (p)Elefant
With the shiny melodies and a lot of segues that interconnect these shiny melodies into one solid blast of noise pop/shoegaze majesty, with the stunning hooks you will be humming for months, with the wall of sound and the intricate guitar work the Galician band took a giant leap ahead on the new release. It's a conceptual album, and its name probably relates to drug consumption (I don't really know, but for me the word 'psychonaut' is a romantisized synonym for 'junkie'). Initially I wasn't up to listen to it because I thought it might be some kind of psychedelic indie pop. But then I decided to listen to literally EVERYTHING, and it turned out to be really great with all these aforementioned shiny melodies, stunning hooks and the wall of sound that could make Kevin Shields proud.

01. Viva Suecia "La Fuerza Mayor" (p)Subterfuge
The last night of Sonorama'2016 I placed my feet at the first line before the Carson Сamping stage, and from my left side there were three cheeks who looked like, you know, classic teenage Love Of Lesbian fans. For my eyes and ears Viva Suecia were far from overwhelming popularity due to the fact the music of Murcia-based quartet is introspective and slow-burning and visually has no connections with the pop side of the world. And it was kinda real surprise for me to see these gurls beside me knew all the verses and all the names of bandmembers. And they were not alone! It was a real surprise to see this band ready for crowds as I thought Viva Suecia could be just the subject of a small cult following. Now the band is seemingly one step before the indie sub-world stardom, and I hope they'll take this step without making concessions and the major pitch, roll and yaw corrections.


пятница, 30 сентября 2016 г.

Top40 albums of 2016 so far. 9 months report

Three quarters of the year are gone. The summer is gone. The vacation is gone. The creative spark is gone. Even the hope is partly gone. And it's raining out there for hours. But there's always something to keep you going.

40. Edui Bercedo "Historias De Calor" (p)Los 80 Pasan Factura
39. Parade "Demasiado Humano" (p)Jabalina Musica
38. Higinio Orduña "La Cuesta Del Recinto" (p)Discos Imaginarios
37. Nocturnos "Hemos Visto Lobos" (p)self-released
36. Kill Kill "Reacciones A Distancia" (p)Miel de Moscas
35. Stay "The Mean Solar Times" (p)Rock Indiana
34. Fira Fem "Vida Nueva" (p)Subterfuge
33. Postman "Life Can Change In A Moment" (p)Keroxen
32. The Levitants "Coimbra" (p)self-released
31. Apartamentos Acapulco "Justo Y Necesario" (p)Discos Imaginarios
30. Disciplina Atlantico "Disciplina Atlantico" (p)Limbo Starr
29. San Borondon "POP!" (p)self-released
28. Fiera "Aljarafe" (p)Humo
27. Escuelas Pias "Nuevas Degeneraciones" (p)El Genio Equivocado
26. Keep Out "Spicy Mud Cake" (p)self-released
25. The Prussians "Kerala" (p)Green Ufos
24. Biscuit "Biscuit" (p)La Castanya
23. Murciano Total "Enquinias" (p)El Genio Equivocado
22. Delbosque "Interferencias" (p)self-released
21. Retirada! "Victoria Derrota" (p)self-released
20. Bestlife (Under Your Seat) "Invincible Anymore" (p)self-released
19. Cala Vento "Cala Vento" (p)BCore Disc
18. La Habitacion Roja "Sagrado Corazon" (p)Mushroom Pillow
17. Kasparov vs Deep Blue "Flare" (p)self-released
16. El Tercer Semestre "33 1/3" (p)Aloud Music
15. Leon Benavente "2" (p)Warner
14. Monte Del Oso "Existen Moscas Que Se Relajan Durante El Vuelo" (p)Farmway
13. LostTapes "Let's Get Lost" (p)Mushroom Pillow
12. Power Burkas "Llarga Vida Al Taranna" (p)BCore Disc
11. Big Summer "Trigger" (p)El Genio Equivocado
10. Poomse "This Is How We Fail" (p)Espora
09. Sorry Kate "Haven Hood" (p)Foehn
08. Pasavento "Tuvo Su Momento" (p)self-released
07. Sr. Chinarro "El Progreso" (p)El Segell De Primavera
06. Joan Colomo "Sistema" (p)BCore Disc
05. Trinidad "Karma" (p)El Hombre Bala
04. Viva Belgrado "Ulysses" (p)Aloud Music
03. Berlina "Desertico" (p)Grabaciones A Montones
02. Linda Guilala "Psiconautica" (p) Elefant
01. Viva Suecia "La Fuerza Mayor" (p)Subterfuge

The new list is twice as long as the previous [semi-annual] version. There's a lot of 'old friends' in there (and the leader is still intact), but some newcomers have made it to the top10 in the third quarter. The most unexpected of them is, without a doubt, Pasavento's mini album "Tuvo Su Momento". Produced by the men of many talents Marti Perarnau and Ramiro Nieto the debut release of Madrid-based combo fronted by Ignacio Quintero is the noise pop perfection in the vein of Teenage Funclub and their peers with the beautifully jangling guitars and sublime melodies. Never heard of them before the moment when this album suddenly appeared in one of my friend's Facebook post, but now Pasavento are in the forefront of my 'bands to watch' list. 
Also I should point out "This Is How We Fail", the perfectly crafted new album of Poomse (this time on mallorcan indie label Espora Records). Less dramatic, more Centro-matic - and it seems like to-date this album received more reviews from international reviewers than from local ones. The song that you may find below fucken blows my mind. 

There's still over 60 albums to come out up to the end of the year... A lot of stuff to listen to (and to choose the best from).

вторник, 5 июля 2016 г.

Top20 albums of 2016 so far. Half-yearly report

The year is half over, so please find below the semi-annual results according to this blog.

20. Keiko "Within Keiko" (p)El Hombre Bala
19. Yes I M "Bora Bora" (p)Foehn
18. Biscuit "Biscuit" (p)La Castanya
17. Murciano Total "Enquinias" (p)El Genio Equivocado
16. Brian Hunt "Love", "Unlove" (p)self-released
15. Bestlife (Under Your Seat) "Invincible Anymore" (p)self-released
14. Leon Benavente "2" (p)Warner
13. Cala Vento "Cala Vento" (p)BCore Disc
12. Kasparov vs Deep Blue "Flare" (p)self-released
11. Monte Del Oso "Existen Moscas Que Se Relajan Durante El Vuelo" (p)Farmway
10. El Tercer Semestre "33 1/3" (p)Aloud Music
09. LostTapes "Let's Get Lost" (p)Mushroom Pillow
08. Power Burkas "Llarga Vida Al Taranna" (p)BCore Disc
07. Big Summer "Trigger" (p)El Genio Equivocado
06. Sorry Kate "Haven Hood" (p)Foehn
05. Linda Guilala "Psiconautica" (p) Elefant
04. Joan Colomo "Sistema" (p)BCore Disc
03. Trinidad "Karma" (p)El Hombre Bala
02. Berlina "Desertico" (p)Grabaciones A Montones
01. Viva Suecia "La Fuerza Mayor" (p)Subterfuge

I've never been a massive fan of shoegaze/dreampop movement embracing only pretty limited number of the fish (Slowdive, Ride, Catherine Wheel, early Lilys and Starflyer 59, to name a few) in the vast ocean. But this current top makes me feel like I've always been hiding the pack of Mazzy Star CDs under my pillow, as at least one third of this list can be [more or less directly] allocated to dreampop category.