Monte Del Oso "Esto Tiene Que Doler"

Monte Del Oso "Esto Tiene Que Doler" (p)2015 Farmway/Underhill

A supergroup of sorts, the Navarran outfit Monte Del Oso has just prepared the first longplay "Esto Tiene Que Doler". The band consisting of Ion Minde (guitar, vocals), Luis Gomez (bass) and Edu Ugarte (drums) delivers the 90's indie at its finest - while listening to the album you may recall such the good examples of 20 years old independent guitar-driven music vehicles as Built To Spill or Buffalo Tom along with more familiar names like Sonic Youth (of "Dirty" era), Sugar and Dinosaur Jr. Possibly thanks to these reference points you'd get the idea - a lot of guitars, the catchy tunes, the ever-competent and visceral drumming from the former member of Half Foot Outside and Muy Fellini - as well as the owner of Underhill Records - Edu Ugarte. Being fond of old school American indie rock I admired the album starting from its first sounds. And the only thing that makes me sad about "Esto Tiene Que Doler"... oh no, really there's nothing to be sad about because it's clever, it's intense, it's natural, and - what is probably the most important thing - it sounds honest. 

Additionally, for those like me who weren't happy about the apparent dissolution of Muy Fellini, this album can be the good pain reliever.

The best tracks: Esto Tiene Que Doler, Te Ayudare Con Esto, Amigo Fuego, El Estado de Las Cosas

Disco Las Palmeras! - Asfixia

Disco Las Palmeras! - Asfixia (p)2015 Sonido Muchacho

I have been living with the idea of 'rock español as the Next Big Thing' for seven years or so. I'm predicting it in livejournal or facebook posts, in conversations with the friends, right here in this blog as well. All this time I'm scanning the media surface trying to reveal the signs of my prediction come true. So here's the fact: less then a month ago Disco Las Palmeras! performed in Texas on South by Southwest festival (SXSW) - and I have no idea what does it mean. Was this invitation some kind of regular event for SXSW, or America really starts to turn the face to the Next Big Thing as I predicted? I don't know.
This Galician trio plays loud yet melodic rock music with massive guitars and hard-punching drums (and no bass at all). The new album "Asfixia" is their third. The first two efforts - "Nihil Obstrat" and "Ultra" - were released by the local Galician imprint Matapadre (whom I like alot), for the new work the band moved to Madrid-based label Sonido Muchacho.
It's some kind of offtopic, but the first thing I should point out: "Asfixia" has absolutely great cover.
Returning to music, it seems like this bassless band achived the highest limit in terms of guitar parts' density and intensity on their previous effort, so here they tried to diversify the sound to the results surely worth mentioning. While all the tracks of "Ultra" had pretty similar guitar attacks which made the album as a whole sounding denser, thicker and more 'metallic' - here the sound of guitars differs from track to track skipping from abrasive crust of "Tarde Y Mal" through the low-key bulldozer armageddon ("En El Agujero") along with the digital noise ("Elites") to the sharp-shaped explosive lightnings which could make Billy Corgan proud ("Rafagas En Mi Cerebro") and then back to the sandpaper crust ("La Calma"). The great feature of "Asfixia" is that the band managed to avoid the threat of tearing the album's canvas apart by the excessive usage of different tricks and approaches. This shows the band's ability to perform in the different keys without any negative impact on the cohesion of the whole record. So, definitely not the music for everyone, "Asfixia" is another good example of the solid and inventive alternative rock album made by bright and inventive alternative rock band.

The best tracks: Rafagas En Mi Cerebro, En El Agujero, Callate La Boca, El Final Del Circulo

BUY/LISTEN

El Lado Oscuro De La Broca "Beta"

El Lado Oscuro De La Broca "Beta" (p)2015 El Genio Equivocado

Take the icy cold post punk textures as a base. Then add unstoppable drum intensity of 'fast-to-very fast' range. Mix. Shake. Shake well. Add some slices of the detached 'long distance call' vocals. Then open the reservoir with the mixture and pour it over with the earbleeding abrazive guitar swirl. More. More. When you think that it's enough - pour it even more.

Do you remember Glasvegas, this Scottie band that tried to breath life into the body of guitar-driven indie rock also using that endless (but more polished) guitar swirl but was lost in the repetitiveness? Born in Zamora, 'the town of Romanesque art', the quintet El Lado Oscuro De La Broca (this means something like 'The Dark Side Of The Drill') makes Glasvegas sound like a pop band. The noisy hymns like 'Los Lideres Africanos' or [the occasional homage to the notorious Italian midfielder of the 90's] 'Dino Baggio' rush into your room breaking the doors out and then escape through the window leaving you there high and dry.

The best tracks: Los Lideres Africanos, Verdad Lebrel, Dino Baggio, Tropical

Pumuky "Justicia Poetica"

Pumuky "Justicia Poetica" (c)2015 Jabalina Musica

1) Imagine yourself floating into space, all alone, for years, with nobody to talk to. With all the aims lost. If your flight ever had any destination you effectively forgot about it. All you can listen to through the static are the sudden excerpts of old broken broadcasts and strange signals emitted God knows how many years ago from hell knows where. These sounds are your only fellow travellers. Imagine these sounds are the visions.

2) Imagine yourself standing somewhere out where in the night, staring at the fireworks with your ears shut so you can't hear these explosions that induce the perfect trembling pictures in the sky. The pictures are appearing and falling apart without a sound. Imagine these visions are the sounds.

3) Pumuky got brand new album, the fourth one. It took 4 years since "Plus Ultra" was put out to record its successor. 4 long years, it's enough time to apply some changes - especially for such the ever-evolving entity what Pumuky surely is. You probably know that the only constant member of the band to support the helmsman Jair Ramirez is his brother Noe. The rest of the cast differs from album to album - though now it seems like it's the season of stability in the band's life, as the core duo of brothers Ramirez have found the right balance in the company of Adan Zeus (El Pilar Azul) and Daniel Benavides (Luz Futuro). So "Justicia Poetica" was recorded by the same team as was the EP "Pumuky Y El Eterno Femenino" two years ago. Also it is the same team that I catched live on 2013's Sonorama, and the same team that travelled across Mexico last year's spring.

4) The album's first track "Taniyama-Shimura" is the perfect bridge from "Plus Ultra" with its guitars that grow from pulsating arpeggios to shoegaze-infused crescendo, solid drums and echoed vocals. The album's last track "Crash" could be the perfect bridge from "Plus Ultra" as well. But in between these songs we have something that is almost completely different. Starting from the second track "El Senor de las Bestias" the distinct dreampop sound surrenders to the fragile vibrant kraut rock where nothing is stable and nothing is what it seems and where the only constant thing is the deep, the warm, the haunted, the detached voice of Jair guiding you through the labyrinths of his own. Just try to mix the visions (that actually are the sounds) from the p.1 with the sounds (which are visions in fact) from the p.2 and probably you'll get the idea of what "Justicia Poetica" is.

The best tracks: Taniyama-Shimura, El Senor de las Bestias, Teoria de Cuerdas, Suprahombre, Crash

GET THE ALBUM HERE

The interview with Jair in MUZIKALIA

20 Key Labels of Contemporary Spanish Indie Scene. Part II

This is the second part of my quick guide to the key indie labels of Spain. You can read the first part here: Part I

Grabaciones En El Mar (Zaragoza) El Nino Gusano, Bigott, La Costa Brava

The specialization of this Aragonese label is psychedelic indie pop. In 90's the label became famous in close indie world through producing the albums of the cult surrealist psycho pop band El Nino Gusano. When the band splintered onto Tachenko and Muy Poca Gente the label started to produce the latter keeping the close ties with El Nino Gusano's leader Sergio Algora who spearheaded Muy Poca Gente as well as his next band La Costa Brava. Meanwhile, some other noticeable bands like Carrots, Deneuve, and the current main star of the label's roster Bigott were taken onboard. And please don't forget about Josh Rouse.
One Album To Listen To: El Nino Gusano "Circo Luso"

Jabalina Musica (Madrid) Pumuky, Parade, Apenino

At the first glance you may call Jabalina Musica and its director Tanis Abellan 'the Spanish indie pop runners-up' taking in mind that this Madrid-based label has the visible inclination to indie pop - and we all know what label is the champion of the Spanish indie pop. But at the second glance you will notice that the bands under Jabalina's wing mostly are quirkier, darker, rougher, edgier than the ones from Elefant where some bands are the sweet like honey pure pop. Another strength of Jabalina is the ability to produce the fantastic compilations. And at last but not at least - Pumuky are here.
One Album To Listen To: Pumuky "El Bosque En Llamas"

Limbo Starr (Madrid) Tachenko, Ornamento Y Delito, Is

Limbo Starr is definitely not the cockiest label on the Spain's territory but it easily can be compared to any of the top indie labels in terms of average roster quality (if such index ever existed): Abraham Boba, Cuchillo, Reina Republicana, Tachenko, El Mato A Un Policia Motorizado, Is, Modelo de Respuesta Polar... As perfect as it gets.
One Album To Listen To: Is "Istochnikov"

Marxophone (Madrid) Nacho Vegas, Leon Benavente, Ricardo Vicente

More likely the loose association of like-minded musicians than the standard releasing/copyrighting entity within the music industry, Marxophone (the name is somewhat of the cross between Karl Marx and Parlophone) was launched five years ago by Nacho Vegas, Refree and Fernando Alfaro. The core trio gradually became surrounded by L.A., Mucho, Ricardo Vicente and Leon Benavente (the much-lauded band of Nacho Vegas' companions Abraham Boba and Luis Rodriguez) so the current back catalogue of this young imprint consists of 19 high-quality releases from the Spain's high profile indie musicians.
One Album To Listen To: Leon Benavente "Leon Benavente"

Matapadre (Santiago de Compostela) Unicornibot, Disco Las Palmeras!, Guerrera

The local Galician imprint visibly has no plans on conquering the Earth: only ten albums are released to this moment. But there is no weak link in this chain - all these releases are not just good, they're fucking cool. They're earthshaking ang groundbreaking. Some of them are truly great.
One Album To Listen To: Unicornibot "Mambotron"

Mushroom Pillow (Madrid) La Habitacion Roja, Deluxe, El Columpio Asesino

Arguably the most important indie label of those that were born in the new millenium has built the reputation upon releasing the albums of La Habitacion Roja, The Sunday Drivers and Deluxe. Now Mushroom Pillow is prolonging the magic with El Columpio Asesino, Delorean, Triangulo De Amor Bizarro, We Are Standard. And La Habitacion Roja are still there.
One Album To Listen To: La Habitacion Roja "Fue Electrico"

Origami (Madrid) Havalina, Fuckaine, Rufus T. Firefly

Origami was the home for Grises. Origami was the home for Rufus T. Firefly. Origami remains the home for Havalina. For Wilhelm (with or without the dancing animals). For Fuckaine. For me there are enough reasons to take Miguel Goni-led label up in this list.
One Album To Listen To: Havalina "Las Hojas Secas"

Sello Salvaje (Sevilla) Kenedy, Blusa, Soledad Velez

Another five years old label in my list. The brainchild of Alejandro Masferron and David Facenda does not strive for notoriety but delivers some fine music like the intelligent post rock of Blusa (whose last year's effort "Toca Breakbeat, Perro!" was noticed in the rooms of the King of Spain Felipe VI) or slowly drifting from americana to indie rock Valencians Moonflower whose new album "Round Trip" is a killer from the first note to the last.
One Album To Listen To: Blusa "Toca Breakbeat, Perro!"

Sones (Barcelona) Mourn, Manos De Topo, Templeton

Sones successfully unites such the stylistically detached entites as hip/hop avant garde three-piece Delafe Y Las Flores Azules or noisy experimental duo Za! or young riot grrrl newcomers Mourn. One might call it the absence of genre policy - but in this particular case no one would call it a fault.
One Album To Listen To: Mujeres "Soft Gems"

Subterfuge (Madrid) Sexy Sadie, Mercromina, Anni B Sweet

Just like pink elephant calf of Elephant or the balancing trapeze artist of Ernie, the young hipster devil of Subterfige is the perfect confirmation of 100% quality guaranteed. Having selebrated its 25th anniversary a year ago, the label that formerly came to prominence in the middle of 90's with the release of "The Devil Came To Me", the second album of Dover, now feels fine having the renovated roster that includes Joe La Reina, Viento Smith, Vinila Von Bismark, Havoc and tons of other great bands and musicians.
One Album To Listen To: McEnroe "Tu Nunca Moriras"

P.S. While preparing this two-part document I've noticed that some remarkable labels just fell off the plate. To name a few:
Gramaciones Grabofonicas whose releases include the albums from Los Punsetes and Juventud Juche.
Two more Canary Islands-based imprints - Ruin Records and Kalma Records, both are there to explore the experimental sides of music.
Gran Derby with one of my favourite albums of Y2013 - Buena Esperanza's "Pacifica".
Underhill Records, led by two ex-members of Half Foot Outside Hans Kruger and Edu Ugarte.
Astro Discos who recently released the albums of Ninos Mutantes, Australian Blonde and Estereotypo but whose current status is not fully clear for me (they are alive, but do they release any new music as of now?).
The former music shop turned into the label Discos De Kirlian.
Tiny but lovable Andalusians Clifford Records.
The recently mentioned Records del Mundo.
So this list could last and last and last.

20 Key Labels of Contemporary Spanish Indie Scene. Part I

A month ago I incidentally came across an article named "13 Labels That Define Spain's Indie Music History". It briefly covered some truly emblematic labels but also the list included the labels that, on my opinion, had pretty limited impact on the scene. So I decided to make my own list of the key labels of Spanish indie rock. Here below is the 1st part of this list (in alphabetical order). 

Acuarela (Madrid) Sr. Chinarro, Migala, Refree

One of the seminal indie labels of 90s and 00s is led by 'the man of many talents' Jesus Llorente. Formerly being responsible for producing such the 'high profile' artists as Sr. Chinarro and Migala, now the label releases the string of less-known musicians like Manu Ferron or A Veces Ciclon while Jesus tries to diversify the activities by releasing the books and creating the comic strips.
One album to listen to: Migala "La Increible Aventura"

Aloud Music (Barcelona) Fira Fem, The Last 3 Lines, Nothink

The relatively young Barcelona-based label with the roster that could make the Pitchfork reviewers tremble - the genre specialization of Aloud lies somewhere in the wide range between [adored by hipsters] electro, nugaze and so-called 'post-everything'. Pitchfork would definitely like many of the albums released by the label.
One album to listen to: Fira Fem "Fira Fem"

BCore Disc (Barcelona) The New Raemon, Betunizer, Eric Fuentes

Arguably the most important Spanish indie label of today. Launched 25 years ago as some kind of Spain's own Dischord and initially being concentrated on punk and hardcore/post-hardcore now BCore includes many stylistically different bands (let's just take four most recent albums by the label: Dulce Pajara de Juventud's "Triumph" is alternative rock with 'wall of sound' and soul music elements, Margarita's self-titled effort is pop-punk, The New Raemon's "Oh, Rompehielos" is singer/songwriter and Jupiter Lion's "Brighter" is electro).
Also the label maintains the enormous list of officially licensed albums from many of the key North American independent labels where you can easily be drown into for hours.
One album to listen to: Betunizer "Gran Veta"

Discos Humeantes (Oviedo) Fabuloso Combo Espectro, SraSrSra, Farniente

The quirky punky uncompromised Asturian label's releases include, for instance, lo-fi/no-fi garage duo SraSrSra, tight punk band Futuro Terror, mentally unstable post-punks Fabuloso Combo Especto, perfect IDM project Farniente. Getting into your hands any given album released by Discos Humeantes you'll never know beforehands what you're up to deal with. And this is not a bug, it's a feature.
One album to listen to: Futuro Terror "Futuro Terror"

El Genio Equivocado (Barcelona) Las Ruinas, Grushenka, Algora

The burgeoning Barcelonian imprint tends to be one of the most interesting labels of the current moment. Celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2015 the label spearheaded by Joan Casulleras and Rafa Piera has the perfect and potentially groundbreaking (at least in terms of indie world) roster that includes such names as Algora, Burrito Panza, Grushenka, Cosmen Adelaida, Como Vivir En El Campo, Hans Laguna, Las Ruinas... Should I tell you more? Probably no.
One album to listen to: Las Ruinas "Toni Bravo"

El Hombre Bala (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) Resonance, El Viejo Astra, Brutalizzed Kids

You may know nothing about Canarian indie scene but it's not because of the scene's poor conditions. Mostly it's because of the geographic remoteness and logistical issues caused by it. It's energetically and financially devastating to move your gear to and from the mainland, so only few bands from Canary Islands are able to do so. But if there is anything to prove the quality (and quantity as well) of the local bands that have limited live access to remote listener it's El Hombre Bala - the label, the bar, the eventplace.
One album to listen to: El Pilar Azul "La Constante Sin Nombre"

Elefant (Madrid) La Bien Querida, Cooper, La Casa Azul

To say "Spanish indie pop" is to mean "Elefant Records" and vice versa. Initially building its notoriety upon the 'donostia pop' phenomenon (Aventuras de Kirlian, Le Mans, etc) in the 1st half of 90s now Elefant remains one of the most notable and the most significant indie labels of Spain... not only Spain, in fact, but of all non-English speaking part of world being responsible for tons and tons of classics released all through these years.
One album to listen to: Family "Un Soplo En El Corazon"

Ernie Producciones (Vigo) Ninos Mutantes, Julio De La Rosa, Igloo

As I have already said it once, the balancing man stamp is the best confirmation of the quality. You can't deny the fact that Ernie Producciones/Records is one of the key indie labels as for Galicia as for Spain as a whole. Just look at these names: Ninos Mutantes, Julio de la Rosa, Igloo, Maryland, Nino Y Pistola, Napoleon Solo, Pasajero, Novedades Carminha, Holywater...It couldn't be any better.
One album to listen to: Igloo "La Transicion De Fase"

Flor Y Nata (Catalunya) Colorado, Lo Nunca Dicho, Carlos Siles

Having such the stylistically diversified bands as Colorado, Karenin, TanStuPids or Copo in the roster, another Catalan imprint Flor Y Nata has no inclination to any particular genre. But while the genre-based philosophy definitely is not one of the label's strenghts, the variety of supply truly is.
One album to listen to: Carlos Siles "Doce Maneras De Esperar El Final"

Foehn (Barcelona) I Am Dive, Oso Leone, Poomse

Led by red-haired Barcelonian Marc Campillo, Foehn Records is the label with distinct and well-shaped philosophy. If you're looking for the pure entertainment, please, walk away. There's nothing to entertain you but there's a lot to make you think over, make you feel deep emotions, make you drop with the raindrops upon the leaves in the hazy forests, make you see the world by the multifacet eye of the dragonfly.
One album to listen to: GAF & The Love Supreme Arkestra

The next part is HERE.

Murciano Total "Quereres Y Dejenes"

Murciano Total "Quereres Y Dejenes" (p)2015 El Genio Equivocado

Murciano Total have released a string of digital singles over the last 4 years, and frequently appeared in the social networks here and there so it sounds almost unbelievable that "Quereres Y Dejenes" is the first full lenght of this duo. Jose Lozano who established the considerable career as the frontman for renowned post-'Cool Britannia' veterans Automatics - as well as for the equally cool band Universal Circus - this time teamed up with his female pal Elena Molina now paves his way through the mellow synth pop meadows. Their travel through the relatively unusual (for me Jose's name was always associated mostly with the rock sound) territories sounds as naive as, I dunno, the early Depeche Mode and as old-school as Human League's "Don't You Want Me" (or even the most pop-oriented excerpts from the legacy of techno demiurges Kraftwerk). But I dare to consider Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark the main influence for the pair of Murcians. Like these new wave pioneers Murciano Total aren't afraid of the live instruments (mostly guitars - and honestly speaking, the tracks that do include guitars are my favourite ones here), and like OMD they have the bent for writing the tunes which are tight and sublime in the same time and everchanging like a ball of quicksilver - but unmistakably catchy.
Another fine entrance to the El Genio Equivocado's back catalogue.

The best tracks: El Espejo, Ventas De Ocasion, La Casa Parisina, Eficacias Y Mentiras, El Castillo de Roman

"Quereres Y Dejenes" on El Genio Equivocado BC