Rock Español A Través De Los Ojos De Un Ruso

среда, 29 марта 2017 г.

Leon Benavente "En La Selva"

Leon Benavente "En La Selva EP" (p)2017 Warner

As per Abraham Boba's recent interview, "En La Selva" pairs "2" the way as "Todos Contra Todos" paired the eponimous Leon Benavente debut. Despite the apparent similarities, there are some differences here. Hardly a mere song from "Todos Contra Todos" could be named high point for the band, or a fan favourite. Taking this into account, TCT seemed like an optional addition, an attempt to tell a bit more about something that was untold (or told insufficiently) on the main album. Here we've got at least two tracks - "Maestros Antiguos" and "Se Mueve" - that stand tall amongst the band's best. Moreover, "Siempre Hacia Adelante" adds the new colours to the Leon Benavente's pallette, as the band has never created something like this before.

вторник, 21 февраля 2017 г.

Viva Belgrado, 04/02/2017, Moscow

I thought it would be some kind of a sausage party, but there were some pretty chicks in there.

I came to Vermel Club not too late to see the first Russian band of this night performing. The band was called -1 (just try to google it). After I did a double pint of beer they started to sound much better than before. The next Russian band Mayak followed the path of -1. The only difference is that I never listened to them ‘before the beer’. For me them both sounded cool and, frankly, I expected less from Russian bands. Before the Viva Belgrado set I’ve managed to find myself some good place to stay at the right side of the stage (if I stayed at the center it could end up in hospital for me as the people moshed and slammed and crowdsurfed there – and I was not prepared physically for such actions).

On the way to wardrobes someone before me noticed that the wi-fi connection in Vermel Club was down, and this was commented sarcastically by a semi-drunken guy standing aside of the queue: “That’s because the Moscow hipsters just need to learn something about the band they’ve come to look at”. Anyway, though the audience was more familiar with the songs of Russian bands, Viva Belgrado were treated as the stars of the night ‘by default’. Songwise and soundwise it was predictable as the songs of Cordoba-based combo were definitely more detailed, more sophisticated, more spacious than those of their local peers. They presented the tracks from "Flores, Carne" and "Ulisses" in equal proportions. Throughout their gig I was all happy headbanging to the familiar sounds.

Right after Viva Belgrado finalized their set I came close to the stage to greet Candido (vocals, guitar) but when I started to talk to him he seemed like he didn’t even get that I spoke his native language. Maybe it’s because there were other persons speaking to him in English, and he never expected to meet Spanish-speaking guy amongst them. Or [more likely] I was just too tongue-tied. Later I met Alvaro (drums) in the hall and talked to him a bit more. He was really nice guy to talk to.

пятница, 17 февраля 2017 г.

Con X The Banjo "Solo III EP"

The americana/indie rock trio from Tudela makes it clear that you really need no banjo in the band to put the 'banjo' in the name. I had a chance to learn more about this band in 2015 when they performed on Sonorama but it took a year and a half more to get acquainted with them. The vocals are sweet, the melodies are distinct, and the arrangements are roughly sandpapered with the 'contemporary Nashville' style on this lovely little disc. Additionally, the band is brave enough to put 6+ minute track on the forefront of the album. With the songs structurally less ("Raros") or more ("Historias Extra-Ordinarias") conventional Con X The Banjo are mixing well-known sounds of old school down-to-earth folk rock with the modern alt-country tricks adding something of their own - and they are absolutely natural at what they do. There's no any overpressured artificiality in their music.

The best tracks: Raros, Siempre, La Imaginacion Es Sabia

***BANDCAMP***

P.S. This is the post #200 in this blog. Hurrah.

воскресенье, 12 февраля 2017 г.

Clara Plath "Yes' I'm Special" (p)2017 Flor Y Nata

I had an intention to take a break from listening to the new music cos the preparation of last year's Top50 (in fact Top105) has made me quite exhausted. But the begining of the year 2017 is filled with events, and it makes taking a break some kind of a crime.

My dearest murcianos Clara Plath have released the new album less than two years ago since "Grand Battement" LP that performed perfectly in my annual 2015 chart. Frankly, "Yes, I'm Special" sounds much more refined than their debut just the way "Celebrity Skin" sounded more refined than "Live Through This". The harsher production of the previous album has its own advantages but standing in the way of progress is rarely a good choice. So now one of the best guitar-driven acts of the Spanish 'classic indie' sub-world have perfected their methods to create the record more diverse melodically and more intricate soundwise. If you did yourself a favor and fell in love with "Grand Battement" (the thing you'd better do), you'll not gonna miss this one for sure.

The best tracks: Inside You, This Lonely Boy, I'm Special

***BANDCAMP***

среда, 18 января 2017 г.

Best of 2016. 5 great albums more

Now it's time to shift the point of attention from the dead and bloated corpse of the year 2016 to something more recent and fresh-smelling - but it's not the way the poor slowpoke-minded me wants to go right now as I don't want to leave the unprocessed residues here. So there are 5 albums more to add to the 'best of year' section. I totally missed these albums when I was in process of Top50 preparation but they shouldn't go along underappreciated.

05. Desperanza "El Tiempo Destruye Todo" (p)self-released

среда, 29 марта 2017 г.

вторник, 21 февраля 2017 г.

пятница, 17 февраля 2017 г.

воскресенье, 12 февраля 2017 г.

среда, 18 января 2017 г.

четверг, 22 декабря 2016 г.

вторник, 20 декабря 2016 г.

среда, 29 марта 2017 г.

вторник, 21 февраля 2017 г.

пятница, 17 февраля 2017 г.

воскресенье, 12 февраля 2017 г.

среда, 18 января 2017 г.

четверг, 22 декабря 2016 г.

вторник, 20 декабря 2016 г.