The Best Of 2020. Compilations (and a split album)

I’m still devoted to the ‘solo performer or a band’ standard regarding the selection for the main Top50 list but the truth is, if I wasn’t that stubborn the list would be topped by a compilation. One of these compilations below. 

Conjunto Podenco/ Lullavy "Garabato" (p)Repetidor 

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Various Artists "Radar Keroxen Vol.1" (p)Keroxen 

That said best release of the year. Four bands (Gaf Y La Estrella De La Muerte, Conjunto Podenco, Pumuky, Saletile), two tracks per band. The perfect combination of four different approaches united by the commonly shared vision that only Canarians (and the Gaf bandleader/ Keroxen co-head Mladen Kurajica) can share. Gaf's "Watashi Wa Tako" is the best track I have listened to this year.

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Various Artists "We Are Never Alone. Songs of Vic Chesnutt" (p)No Aloha 

The indie label No Aloha Records has started its activity with this quite unexpected tribute to late American singer-songwriter - and this is that rare tribute where every cover version reflects simultaneously the persons of both author of the song and the musician who reimagines it.

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Various Artists "Yo La Tengo C(L)overs" (p)edita la servidumbre 

The huge 52 track tribute to one of the most critically acclaimed indie bands of the world. No surprise at all that this attempt was taken by the [world's best] record store Ultra-Local Records well-known for its friendship ties with Yo La Tengo. There is a suggestion that this comp says more about Spanish underground than of the Hoboken three-piece.

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Various Artists "De Zaragoza a Tokio: Viajando con Capitán Sunrise" (p)Confesiones Tirado en la Pista de Baile 

A lovely compilation of cover versions that celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Santi Diego-led indie pop vehicle. The bands of Puzzles Y Dragones and Detergente Liquido caliber were gathered by the blog Confesiones Tirado en la Pista de Baile to pay homage to one of the Spanish indie pop scene's most renowned bands.

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The Best Of 2020. Honorable Mention

Every time it gets harder because every time there are more albums in the scope as compared to the previous year. Back in the year 2013 when I did it for the first time, it was the case of ’the 30 best albums out of 55’ as my vision – that one of a neophyte – on the scene was pretty narrow at the time. This time it’s like ‘the 50 best albums out of 450’. In addition to the main Top50 list I’ve marked 68 albums more as the ones that deserved to be mentioned – but to mention them all is impossible to do. Thus, I have to cut off lots of flesh from the bones. Below you may find a list of 20 records in alphabetical order that haven't made it into the Top50 list. Some of them were featured earlier in this blog (Atalaya Roja, Bisquit, Lua Gramer, Sauna Bytes).

Alice's Cream "Medicina Carmica" (p)Flor Y Nata BNDCMP - nice take on the psychedelia-tinged hard rock made by La Alcarria indie scene mainstays.

Atalaya Roja "!Quemad Las Naves!" (p)self-released BNDCMP

Biscuit "Negligencia Programada" (p)La Castanya BNDCMP 

Biznaga "Gran Pantalla" (p)Slovenly BNDCMP - the best album of the ferocious social punk band from Madrid.

Como Vivir En El Campo "Siempre Te He Amado, Nunca He Dejado De Quererte, Toda Mi Vida Es Para Ti" (p)El Genio Equivocado BNDCMP - the least eclectic (as well as the most relaxed) record in CVEEC back catalogue.

Confeti De Odio "Tragedia Espanola" (p)Snap! Clap! Club BNDCMP - pop melodies are crossing garage rock guitars in this short thematically acerbic album made by songwriter Lucas Vidaur and Carolina Durante's drummer Juan Pedrayes.

El Nino Erizo "Y Mi Respuesta Es…" (p)Flor Y Nata BNDCMP - the band may sound old school at times but speaking of melodies - the hooks, catchy choruses, etc. - this album is more than worthy.

Isius "Fox & Castle" (p)Ernie Producciones BNDCMP - the second Isius' album in two years is more fascinating than its predecessor "Songs From Everywhere". It resembles some international indie stars like Nada Surf or even The Flaming Lips in their more straightforward version..

Kuartz "II" (p)self-released BNDCMP - the paisanos and soul brethren of Nina Coyote Eta Chico Tornado make Royal Blood sound like suckers.

Llacuna "Incendis" (p)BCore Disc/ Saltamarges/ La Agonia De Vivir/ etc. BNDCMP - sonically abrasive, rhythmically inventive and emotionally charged post-hardcore album whose sound pallette is broadened with such the rare instrument for the genre as trumpet.

Loss Leader "Songs About" (p)BCore Disc/ Saltamarges/ Waterslide/ etc. BNDCMP - the debut LP of the Madrid-based punk band that shares memebers with Wild Animals and Ulises Lima - which sounds like reference in its own right.

Lua Gramer "Destruir El Pop" (p)Clifford BNDCMP

Mostaza Galvez "Desventura" (p)Subterfuge SPTF - the perfect pop record that could be even better if Guille Mostaza and Frank Galvez added some touches of their live performances' rock feel.

Mourn "Self Worth" (p)Captured Tracks BNDCMP - after two albums that showcased their edgy noisy side the new one successfully demonstrates Mourn's melodic self.

Que Bailen Los Demas "Flip" (p)self-released BNDCMP - the country rock attempt of Detergente Liquido's helmsman Alberto Rodway shows that Alberto never loses his original world view. Just look at the song names: "I'd Like God Existed Just To Make Her Guilty", "The End Of The Man Who Met The Most Boring Woman In The World", "Song In English" (all these songs are in english in fact).

Roger Pistola "Quart Creixent" (p)Bubota Discos BNDCMP - the psychedelic folk-pop that draws inspiration from Beach Boys legacy, for the most part of album escaping comparisons to contemporary pillars of the genre (Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, etc.)

Salvador Toxico "Canciones Del Laboratorio" (p)self-released BNDCMP - the third LP of the former Algora guitarist Javier Castellanos features some of his best songs to date.

Sauna Bytes "Sauna Bytes" (p)self-released BNDCMP

Sensible "Precovid Sessions Vol.1, Vol.2" (p)self-released BNDCMP BNDCMP2 - Jose J. Martin (Gaf Y La Estrella de La Muerte, Estratega Pencherjevsky) has created two albums of laid back bedroom pop heavily influenced by the 80's. The second volume is a bit better for my taste but the first one contains one of the best tracks of the year - "Modo Avion".

Shitbrain "The First Songs" (p)edita la servidumbre BNDCMP - the collection of recordings by an obscure band led by Ed Matto (Glitterhouse, Beauty Fool Records) in array from meditative lo-fi to loud noise rock.

DOM "Emergency"

DOM "Emergency" (p)2020 Discos Delejos

At the first sight "Emergency" is less consumable than last year's "2019" by another Domingo Aleman's avatar Sunday German Flowers. However, it is clear that it inherits as to "2019" as to the past works of now-defunct combo Ruin Man Band (also led by Domingo) "Beyond Panzaburro" and "Paraiso". It may lack Ruin Man Band's dance groove or "2019"'s cohesion but it's still got a lot to offer. Lyrically "Emergency" is dedicated to the contemporary world issues (environmental crisis, the conflict of new human-centered values and capitalistic system, etc). Partnered again with his long-time ally Manuel Estevez, this time Domingo invited his frequent collaborators: the local Canarian mainstays Fajardo and Diego Hdez - along with less frequent ones Arico and Acid Buda - to represent his world view the best way. As all of the mentioned persons are far from 'your usual songwriter' type, the album boundlessly mixes leftfield electronica with trip hop, dub, freak-folk and even abstract hip hop to produce strange music that may seem too complicated at the first listen but causes the effect of dependency with every subsequent time you push the play button.

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Conjunto Podenco, Lullavy "Garabato"

Conjunto Podenco, Lullavy "Garabato" (p)2020 Repetidor

This is not that sort of homogenous split album. United by the imprint (Repetidor) and the recording space (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's La Caterva Grabaciones) sound-wise the bands - Catalan three-piece Lullavy and Gran Canaria-born combo Conjunto Podenco - differ a lot. 

While listening to Lullavy's lone LP "Ruina" (which is completely perfect for my taste) you might apply such tags as 'ethereal' or 'hypnotic' to their 2nd wave emo/post-hardcore odes, but this time the band took different approach to make the stripped-down 'flesh-and-bones' record like if it was produced by Steve Albini. So the result is considerably harsher than "Ruina". When Saul Ibañez sings here you can almost feel his vocal chords are bleeding. The songwriting is still great, "Si No Lo Piensas" is one of the best tracks that saw the light of day this year.

Conjunto Podenco is a tough subject to describe. The band consists of the persons more than well-known within Canarian music community: Fajardo (psych-folk singer-songwriter with successful solo career), Jose A. Lopez (owner of aforementioned La Caterva Grabaciones, recording engineer and producer of multiple local bands) and Angel Clavijo (head of local event agency Conexion Canarias). Based on this info it's hard to predict what their music would sound like before you start to listen to them, right? It's strange, but it doesn't get easier to debrief what you have just listened to afterwards. Like the most of the Canarian bands, Conjunto Podenco act beyond all possible limitations creating the music that seems completely uncategorizable. You may call them post-hardcore but please take in mind that they use post-hardcore angular rhythm base only as a thin layer below all and everything they place on top of it. You're hardly gonna define a cake by the glossy cardboard pad you put it on, ain't you?

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Diego Hdez "Paisajes Confinados"

 Diego Hdez "Paisajes Confinados" (p)2020 Discos Delejos/ Foehn Records

The prolific Canarian musician Diego Hernandez is not your average songwriter as he intentionally escapes any repetition, cyclic structures and linear melodies. His music is not 'songs' in the ordinary sense of the word. It's more like boat trip across the sea when at times it's calm and soothing and at times it's not. It may sound quite disturbing for an unprepared listener but it's not that kind of uncontrolled drift through the waves. It's just an expression of the non-linear mind of its auteur, and you can be sure that this expression is unique.

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Terry Vs. Tory "Heathers"

Terry Vs. Tori "Heathers" (p)2020 El Genio Equivocado

Jangle pop at its best with the references to everyone in wide array from Wedding Present to The Luxembourg Signal all the way through Trembling Blue Stars and earlier era Los Planetas along with touches of twee, C86 and dreampop. This genre experiences some kind of revival in recent years so the Sevilla-based quartet fits perfectly not only for the national music map #rightnow but also for the global trend confirmed by the critical acclaim of such releases as Desperate Journalist's "In Search Of The Miraculous" or Jetstream Pony's self-titled album.

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Pumuky "Castillo Interior" EP

Pumuky "Castillo Interior" (p)2020 Keroxen

It's never easy in the world of Pumuky. While having been stripped down to the core duo of brothers Jair and Noe Ramirez looked like streamlining of the internal communication, the creative process only got more complicated with both brothers having their own families now - in addition to them residing on the different islands. The necessity of finding the balance between making art and household duties significantly slowed the band's activities down. Now the new Pumuky releases are as frequent as your 29th of February birthday parties. 

Anyway, whatever they lose in output they compensate it in quality of songwriting. Recorded and mixed completely in Jair's own apartment the new EP still delivers every emotion Pumuky have always been honored for throughout their career. I still haven't listened to it via my home hi-fi system so as of now I can't check it out is there anything on the record that depicts 'bedroom origin' of it. But I don't feel like I have to. Everything I need to know about "Castillo Interior" has nothing to do with hi-end nuancing. So it might need a cheaper headset only to figure out what this record is. A piece of music as an antithesis to socializing. A soundrack of falling into the rabbit hole of your own mind. A sonic equivalent to hypnagogia. 

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