5 años. Participation in crowdfunding

The year 2018 marks the 5-year jubilee of this tiny music-related blog. Now I'm finalizing the string of kinda 'special issues' to celebrate this. The penultimate special issue is right here right now, and it's dedicated to 5 albums I participated in financing (in temporal order).
The sixth album, La Perra de Pavlov’s “Cronica De Un Movimiento” is the only one I’ve never received physically.

Sin Rumbo “LUZ” (p)2014

SPTF

Baden bah! “Futuro/a” (p)2014

OFFICIAL SITE

Nixon “El Ultimo Fuego” (p)2015

BNDCMP

Second “Viaje Iniciatico” (p)2015

SPTF

Proyecto Solaz “Propaganda” (p)2017

BNDCMP

Best of 2017. Albums 41-50

Every year it becomes more complicated. It takes more time to listen to much more music and then to peel much more really great albums off of the final Top50. Fifth year in a row - I present you the list of the best albums of the year. And I bet you this list is not like any other (though it never was an intention).

50. Atras Tigre "Fainos Salir" (p)Triunvirato 
The catchy synth-driven indie pop with strong melodies and twee aroma that skips back the decades and wraps you with the vintage 60's atmospheres. Atras Tigre are one of the discoveries of this year, I have never learned of them before.
BANDCAMP

49. Sierra "A Ninguna Parte" (p)Sonido Muchacho
Sierra's pure indie rock (in the 00's meaning of the term) outdoes many of more renowned competitves within the frames of the genre. For example, you can't find such the consistent album in The Maccabees back catalogue.
BANDCAMP

48. Proyecto Solaz "Propaganda" (p)
A harsh, angry, disturbing record. To listen to it is not a pleasure, rather it's a trial. So if you want some sweet music to befriend you and embace you, you'd better pass along. But if you want some solid mass to punch you in your face - you're welcome!
BANDCAMP

47. La Iaia "Tornar A Ser U" (p)Right Here Right Now
Strangely captivating folk/indie pop album from Catalunya. The singer sounds like he's tracking the vocals for the child cartoons tunes - but it hardly could be a problem (even if you've never been much into the Tullycraft back catalogue).
OFFICIAL SITE

46. Jay "Fuimos Nosotros" (p)Matapadre
Read full review

45. Maresme "Golden Coast" (p)Foehn Records
If you need some medicine to ease the pains of longing for the new Oso Leone release (my case) or sedate yourself off of living in the cold unfriendly country (my case as well) - there is much to dig out in Foehn's roster, and the Maresme debut album could be your perfect choice.
BANDCAMP

44. Karen Koltrane "Album" (p)Foehn Records
"Album" effectively creates the mood that slowly takes you away from reality like if you dive deeper and deeper into the sea. Moreover, it has probably the best cover design of the year.
BANDCAMP

43. Autumn Comets "Realejo" (p)Records del Mundo/ La Estanquera
When I listen to Autumn Comets I always think of what if Smashing Pumpkins came another way after their resurrection. Now they might produce records like this instead of that shit what they really produce now…
SPOTIFY

42. Me And The Bees  "Menos Mal" (p)La Castanya
This album (arguably the best in Me & The Bees' career) is full of short ultra-melodic 60's Merseybeat songs with jangling guitars and bright young male/female vocals. The most optimistic album of the year that resembles The New Pornographers and - especially - The Apples In Stereo.
BANDCAMP

41. Pandan-Lagl "Pandan-Lagl" (p)Gran Tigre
The lo-fi side of El Relevo Aleman's Jose Carlos and Cristina. Recorded with the drum machine, the album delivers everything I like in El Relevo Aleman in more stripped-down and intentionally underproduced way.
BANDCAMP

31 - 40 >>>
21 - 30 >>>

The Best Of 2014. Albums 11 - 20

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.

12. Blusa "¡Toca Breakbeat, Perro!"
(p)Sello Salvaje

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

These tracks may seem simple enough but the truth is they are so perfectly constructed that could work even without vocals ("Ultimo Tren" as a proof) said I a month ago. Like Blusa, this post punk trio also has an exceptional three-dimensional creative vision - but they use it in another way: instead of creating the slowly evolving soundscapes they make 2 minutes long songs with equally fine results.