Показаны сообщения с ярлыком best of 2019. Показать все сообщения
Показаны сообщения с ярлыком best of 2019. Показать все сообщения

понедельник, 23 декабря 2019 г.

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 01-10


I’m curious what people may think about being included into my annual poll. The people, you know, who are in the list and who have no idea, basically, why. It goes like this: one day Facebook informs them of a post that mentions their album as a national TOP50 entry, and they guess, what does it mean? So, how should we react to this? Is it good or is it kind of freaky? Who’s that guy? Is he credible? Let’s see, who he is. He is from where? Russia? The guy from Russia has an opinion on what’s going on here in Spain – sounds kinda strange, doesn’t it? What’s the matter?
Or it goes like: ‘Okaaaaay, guys. We’re in somebody’s annual poll now, and this is great by default!’ 
I’m just curious, really.
So, here you are. The best albums of the year. The most delicious part of the TOP50. The Big Ten.

Merry Christmas!

10. Atencion Tsunami «Vltra»
(p)Records del Mundo
The sounds of the alternative dance halls of the 22nd century. The danceable rock music with no dance invented for it as of now.

9. Exfan «Exfan»
(p)Gatuela
All of Patricia Escoin's ongoing projects (Los Amantes, Lula and Exfan) deserve nationwide praise, I swear.

8. Furious Monkey House «Love, Scum & Dust»
(p)Esmerarte/ Atresmusica/ Universal Music Spain
Somewhere in the middle of the first track of "Love, Scum & Dust" I was like: 'Holy fuck, how come I have never heard of them before? They’re so cool!'

7. Yo, Estratosferico «Limbo»
(p)self-released
The struggling band that deserves more attention than it's got now. The creators of the last decade's most underrated great song ("?motin?") have got another bunch of great songs to be proud of.

6. Capsula «Bestiarium»
(p)Gaztelupeko Hotsak/ Vicious Circle/ Dynamo Tapes
Their strongest release since "Solar Secrets", as simple as it gets.

5. Sunday German Flowers «2019»
(p)Discos Delejos
Put your headphones on and float away from your daily grind with this beautiful and stylistically undefinable record.

4. Chavalan «Un Aire Visible»
(p)Mascarpone Discos
The great successor of now-defunct Betunizer. From my point of view it's even better than "Gran Veta', the generally recognized apex of Betunizer’s career.

3. Los Punsetes «Aniquilacion»
(p)Mushroom Pillow
Without a doubt the most cohesive album of the renowned band. It seemed to me like something was always missing on their previous releases. They were always quite good with the emphasis on ‘quite’. Now all the parts of the puzzle are on their right places finally.

2. Holywater «Arboreal»
(p)Ernie
Take any cool southern rock-meets-grunge record (Dead Confederate's "Sugar" first came to my mind), replace the electric guitars with the acoustic ones and then clean the sound off to kill that druggy fog - and you'll get the idea of what "Arboreal" sounds like.

1. Yawners «Just Calm Down»
(p)La Castanya
For the most part of the year it was all pretty clear about the number one. Not only the best album but also the best song ("La Escalera").







воскресенье, 22 декабря 2019 г.

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 11-20


20. Aitor Etxebarria «Nihilism Part 1»
(p)El Segell
The music of irresistible beauty.

19. Selvatica «Macumba»
(p)Discos de Kirlian

18. Crononauta «Dibujando Al Azar»
(p)Clifford
The power pop duo whose name is absolutely new to me. The album was produced by Paco Roman so the sound of guitars is quite intricate.

17. Niña Coyote Eta Chico Tornado «Aitzstar»
(p)Pozoi
Ursula Strong & Koldo Soret go a bit more experimental on their fourth longplay.

16. Almacenes Merida «Problemas»
(p)self-released
The loud guitar rock album born in the very south of the state.

15. Retirada! «Son»
(p)El Segell
The second in a row perfect release of the dreamy gazy duo from Catalonia.

14. Las Ruinas «Alucinaje»
(p)El Genio Equivocado
The prolific Catalan trio announced their separation earlier this year, and it's so sad cos their last album is coincidentally their best.

13. Agoraphobia «Unaligned»
(p)DotMusic
Though “Unaligned” mostly repeats the tricks of “Incoming Noise” it doesn’t make it any worse. The formula still works.

12. Exxasens «Revolution»
(p)self-released
The best post rock album I listened to in a couple of years.

11. Leon Impala «El Plan»
(p)self-released
Fortunately "El Plan" has nothing in common with those from down under whose name first come to mind when you see the word 'impala'.






суббота, 21 декабря 2019 г.

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 21-30


30. La Linea Roja «Todo Esta Bien»
(p)Pikotako
The band formerly known as Temas Incomodos - and more recently as simply Incomodos - underwent the second name change and released their strongest effort as La Linea Roja. Indie/alt rock at its best.

29. Apartamentos Acapulco «El Resto Del Mundo»
(p)El Ejercito Rojo/Volcan
For the first time I tried to listen to it via the mobile phone speaker, and it just didn't work. The next time I used on-year headset to regain the better sound quality - and that's when that perfectly detailed shoegaze/space rock album started to shine.

28. Xavier Calvet «Crosswinds»
(p)BCore Disc
The solo project by the Bullitt's mastermind who has already appeared in this list as 1/4 of Jamie 4 President. Xavier is a gifted singer/songwriter with a penchant for writing breezy folk songs with the light inside.

27. Ma Pogo «Pour Ceux Qui Ne Sont Plus La»
(p)El Hombre Bala
The electro rock married with post punk and French chanson tradition to excellent results.

26. Espiritusanto «Exfuturo»
(p)Jabalina Musica
This warm and sunny dreampop has grown out from "Just Like Heaven" and the sweetest moments of, dunno… Ride?

25. Side Chick «Side Chick»
(p)Foehn
The rare bird in the Foehn Records' nest - a rock band. You know, when 'rock' means 'rock'.

24. El Tercer Semestre «»
(p)Kame Hame
I have no idea what the name of this album means but it doesn't matter. All that matters is the fact that eclectic post rock/math rock is gorgeous.

23. Pandorado «Seres»
(p)RockCD
The debut album by the Leonese alt-rock quintet. Produced by Manuel Cabezali.

22. Parade «La Deriva Sentimental»
(p)Jabalina Musica
The warmest effort by the longstanding indietronica project of Antonio Galvan. The beautiful songs to dive into and dream on.

21. Medalla «Medalla»
(p)El Segell
The considerable step forward for the Barcelona-based loud rock combo.

пятница, 20 декабря 2019 г.

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 31-40


40. Chaqueta de Chandal «Gimnasia Menor»
(p)Bankrobber
One foot in Jonathan Fire*eater. Instead of guitars, the heavily distorted synths are the sonic dominant of this music that I'd describe as 'shamanistic'.

39. Honolulu «Honolulu»
(p)Foehn
The album I would like to listen while seating alone on the edge of the abandoned bridge staring at the river that runs slowly underneath my feet.

38. Roig! «Disc Estrella»
(p)Bubota Discos
You can imagine this band to be the third vertex of the triangle where the other two are Da Souza and Jorra I Gomorra.

37. Sen Senra «Sensaciones»
(p)Sonido Muchacho
Post-all cross-everything male cousin of Amaia's "Pero No Pasa Nada". The ideal pop muisc of a world better than ours. 

36. Berlina «Regresiones»
(p)Ciudad Oasis
"Desiertico", the Manuel Cabezali-produced previous album of Berlina was a runner-up in my 2016's Top50 list. 3,5 years ago the band returns with equally strong set of songs.

35. No Fucks «No Fucks»
(p)Discos de Kirlian
Pop/punk indie pop with lo-fi sound, slacker approach and great melodies. Surely a band to follow.

34. Da Loma «El Espejo»
(p)Limbo Starr
I can only repeat the same thing I wrote yesterday on Basurita's "Primer Juramento": 'The band I know absolutely nothing about. I just pressed play to check it out and then all of a sudden found myself captured'

33. Jamie 4 President «Consolation Prize»
(p)BCore Disc
"Nada Surf on speed" kind of music performed by the all-star punk band. Madrid - Sant Feliu de Guixols connection rules!

32. Rombo «Clara Montse Nuria»
(p)Indian Runners
All-female trio delivers the fragile and naive indie pop given the fact that these fragile melodies are often covered with the fuzzed-out lo-fi guitars.

31. Bifannah «Danças Liquidas»
(p)The John Colby Sect
The Galician band successfully tries to step over the frontiers set by their 'maiden trip' release "Maresia".

четверг, 19 декабря 2019 г.

The Best Of 2019. TOP50. 41-50

Let's start with the main list.

50. Les Cruet «Cervols, Astres»
(p)Bankrobber
The new album of the Catalan band treads the same path as its predecessor: the noisy hardcore/punk rock spiced with the sandpaper voice of Laura Crehuet.

49. Break the Senses «Future, Love & Chaos»
(p)Made In Universe
A pack of loud alt-rock songs in the vein of Biffy Clyro (my favorite is "Magical Things").

48. Trial «El Nou Estirabot»
(p)Microscopi
The genre-bending art-punk with [as long as I can see] dadaist approach in lyrics. 

47. El Lado Oscuro De La Broca «Salvaje Oeste»
(p)El Genio Equivocado
Musically the band from Zamora doesn't cheat on itself providing us with a bunch of strong melodies covered with the constant buzz of guitars.

46. Kaskezur «Ihesi Doaz Animalak»
(p)Mukuru
The music of the post punk quartet from Navarra resembles the middle-era Sonic Youth ("Experimental Jet Set, Trash & No Star", in particular).

45. Cruz Perro Maldito self-titled
(p)Discos Delejos
This kind of music usually is not my piece of pie but this particular release from the newborn Canarian indie label convinced me into being a fan.

44. Ultim Cavall «Alaska»
(p)Discos de Kirlian
"Alaska", as the logical progression of the perfect "Records De Kyoto", still obtains this foggy atmosphere and fragile melodies.

43. Basurita «Primer Juramento»
(p)Subterfuge
The band I know absolutely nothing about. I just pressed play to check it out and then all of a sudden found myself captured.

42. Mazoni «Decig Imbecil»
(p)Bankrobber
Mazoni's new album is loud, harsh and edgy - thus, it's the complete opposite to his 2017's "Carn, Os I Tots Inclos".

41. Julieta 21 «Contacto»
(p)El Planeta Sonoro
You may call it 'commercialized indie' but I'm not so highbrow, and I like it. These songs are perfectly composed, perfectly performed and perfectly recorded.