пятница, 5 августа 2016 г.

Sonorama 2016. 10 Hidden Treasures Of The Festival

The new edition of Sonorama will start in less than one week. So it's time to get yourself prepared. Almost 5 days, a lot of bands and a couple of additional stages - all this could make quite troublesome to observe all interesting things that would occur, so Spanish redes sociales recently started to produce some guides to help the audience to get through less-known names - the guides like this or this. Or this

If everybody else is doing it, so why can't I? Please find below my version of such guide - the list of 10 bands that might be overlooked but surely deserve your attention.

Thursday, 11th:
Clara Plath (Escenario Carson Camping, 19:00)
Led by the just-married couple of Clara Plath (vocals, guitars) and Roberto Lopez (guitars, synths, backing vocals), this up-and-coming band from Murcia is going to blow the pieces of your brains all over the General Guttierrez Park territory with their 90's grungy indie rock.

Copiloto (Escenario Burgos, 19:50)
Failing to achieve the mainstream success with his albums #2 & #3 (respectively, "Un Segundo Luminoso" and "El Inicio, El Desencanto y El Circulo de Confianza", both on Grabaciones En El Mar) though seemingly standing on the verge of it, the Aragonese singer/songwriter Javier Almazan somehow slowed the things down with his Copiloto project, but his abilities are still strong - which was evidenced by his most recent release "Los Puentes Hundidos" ((c)2015 Grabaciones En El Mar).

Igloo (Escenario Burgos, 22:30)
Standing tall amongst the best Spanish bands that never made it to the top, the Galician quartet Igloo without any doubt deserves to perform on the main stage. Anyway, the convoluted (and not always fair) ways of fame could just make this band one of the best kept secrets in the Spanish rock history.

Friday, 12th:
The Trunks (Plaza Del Trigo, 12:00)
Last year The Trunks were performing on the Red Bull Tour Bus stage before the pretty limited audience. This year they got the chance to attract much more people with their energetic and tuneful alternative rock on the Sonorama's most emblematic showcase.

Papaya (Escenario Charco, 15:45)
With the voice that can't be confused with someone else's, the tight melodies and the gentleman-like appearance, Chilean-born Canary inhabitant Yanara Espinoza appeared as one of the greatest discoveries of year 2015 with the debut effort "No Me Quiero Enamorar" ((p)Jabalina Musica). Definitely, it wouldn't be your smartest decision to omit her live performance.

Detergente Liquido (Escenario Carson Camping, 18:00)
Along with their pals Homeless and MOR right now before our eyes Detergente Liquido are resurfacing the indie scene of Cadiz. As fresh as funny, this band will surely do everything they can to make you fall for them.

Saturday, 13th:
Amatria (Plaza Del Trigo, 12:00)
An year ago (or so) Joni Antequera got his first hit single with "Chinches", the track off his third album (first under the wing of Subterfuge). The funny thing is that "Chinches" is probably the worst song he ever recorded. But the rest of his songs are much better, and his show seems to be the perfect way to start the saturday's program.

Paciente Cero (Escenario Burgos, 19:00)
These guys were so great two years ago, and they only got better since then (this is the case when the less words the better).

Sunday, 14th:
Carmen Boza (Plaza Del Trigo, 12:00)
I can [as proudly as humbly] declare this 'I loved her before she was famous' thing. Carmen Boza is great, and I'm pretty sure that her show will be the unforgettable one.

Viva Suecia (Escenario Carson Camping, 21:00)
The auteurs of the best album of 2016 so far and one of the most promising young bands right now - how much reasons do you need to consider it necessary to attend their performance?

среда, 13 июля 2016 г.

Monte Del Oso "Existen Moscas Que Se Relajan Durante El Vuelo"

Monte Del Oso "Existen Moscas Que Se Relajan Durante El Vuelo" (p)2016 Farmway
With the influences on their sleeves - early Superchunk, Sugar (for the advanced-level listeners I've got some more names: Edsel, Tsunami, Lotion) - Navarra's finest Monte Del Oso released the second album via the Farmway Records imprint. The first album was the pure delight, and the successor follows its way. I don't have much words in fact, as it's the kind of music where my heart really is, and when I listen to this music now I'm recalling alot of things like hanging out with my old music-oriented pals in university campus with tons of booze and completely no chicks, or collecting the compact cassettes with the handwritten credits and lyrics, or sticking the Henry Rollins and Dinosaur Jr. posters to the wall in my rented room (and you can't even imagine what it took to get Dinosaur Jr. poster in the deep suburbs of the 90's Russia)... We all know this emotion called nostalgia, and for me it turns into the bittersweet feeling when my youth is long lost and gone, but right now I've got something that relates Today's Me to these [not always] good old times.
Yet another brilliant album by Monte Del Oso. It's all you've got to know.

The best tracks: Las Personas Son Maravillosas Pero Yo No, Lo Nuestro Es Otra Cosa, Viva El Espiritu Deportivo




Sr. Chinarro "El Progreso"

Sr. Chinarro "El Progreso" (p)2016 El Segell De Primavera
In the middle twenties of his fruitful career Antonio Luque found his new voice in melancholy. On the previous album "Perspectiva Caballera" he changed the direction from the vigorously paced and upbeat stride of the albums "¡Menos Samba!" and "Enhorabuena A Los Cuatro" to more subdued and sad semi-acoustic singer/songwriter rock. The new album should answer the question was it just the one-off excercise or a new trend for the renowned musician. 
Fortunately, the new album is 100% perfect again. "Perspectiva Caballera" was [arguably] the best Sr. Chinarro's album in years, and "El Progreso" is at least on par with the predesessor. Produced by the longtime friend J (Los Planetas) it delivers mostly the same emotions but in the slightly different way. The arrangements here are definitely deeper, broader, lusher and sometimes edgier but melodically it can be considered the logical progression of the "Perspectiva..." ideas (which, in its turn, can be considered the logical progression of such songs as. for example, "Quiromantico" from "El Por Que De Mis Peinados" and "La Cruz Verde" from "El Fuego Amigo"). The quality of the songwriting and the melodic intuition of Antonio is flawless, and we can only pray for this perfection to be prolonged on the subsequent Sr. Chinarro releases.

The best tracks: La Fiebre Del Oro, El Castigo, Fase Lunatica, El Progreso, Efectos Especiales




вторник, 5 июля 2016 г.

Top20 albums of 2016 so far. Half-yearly report

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. 



четверг, 30 июня 2016 г.

Sonorama 2016

Yesterday was the day. Yesterday the management of Sonorama announced the full list of bands (split by days) for the coming August event, simultaneously adding to the roster almost 50 bands last signed to - including such the groundbreaking names as Delorean, for example.
It's gonna be a busy week. Out of total 117 names (yes, I've counted all of them up) I've chosen 20 names to watch by all means or die trying, 25 more names to watch avoiding health threats, and 30+ - to try to watch if there be the possibility.  Aaaaahhh my legs, aaaaahhh my respiratory system.

четверг, 2 июня 2016 г.

Sorry Kate "Haven Hood"

Sorry Kate "Haven Hood" (p)2016 Foehn
A mix of all with everything where nothing is what it seems. The fractured, the shattered, the strangely attractive and absolutely mindblowing release of Madrid-based experimental rock combo. Freak folk, dubstep, glitch, abstract hip hop, dreampop, psychedelic rock, kraut rock, etc. - all amalgamated into one strange brew which causes the hypnotic effect to the listener. An adventurous listening indeed. During the first couple of tracks you have to adjust your mind and auditory nerve fibers to embrace the sound, and then sound embraces you, and you feel like it's the greatest kind of music you've ever heard.

The best tracks: Slave Mistake, Playing Dead VHS, Lo Bueno se Termina




Nocturnos "Hemos Visto Lobos"

Nocturnos "Homes Visto Lobos" (p)2016 INUIT Prod.
If the previous album of Nocturnos ("Pequenas Esperanzas") was more or less straightforward indie pop/rock, then the new effort is sin duda more diversified both rhythmically and sonically. The digitally-generated effects and dance beats have won over the familiar guitar sound on the most of the tracks. While "Fantasia Liberal" (track #2) and "Exclusiva Universal" (tracks #11) sound like they're recorded during the "Pequenas Esperanzas" sessions, eight tracks in between them are decorated in the different sub-genres of modern electronica-based indie pop with the wide range of influences: from such compatriot colleagues as Miss Caffeina, Love Of Lesbian (in their latest incarnation), Nino Burbuja, El Ultimo Vecino to the international charttoppers Balthasar. As on previous Nocturnos' efforts all the songs here are undeniably melodic and beautiful. But something in me starts crying when one more cool guitar-oriented band abandons guitars in favor of synthesizers.

The best tracks: Fantasia Liberal, Lo Sabes Bien, Navaja Y Filo, Exclusiva Universal