Below you may find the links to the annual compilations of Foehn Records and El Hombre Bala Records. Both labels celebrate their anniversaries this year (15 years and 5 year, respectively), and for the frequent readers of these pages there's no secret these compilations are the delight for your ears.
Being the perfect mixture of high voltage screamo/metalcore and ethereal post rock, the sophomore LP of the Cordoba-born combo wears no signs of so called 'second album syndrome' at all. The sound of "Ulises" is gorgeous, I believe it sounds ten times richer its recording costs. Definitely one of the best releases of the year, it's stronger than "Flores, Carne" in every aspect. So if you like the first Viva Belgrado album - as well as records of This Will Destroy You and Bring Me The Horizon - you will surely embrace this one too.
Moreover, the next February Viva Belgrado will come to Russia to present this album in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Nice news for me.
The best tracks: Pleiades/Pasaportes, Aeropuertos, Cassiopeia/Contraluces
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
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).
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.
The 1st trimester of 2016 is gone, so it's time to prepare the first top list of the year, isn't it?! Exactly! Now, while we're still waiting for the new slabs by Leon Benavente, La Habitacion Roja and Sr. Chinarro, there's enough to embrace apart of them. The new albums of Belako, Triangulo de Amor Bizarro, Full, Miss Caffeina, Grises, Hinds, Love Of Lesbian are already out - and you know what? None of them is in my list!
10. Niño Burbuja "El Futuro No Existe" (p)self released
