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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.


понедельник, 12 декабря 2016 г.

Best of 2016. Albums 31-40

Previous entries:
Top50. Albums 41-50
Top10 - EPs and mini albums
Honorable mention #1
Honorable mention #2

40. Keep Out "Spicy Mud Cake" (p)Polar
Electrified and contaminating, this album is like the bottle of Molotov cocktail ready to explode thrown into the trash container full of the construction debris and chemical production paraphernalia.

39. Shinova "Volver" (p)Warner
Switching from punching alt-rock to more folk-tinged song constructions doesn't change the main thing about this Basque band: they specialize on hymns, not songs. All these tracks are born to set flames to stadiums. Sometimes this approach leads to the great results.

38. Escuelas Pias "Nuevas Degenarciones" (p)El Genio Equivocado
The synth-driven branch of indie pop that's called 'indietronica' is something of a common place in Spanish music since the first successes of Elefant Records. But some true pearls are still appearing seemingly out of nowhere. This duo is one of these pearls.

37. Modelo De Respuesta Polar "Dos Amigos" (p)self-released
As introverted as gorgeous and as subdued as sublime, the new album of Modelo de Respuesta Polar (initially released via the crowdfunding campaign) presents Borja Mompo's band on a peak of the creating form.

36. Hola A Todo El Mundo "Away" (p)Mushroom Pillow
These are the pop songs. These are the tight guitar-driven pop songs. I'm unaware about the intention but for me this 'away' is somewhere where the R.E.M's "Shiny Happy People" were born.

35. Sidonie "El Peor Grupo Del Mundo" (p)Warner
Call it irony, call it self-indulgence but for Marc Ros and his pals it's a kind of a cheap trick to name their best album "The Worst Band In The World". The bleak Beatlesque melodies themselves can't make me love it as I'm not the fan of The Beatles, but the irresistible lighthearted elegance this album was created with - surely can.

34. Biscuit "Biscuit" (p)La Castanya
"Biscuit" reminds me of Nerf Herder, Against Me! (before gender reclassification of their front[wo]man) and The Hold Steady. But mostly it reminds me of Bullitt's "Sparks". And it's really nice cos I like "Sparks" alot.

33. El Lado Oscuro De La Broca "Poderosa" (p)El Genio Equivocado
The most inflammable band in El Genio Equivocado roster fires on all cylinders in the sophomore release. Just like on the previous album, "Poderosa"'s sound is the sound of a crashing aircraft backed with the most brutal form of post-punk.

32. Les Cruet "Pomes Agres" (p)Bankrobber
I ain't learned about the themes Les Cruet are exploring in their songs cos the lyrics are 100% Catalan. Anyway, this harsh angry shrieky primordial punk album with sratching gnashy vocals is a good soundtrack to the modern society demise despite the things they are singing about really.

31. Doble Pletina "Asi Es Como Escapo" (p)Jabalina Musica
The best ever pop music for those who don't like pop music.


пятница, 12 декабря 2014 г.

The Best Of 2014. Albums 4 - 10

10. Acuario "Cassette Para Los Niños"
(p)Marxophone
The solo analogue electronica project of Nudozurdo's Leo Mateos. These great tunes (imagine something between Depeche Mode's "Some Great Reward" and Dorian's "La Ciudad Subterranea") accompanied by the familiar plaintive vocals of Leo should be the good intermediate POI for the one who's waiting for the next Nudozurdo release - but it's not good, in fact. It appears to be fucking good.
09. Guerrera "Mauna Loa"
(p)Matapadre
A supergroup of sorts (Guerrera represents the members of the local Galician indie bands - such diverse as melodic indie/grunge-oriented Holywater or blackened crust/hardcore Ictus, for example), this band is the energy, the fury and the rampage all incapsulated and wrapped up in psychedelic/ sludge/ progressive thunderstorm.

08. I Am Dive "Wolves"
(p)Foehn
A total opposite to Guerrera, I Am Dive's new album is the quiet slowcore mixed with ambient IDM and dreampop, a perfect soundtrack to the lonely hours spent on the thin border between the reality and the dream.
07. Sr. Chinarro "Perspectiva Caballera"
(p)VEEMMM
In the 2010's Antonio Luque has come to the 'album per year' schedule. But despite the short interims between albums the last one contains some visible changes to the renowned musician's usual template. On his most recent work Antonio sounds like he was bitten by Bill Callahan. So, "Perspectiva Caballera" is the most cohesive album in Sr. Chinarro's history - and probably the saddest one.
06. Niños Mutantes "El Futuro"
(p)Ernie Producciones
Though "Las Noches de Insomnio" and "Naufragos" contained some truly great songs, but they did not work for me as albums. So "El Futuro" is their first album in years which contains some great songs and works very well as a whole.
05. Sidonie "Sierra Y Canada"
(p)Sony/Octubre
The best bittersweet pop album of the year. "These songs surely will make sing and dance along and get stuck in your head for [at least] months", I wrote 8 months ago. And now I must admit that it works just like I predicted.
04. Poomse "Vs.The Kingdom Of Death"
(p)Foehn
With two albums in Top10 and absolutely fantastic Karen Koltrane short album, Barcelona-based Foehn Records is the 'Champion of All Indie Labels' in 2014. The Poomse's album was the first released by Foehn this year - in the very beginning of February, so this album follows me all the year through. With the songs like "Empty Sea", "August, 2011" and especially "Daily Bread" it's the best companion for the old school indie rock fan like me. 

четверг, 26 июня 2014 г.

Los Treinta Principales. #19. Sidonie "El Fluido Garcia"

#19. Sidonie "El Fluido Garcia" (p)2011 Octubre/ Sony Music
The Catalan rock chameleons took another turn of their career on "El Fluido Garcia", a space psychedelic retro rock album. The thick fuzzy sound wraps around the best songs the band ever wrote. For the first time the Hospitalet de Llobregat trio consiting of Marc, Jesus & Axel made a pack of melodies you would not want to fine-tune a bit. So, with all of its twists and turns, noisy guitar solos, Ringo Starr-ian drums and smoke-drenched athmosphere "El Fluido Garcia" transfers you 40 years back, like the 2010's are the new 70's, without ever sounding dated.

The best tracks: La Huida, Perros, A Mil Anos Luz

вторник, 10 июня 2014 г.

#Contempopranillo. Contempopránea 2014 en Badajoz, 6-7 of June. Day One


Contempopranea (pronounced with the emphasis on the 1st ‘a’) is one of the longest-running indie festivals in Spain. This year marks the considerable change in the concept of the fest. Historically, it always took its place in the town of Alburquerque, Extremadura province. But within the 19th edition of festival it was divided onto two legs: 1st to take part in the town of Badajoz (with such the renowned acts as Russian Red, Love Of Lesbian and Fuel Fandango as the headliners), and 2nd in Alburquerque (with La Habitacion Roja, Ninos Mutantes, etc.) As the 1st leg would a) coincide with my birthday, and b) present my favorite band Love Of Lesbian along with my wife Tanya’s favorite band Izal, we have decided to attend it anyway. Later it was announced that Russian Red would left the lineup due to her obligations with the Asian mini-tour and would be replaced by Ivan Ferreiro. It was nice news for me cos Ivan is one of my favorite musicians as well.

To get there we should take a pretty long trip: by plane from Moscow to Madrid, and then by car from Madrid airport Barajas 415 km to Badajoz. In sum it should take about 9 hours of pure travelling from point A to point B, in fact it took over 14 hours of our lives so we entered the old town of Badajoz at 05:00 pm of 6th of June being a bit exhausted. Having no time to rest, we run to the historical site of Alcazaba – an ancient castle on the hill by the river Guadiana (that gave the name to vine region DO Ribera del Guadiana - and this is why there is hashtag "contempopranillo" in the heading of my report) shore, where, inside the castle, the Contempopranea fest should take its place. We received our wrist braces in taquilla and then were approached by a woman who tried to ask us about something we were not in touch really. She spoke bad English, we spoke bad Spanish.
Then we had a small amount of time to walk around and see the surroundings.
Burgim

At 8.00 pm we came to Alcazaba to see the 1st band of Contempopranea 2014 - Burgim. Burgim were not great but they were good enough. They have pack of really good songs, and while their appearance onstage still wasn’t one of their strengths their abilities are quite promising and the potential of their music is visible.
Mikel Izal

The next band that should appear before our eyes were Izal. Izal is by all means one of the greatest Spanish bands in terms of stage presence. We missed them last year on Sonorama (in fact, we missed them there even two times – taking in mind their secret concert on the Carson stage) where their show was much lauded. Now we were prepared and successfully moved our bodies right at the security bars before the stage while the audience was not overwhelmingly numerous at that moment. Mikel Izal is the great showman. Not only because he has really great voice but also because onstage is the place where he lives his life. All his stage behavior speaks on this. The band played all the songs that we wanted them to (“Prueba Y Error”, “La Mujer De Verde”, “Panico Practico”, “Magia Y Efectos Especiales” amongst others) and left the place followed by the thunder-like applause.

Sidonie

Earlier this year Sidonie have put to release their new album “Sierra Y Canada” which marked their stylistic move from psychedelic retro-rock of their previous LP “El Fluido Garcia” to electronica-based future pop. I expected them to be play electronica here but otherwise Marc, Jes y Axel, backed up by the live members Marcel (guitar) and Edu (keyboards), were rocking out like a solid rock band. They used MIDI-sequensors and other ‘digital noise generators’ but only for supporting role, not as the main part of the sound palette. Their live program covered all the second part of the band’s career starting from the breakthrough album “La Costa Azul” though the main focus of attention was, for instance, “Sierra Y Canada”. The songs from the album being played with rock instrumentation sounded much better for my taste than they were on the album. When it was all over I considered the show of Sidonie absolutely astonishing on par (or even a bit better) with Izal’s one. 

Ivan Ferreiro

Then we came back to hotel to put our tired bodies to rest before the late night show of Ivan Ferreiro cos The Horrors and Maximo Park were none of our interest and it was better for us to sleep a couple of hours than to see these bands. 2.45 am we woke up and without any preparations or make-up or any we walked to Alcazaba again to see Ivan Ferreiro. Like Sidonie before him, Ivan was not concentrated fully on his last record “Val Minor - Madrid” and started the show with “Turnedo” from his first solo album “Las Canciones Del Tiempo Y La Distancia”. Then “Abrazame” from “Las Siete Y La Media” followed. So the show was more like the career-spun tour than the new album presentation. To my surprise, no songs from my favorite Ivan’s album “Picnic Extraterrestre” were played, and there was only one song from “Mentiroso Mentiroso” – “NYC” on which I cried like a child. In his three-piece suit Ivan looked like an alternative version of middle-aged Frank Sinatra. Periodically he played the pianola but mostly he walked over the scene with the strange birdish walk and heroic poses. Under the bottom line, for me as a fan it was great. For Tanya who is not a fan of him, it was some kind of The Great White Spot - something that one could never understand.


вторник, 25 марта 2014 г.

Las Resenas Casuales. Sidonie "Sierra Y Canada"

Sidonie "Sierra Y Canada" (p)2014 Sony Music


Let's start to move the Sidonie albums from 'Rock' to 'Electronica' category, cos this catalan trio (known for the "fuck the barbershop" attitude) has abandoned guitars and started playing the synth-driven future pop. Also you may take Parade or even La Casa Azul as the new reference points to the Sidonie's creative heritage. Quite embarassing? Don't bother. Their trademark touches of psychedelia ain't gone anywhere and still are clearly present. But the main reason why should we not to worry about the changes in the band's modus operandi are the songs. The songs here are the best in the band's career. Even their breakthrough 2007's album "Costa Azul" was not so perfectly crafted melodically. 
Though desperately missing the guitars in the mix and still considering "El Fluido Garcia" as their strongest effort to-date, I can't deny the melodic grandeur of the new album. These songs will surely make you sing and dance along and get stuck in your head for (at least) months.

The best tracks: Rompe Tu Voz, Un Dia De Mierda, Sierra Y Canada (Historia de Amor Asincronica), Las Dos Correas