Las Resenas Casuales. Neuman "If"

Neuman "If" (p)2014 Subterfuge

The Murcian band speraheaded by Paco Roman came to recognition in the beginning of the current decade, after two respective albums "Plastic Heaven" & "The Family Plot" were issued in 2010 and 2011. It was not a quick rise to fame due to the fact that Paco was writing the songs all the 2000's through without bringing them to the light of day.

"If" is the Neuman's fourth album in last 5 years. In fact, every album of Neuman makes me curious of what kind of music the band really makes. All the songs are in the 'good-to-great' range, the Paco's English is great - but what they really play, eh?  There are too much directions, too much stylistical approaches, too much courses taken. And "If" is not an exclusion. Just take a look what we have here: quasi-neo-psychedelia? Yep - "Battle Starship". Mid-western folksy roots-rock? You're welcome - "A Branch In The Forest Full Of Stars". Old-school Tom Petty-like choruses? Of course - "Oh No". Pro-britannic jangle-pop with retro touches? The opening "Turn It". Quiet acoustic guitar/voice pairing? The album's namesake "If" is for you... And we are far from approaching the terminal station of this train!

Neuman are well-known for their penchant for writing the long slowly evolving songs like "Plastic Heaven" or "Wandoword" from the previous albums - and the new album also has one. It is called "Kids" and it is just in one step from being a gospel. And it is preceded on the album by - what? - a lullaby!

You see the scheme, do you? Almost every - oh no, really 'every' without any 'almost' - song has its own mood and its own breath, and despite the overall quality of writing and production the album doesn't seem to be cohesive. I think it is just too eclectic. As this story repeats for the fourth time, it makes me think of maybe this is the band's aim - to be as eclectic as possible.

But there's something what you can't take away from the band: the great songs of Neuman are really great.

The best tracks: Tell You, Too Pretty, Kids

Neuman on Subterfuge

Las Resenas Casuales. Rufus T. Firefly "Grunge"

Rufus T. Firefly "Grunge" (p)2014 Origami

Rufus T. Firefly has the long ongoing liaisons with Manuel Cabezali, the captain of much more renowned band Havalina, and last year Rufus has found himself in the nest of Origami Records - the same place where Havalina's albums are coming from. So, there's something about the facts. Rufus is really not the one person. It is Madrid-born quintet (formerly quartet). And despite English name of the album it is not in English. And, eventually, there's nothing here about the grunge.

"Grunge" is neither longplay nor EP, it is something in between. Being almost 30 minutes long, it contains 6 songs and 2 interludes. The music is perfectly orchestrated and has a melancholic mood. Even if the songs have the standard timing of 3-5 minutes, they seem to be more lenghty - and it's really good because you have enough time to be embraced by them. Sometimes it's almost post-rock - but to name the album "Post-Rock" instead of "Grunge" would be considered silly.

The standout track is "Tengo Una Pistola". This is the only song on the album which makes kinda 'pop relief' in this un-pop album with its simple and distinct melody along with the fuzzed-out bass lines and electornica sounds in the background.

For the rest of the album, this music is definitely not for clubs, it is for theatres and/or halls.

The best tracks: Tengo Una Pistola, Subir A Por Aire, Error Lento

Las Resenas Casuales. El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado "La Dinastia Scorpio"

El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado "La Dinastia Scorpio" (p)2013 Limbo Starr (in Spain)

With the nonsense name and unorthodox appearance the band from La Plata, Argentina delivers strangely attractive music in the vein of Pixies mixing Black Francies' angular melodic structures with lightbodied psychedelia and noise rock.

'Lazy' or 'relaxed' are the best words that can describe the music of Santiago Motorizado and his allies. The lazy guitar parts, the elastic rhythms, the tight basslines and the relaxed vocals are mixed here to the perfect results. Despite the terms 'noise' and 'psychedelic' used in one phrase may remind you of some bands whose music hardly being rhymed with 'pop', the music here is nevertheless easily accessible and got absolutely nothing to alienate the occasional listener. And a translucent cloud of a hazy druggy flavor sweetly wraps up the landscapes of El Mato's songs which are unbearably catchy. Even the few tracks you may consider sleepy at first - like "Nuevos Discos" or "Noche Negra" - may at last attract you cos in fact they have the stones in their pockets.

"La Dinastia Scorpio" is the fourth effort af the band and it seems like it's dedicated to feelings and issues of the youth (chicks, booze, music, you know). But even if you're in a weak position at Spanish with the Argentinean pronunciation (maybe just like me or even worse) the music here speaks for itself regardless of the lyrical content.

Excellent.

The best tracks: Chica De Oro, Mujeres Bellas Y Fuertes, Noche Negra, El Fuego Que Hemos Construido

Las Resenas Casuales. Niños Mutantes "El Futuro"

Ninos Mutantes "El Futuro" (p)2014 Ernie Producciones

The fresh product from the perfect Ernie Producciones' roster.

In the second half of 2000s one of the 'Granada's Big 3' bands (Los Planetas, Lagartija Nick & Ninos Mutantes) has abandoned loud guitars in favor of a bit calmer stylistical approach and finally appeared to be some kind of Spanish Travis - as it was visible on the last couple of albums. And now here it comes: "El Futuro". With such the name chosen for the album hardly you must expect something that would be just the repetition of the past.

Press 'play' and what you've got? You've got "Robot", and this is the purest Travis' melody which was written not by Travis themselves! Just listen to the words: 'Es el futuro?/ No es para mi', which means: "Is it the future?/ For me it isn't". The things could not be clearer than that. But don't hurry making conclusions. The next song "Sto. Domingo" starts to thread the other path that leads you to the gorgeous "Hermana Mia" which is definitely one of the best songs the band made throughout their lenghty career.

On the song #5 "Todo Va A Cambiar" the tonality of the statements has changed: 'El futuro ha llegado a esta ciudad' (The future has come to this city) - but the next track "Boomerang" somehow sounds like the band isn't that happy. This beautiful midtempo song  brings you some kind of melancholic mood and the following "Huesos" only strenghtens the feeling. Fortunately, the band makes a decision not to drown you into the lake of grief and makes another turn to the light with "El Lo Que Hay".

When the music finally stops "El Futuro" leaves bittersweet aftertaste like the future is here but no one is really happy with the fact. But this is definitely great album with the unlimited smash hit potential.

The best tracks: Hermana Mia, Todo Va A Cambiar, El Lo Que Hay, El Circo

And yes - this is #50 post. A jubilee!

Las Resenas Casuales. Guerrera "Mauna Loa"

Guerrera "Mauna Loa" (p)2014 Matapadre Discografica

Krautrock and "Farfisa" from the Galician supergroup.

This album delivers the audio collages where the vintage ritual psichedelia meets black voodoo happening soundtracks. Hitting Birth, TchKung! - these names came into my mind first of all, and while Guerrera definitely did not aim to distinguish the drug-infused primal angst of the first mentioned as well as the shattered semi-unconcious state of mind of the second (I suppose los componentes de la banda have never heard about TchKung! at all) the music is convoluted and adventurous enough to be pretty uneasy listening even for the ones prepared. 

The album is divided into two parts of 18 and a half minutes long compositions consisting of the deep instrumental layers of endless guitar passages, sound effects, spasmatic octopus drumming and rare reverbed vocals all shaken but not stirred.

It is absolutely impossible to mark out the best tracks in here due to the fact that there are only two tracks and both are amazing.

You may grab the album on the 'name your price' basis FROM HERE (Matapadres's bandcamp page) if you'd want to.

Las Canciones Ocasionales. Garamendi "Colores"

A song by Antonio Garamendi, the singer/songwriter from Bilbao.

Las Resenas Casuales. Blusa "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!"

Blusa "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" (p)2014 Sello Salvaje

In my high school years I always wanted to start a post-rock band. If I did, my band would be 15 years old to this moment. The guys from Blusa really did. And their post-rock band is almost 15 years old now. Despite such the considerable (for any band) age "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" is only the sophomore full lenght release this instrumental quartet from Sevilla has brought to life. Accidentally this is the second post-rock album that came into my hands for the last couple of weeks - this is really large numbers for me taking in mind that I was 'cold turkey' with post-rock for... I don't know... 5 years or so. The first ring has rung for me last autumn when I received my order from B-Core Disc and they added a labelmates compilation named "Sound Of Barcelona" as a present for me, and there were a couple of post-rock bands on the list. Listening to it sitting on a passenger seat in the car that my wife Tanya drove I was thinking something like 'What the fuck! I completely don't get it why I so abruptly quit with post-rock! I have to return to it!' And now the Universe tells me the same.

So, returning to the subject... I'm not so familiar with internal sub-trends of the genre and due to this fact I'm not able to classify Blusa to one category or another like any stratification junkie would do. But the only category I'd want to put this band is 'cool things'. The music of Blusa is winding and rhythmically diversified (did I use 'rhythmically diversified' word sequence almost in every review? I should stop doing so) within a song. Also it is far from boring... 

Let's stop for a second - I just recalled why I quit with post-rock: the answer is because it became so common place that I started to find it boring. Sorry for this escapade. Ok, I'm ready to resume to "¡Toca breakbeat, perro!" 

It also has some sharpness that made me feel like this album would sound best in the empty uninhabited houses with rough walls and total absense of soft or fluffy things - it seems like the three-dimensional system of coordinates constructed by the band's rhythm section will fit the non-residential spaces the best. Within this system the guitars are swirling and flowing back and forth and coiling inward in the pre-orgasmic thrill that never rises up to scullcrushing crescendos that made A Place To Bury Strangers or God Is An Astronaut famous but never falls down to disconnected mumbling as well. Despite the sound isn't that thick and rich it doesn't seem like an issue cos Blusa's music is uplifting and driving enough to satisfy the listener without additional grease and glance, and it also has some positive vibe. Summarizing my impression I should admit that I've listened to the album two times in a row - and it was not because the player was cycled and I just missed the moment when the second cycle has started. No, my player was not cycled. I've finished the album and then started it again because this was my intention.

The best tracks: Facenda, Montebello, Acroflecha, Aruba

To listen and/or buy click HERE (Bandcamp)