Best Of 2018. Top50 Albums. 01 - 10

The truth is the most part of the year I spent under the influence of writer’s block, the most severe in my life. In my normal condition I’ve been always writing something: the songs, the short stories, the reviews. This year I wrote 8 songs, something like 10 reviews, 2 articles and only a couple of sardonic stories – by my average annual measures it’s almost nothing. Moreover, this blog now is my only practice in English. I used to speak English on the everyday basis a few years ago but on my current day job it’s not necessary so I don’t speak it now. Thus I feel like my abilities are diminishing over time and the writer’s block only expands the inconsistency. The writer’s block ain’t the only problem. The other issue is that I have much to tell you about these albums, or, frankly speaking, way too much to tell. Every album presented in this section deserves large in-depth review because every one is the special one. And I’ve got so much feelings that it’s almost impossible for me to cut them down to the proper words. 

I do ‘the best of year’ list for the sixth time, and this is the first time when I should admit that I’m not capable of doing my work in time. So I should leave the final – and the most important – part of the list wordless. Anyway, I may speak less but my passion is still growing on (who needs the blogger that doesn’t speak anything – it’s an open question though).

10-11. SÜMA "Noble Nature" 

(p) Mont Ventoux

SPTF

San Jeronimo "El Sur" 

(p)WeAreWolves

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09. Chicharron "Cancions Clinicas" 

(p)Prenom

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08. Vol Menor "Tota Una Vida Perduda En Un Clic" 

(p)self-released

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07. Kindata "We The Transmitter" 

(p)WeAreWolves

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06.  La Estrella De David "Consagracion" 

(p)Hi Jauh USB?/ Sonido Muchacho

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05. Captains "Pure Pleasure" 

(p)Set Theory

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04. The Lazy Lies "Less Talk More Action" 

(p)U98 Music

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03. Burrito Panza "El Nuevo Frente Frio" 

(p)El Genio Equivocado

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02. Hazte Lapon "Tu Siempre Ganas pts1&2" 

(p)El Genio Equivocado

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01. Detergente Liquido "Con Miedo Al Amor Por Las Personas Sin Tiempo" 

(p)self-released

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Top20 EPs and mini albums

Honorable Mention

41 - 50 >>>

31 - 40 >>>

21 - 30 >>>
12 - 20 >>>

The Lazy Lies "Less Talk More Action"

The Lazy Lies "Less Talk More Action" (p)2018 U98 Music

There are some well-described and publicly approved epicenters of indie pop in the world. The British/Scottish indie pop (C86, twee, etc.), the Japanese indie pop (shibuya-key), the Swedish indie pop (The Radio Dept, Hello Saferide, First Aid Kit)... 

I guess, what could be the best accolade for a band that doesn't belong to any of the aforementioned areas? I would say, it could be something like 'Well, your band would perfectly fit for The Elephant 6 Recording Company'.

So this is precisely what I want to say to Roger Gascon and his pals. You guys would perfectly fit for the company of The Sunshine Fix, The Minders and especially The Apples in Stereo (the latters' "Discovering The World Inside The Moone" is the first reference that came to my mind whilst listening to "Less Talk More Action" - save the lo-fi production of the Athens, Georgia finest masterpiece).
Sure.

The best tracks: Mon Petit Chouchou, Spiral Skies, World In Blue, The One About Being Brave

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Best of 2016. Honorable Mention #2

This could be the good Top20, but it's only 'honorable mention' because music-wise this was hugely successful year.

Previous entries:
Honorable mention #1
Top10 EPs and mini albums

A Por Ella Ray "Turista" (p)self-released
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A Por Ella Ray is the new name for me (as well as for the most of us). They play music that has a lot of influences: Egon Soda, Los Piratas, Vetusta Morla - but the band definitely has its own face.

Brian Hunt "Love/Unlove" (p)self-released
LOVE UNLOVE
Two sides of this rare format (double EP) are divided by the mood. The 1st side ("Love") is sweet and sunny power pop/americana, while the other ("Unlove") is gloomy and painful experimental rock.

Familea Miranda "Radiopharm" (p)BCore Disc
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Wordless psychotic hard-punching psychedelia born in the ovens of Bcore.

Holograma "Gemini" (p)Foehn
BANDCAMP
This album was released by Foehn Records. Listening to the Foehn's releases always adds +2 to your intellectual skills.

Joana Serrat "Cross The Verge" (p)Loose Music
SPOTIFY
The part of Joana's soul definitely lives somewhere in the Nashville suburbs and befriends the likes of Amy Stroup and Katie Herzig.

Julieta 21 "Alerta" (p)self-released
SPOTIFY
Another Sonorama'2016-inspired discovery for me. Good songs, rich sound - but I believe it could perform much better if it was a bit less polished.

Keiko "Within" (p)El Hombre Bala
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Massively diversified double album (2nd half is instrumental) incorporates many genres of guitar music - from blues to abstract experimental guitar noodling. An adventurous listening.

Lazaro "Soles Y Pinguinos" (p)self-released
SPOTIFY
One more cool band to follow. I know nothing about them, and it's definitely my fault cos this album is almost entirely great.

Love Of Lesbian "El Poeta Halley" (p)Warner
SPOTIFY
Now I like this album much more than at first listen, when I liked just a couple of tracks. But I still consider some songs ("Cuando No Me Ves", for example) sent in the wrong direction. That's why LoL are not in Top50.

Marcos Cao "Oceano Caos" (p)Marcos Cao/Sony Music
SPOTIFY

The debut solo release of the former La Sonrisa De Julia frontman. Sweet and beautiful semi-acoustic songs.

Moriran Todos! "Saltar" (p)The Borderline Music
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This album of the melodic danceable indie rock in the vein of The Right Ons is full of potential hits.

Nocturnos "Hemos Visto Lobos" (p)INUIT Produciones
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The 2nd LP by Nocturnos cant't decide what to choose: to be the guitar-driven indie pop record ("Fantasia Liberal") or to be the fashionable indie electro album ("Rey Absolutista"). Despite this dychotomy the songs are great.

Postman "Life Can Change In A Moment" (p)Keroxen
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It's the release #2 by the newly born Keroxen label. Postman (aka Abstract Groove) is one of the most prolific electronic producers of Tenerife. He explores mostly drum&bass/abstract techno/broken beats territories. Reminds me of my techno-infused university years. Funki Porcini, Plastikman, something like that.

Siloe "La Verdad" (p)Mushroom Pillow
SPOTIFY
This is the great album with great songs that stuck in the head for weeks, and there's only one problem: 75% of it sounds like Vetusta Morla. You know, EXACTLY like Vetusta.

Speaker Cabinets "Requiem For Atlas City" (p)Formula Free
SOUNDCLOUD
Loud, fast and furious dance rock from Barcelona. They say it's like the 60's psychedelia mixed with electronica beats, but you can easily recognize the influence of the multiple dance-related English bands from Jesus Jones to Klaxons as well.

Stay "The Mean Solar Times" (p)Rock Indiana/Picture In My Ear
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With the help of Owen Morris and Andy Bell the Catalan psychedelic britpopers have recorded an album that is much better than the most of the contemporary British britpop.

Temas Incomodos "Alicia En Ningun Lugar" (p)RockCD
OFFICIAL SITE
This album of good-to-great songs lacks cohesion, as some tracks sound like if they were done by different bands.

The Lazy Lies "The Lazy Lies" (p)Right Here Right Now
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Read this

The New Raemon & McEnroe "Lluvia Y Truenos" (p)Subterfuge
SPOTIFY
This record of double authorship wears the Ramon Rodriguez and Roberto Luzon identities on its sleeves and is able to add new colours to their well-known pallettes. But 'the slowest Raemon record and the fastest McEnroe record', as told by some reviewer in Spain, at times falls in between. 

We Were Heading North "We Were Heading North" (p)El Hombre Bala
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The intelligent Canarian post rock's tiny healing protuberances will slightly touch the wounds of your soul.

The Lazy Lies "The Lazy Lies"

The Lazy Lies "The Lazy Lies" (p)2016 Right Here Right Now

First of all I should praise Facebook for its positive impact on my life. The huge  part of the best moments in my life that occurred within the last 5 years period are strictly connected to the services Facebook provides to the people. But sometimes it really sucks. For example, the filtration of incoming messages really sucks. The reason why some messages appear in your messenger and some not, being stored in some non-apparent submenu is not clear. In the middle of this year I accidentally discovered some messages dated back prior to year 2015! From that moment on I made a habit of checking the storage of the filtered-off messages at least weekly. And this Thursday I found out that Roger Gascon from the band The Lazy Lies has contacted me in the beginning of this week. The 4 days lag was not so crucial as 1.5 years ‘filtered/found’ lag for the message of Guillermo from Wilhelm (formerly Wilhelm and the Dancing Animals) whom I never replied because felt the momentum lost, so I quickly contacted him back and promised to listen to his band’s eponymous album that was released in January’2016.
Later that evening I came to the band’s bandcamp page and pressed the 'play' button. In seconds it became apparent that The Lazy Lies are harvesting the meadows of the indie pop – more precisely the branch of indie pop that pays homage to the 60’s legacy. Though I’m hardly the massive fan of the 60’s music but I truly like a lot of bands from the 90’s that had been treading the same path - such as mid-era Lilys or The Ladybug Transistor or the multiple bands from the spinART label’s roster. So I just let it flow over and in the middle of the second track ("Who's That Sally?") I started to feel embraced by the sound and by the warm atmosphere of the album. While listening to the very pleasant 'boy/girl' paired vocals of Roger and Montse Bernad this feeling progressed further, and when the last song came to the end I pressed the 'play' button again to listen to the album the second time in a row.

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