Primavera Sound 2018: first impressions

History repeating folks. We have the feeling we could almost copy & paste what we wrote on 2017's Primavera Sound line-up and use it for this year's edition. Just unveiled after what it looks like a filtration/accident, reaching a new low for the Festival in what regards to its announcement. But anyway, that's not what matters at all. Let's focus on the line-up, then.

We know that #PrimaveraUnchained has already being labelled as a terrific one. And don't get us wrong, is pretty impressive and heavy on "big names". But, at least for us, this is kind of another letdown (at first glance, the great thing about PS is what you discover before and at the Festival)
Because the feeling of deja vu is even worse than last year. I mean it's great to have The National, Nick Cave, Father John Misty, even the Monkeys... but that was expected, not surprising at all. And that's where things begin to get slightly dissapointing. The amount of recent 'repeaters' is really considerable, while the first-time band, our discoveries, the 'middle-small' names, usually the key factor that makes PS stand out from the rest, is lacking (we repeat, at first take) looking like we are fated for spending too much time in Mordor this Spring. Where 's Flying Nun and my beloved antipodean bands? No Bats (again)? Fazerdaze? The Courtneys? Where's Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile? Beaches? Also, no Filthy Friends? Eyelids? Weather Station? Alvvays? I could go on forever...

Of course, this is just the Blog's first impression... We are sure we will 'discover' several proposals to add to 'our' Festival routes (Alex Lahey looking good at first listen!). So, honouring the Blog’s tradition, here’s our rough (we don't have the timetables yet) 'paint & colour' version of the line-up with our first impressions on the bands we are willing to see. Too much yellow indeed, right? Sure it will change (suggestions are welcomed)... As always, a lot to listen ahead!!

CONFIRMED ARTISTS FOR PRIMAVERA SOUND 2018

28 May -3 June

(SANDY) ALEX G • A$AP ROCKY • ABRA• ALEKSI PERÄLÄ • ALEX LAHEY • ALICIA CARRERA • ÂME II ÂME • ANNA VON HAUSSWOLFF • ARCA • ARCTIC MONKEYS • ARIEL PINK • ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO • BAD GYAL • BEACH HOUSE • BELLE AND SEBASTIAN • BJÖRK • THE BLACK MADONNA • THE BLAZE • THE BREEDERS • BUFIMAN B2B DJ NORMAL 4 • C. TANGANA • CALL SUPER • CAPULLO DE JÉREZ • CAR SEAT HEADREST • CARPENTER BRUT • CESARE BASILE • CHAMPION • CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG • CHRISTINA ROSENVINGE • CHROMEO • CHVRCHES • CIGARETTES AFTER SEX • CLARO INTELECTO • DJ COCO • CONFIDENCE MAN • THE CRAB APPLES • DAMED SQUAD • DAPHNI • DAVE P. • DEAD CROSS • DEERHUNTER • DEKMANTEL SOUNDSYSTEM • DELOREAN presenta Mikel Laboa • DOBLECAPA • DONATO DOZZY • EL ÚLTIMO VECINO • ESSAIE PAS • EVA GEIST • EZRA FURMAN • F/E/A • FATHER JOHN MISTY • FERMIN MUGURUZA ETA THE SUICIDE OF WESTERN CULTURE • FEVER RAY • FLAT WORMS • FLOATING POINTS Solo Live • FOUR TET • GABRIEL GARZÓN-MONTANO • GANGES • GENIUS OF TIME • GERD JANSON • GRIZZLY BEAR • HAIM • HERE LIES MAN • HINDS • HOLY BOUNCER • HONEY DIJON • HUNEE B2B ANTAL • IBEYI • IDLES • INTANA • THE INTERNET • JAMES HOLDEN & THE ANIMAL SPIRITS • JANE BIRKIN sings Birkin Gainsbourg Symphonic • JAVIERA MENA • JAY SOM • JLIN • JOE GODDARD • JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON • JOHN MAUS • JOHN TALABOT Disco Set • JON HOPKINS • JORJA SMITH • JOSEY REBELLE • KAREN GWYER • KEDR LIVANSKIY • KELELA • KELSEY LU • KERO KERO BONITO • THE KITE STRING TANGLE • KNOX FORTUNE • DJ KOZE • KYLE DIXON & MICHAEL STEIN performing the music of STRANGER THINGS • LA BANDA TRAPERA DEL RÍO • LA BIEN QUERIDA • LEVON VINCENT • LIFT TO EXPERIENCE • LINDSTRØM • LORDE • LYKKE LI • MADLIB • MAJID JORDAN • MALL GRAB • MANO LE TOUGH • MARCEL DETTMAN • MARIA ARNAL I MARCEL BAGÉS • MARINA HERLOP • MARION HARPER • MATTIEL • MAVI PHOENIX • THE MEN • METÁ METÁ • MIGOS • MIKE D Dj set • MOGWAI • MONTERO • MOUNT KIMBIE • MUJERES • NAT SIMONS • THE NATIONAL • NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS • NICK HAKIM • NIGHTCRAWLER • NILS FRAHM • NORTH STATE • NÚRIA GRAHAM • OBLIVIANS • OLYMPIC FLAME • OMNI • ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER • ORPHEU THE WIZARD • OSO LEONE • OUMOU SANGARÉ • PALMBOMEN II • PALMS TRAX • PANDA BEAR • PEGGY GOU • PÉPE • PETER PERRETT • PLAYBACK MARACAS • PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING • PUPUT • DJ PYTHON • RAMZi • REX ORANGE COUNTY • RHYE • ROLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER • RORY PHILLIPS • ROSS FROM FRIENDS • ROSTAM • THE SEA AND CAKE • DJ SEINFELD • SETH TROXLER Disco Set • SEVDALIZA • SHANTI CELESTE • SHELLAC • SLOWDIVE • SOLAR • SPARKS • SPIRITUALIZED with Orchestra and Choir • STARCRAWLER • SUMAC • SUPERORGANISM • SYLVAN ESSO • TEXXCOCO • THUNDERCAT • TIGERCATS • TOLOUSE LOW TRAX • TOM MISCH • TY SEGALL and The Freedom Band • TYLER, THE CREATOR • UMFANG B2B VOLVOX • UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA • VAGABON • VINCE STAPLES • VRIL • VULK • THE WAR ON DRUGS • WARPAINT • WATAIN • WAXAHATCHEE • DJ WEY • WILLIKENS & IVKOVIC • WOLF PARADE • XAVIER CALVET • YELLOW DAYS • YONAKA • ZA! • ZEAL & ARDOR • THE ZEPHYR BONES • 

Green- Definetely seeing them. Absolute must
Orange- If there are no overlaps (in particular with the green ones), I'll be there for sure
Yellow- Curious about it/on "research mode"/nice option if there's no overlap

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 174

Keep the engines roaring! It's been a week of full musical activity at the Blog, and the plan is to continue with this pace, so now it's the turn of our weekly TOP TEN Jukebox. This time, we bring a varied an eclectic playlist, with some exciting findings like Family Video or Red Red Eyes, but also with some 'usual suspects' like the latest tune of Frankie Cosmos, the stunning comeback of "surefires" Burrito Panza or the new song of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Plenty to enjoy, listen and discover! Have fun, have a nice weekend and remember, all songs are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2018 Jukebox playlists

Week 171  Week 172  Week 173

Discoverer 160: new indie findings

The discoverer series are also back (some wonders already listened)... but before beginning with 2018 finds, let's take a moment to look back and recover some late-2017 bands that couldn't be missed. To begin with, come "walk to the dark side" with us for a trio of post-punk sensations!

Flesh World. Hailing from San Francisco, CA, this quartet assembled in the summer of 2012, thanks to the gathering spirits of Scott Moore (Guitar, Synths) and Jess Scott (vocalist, guitarist & also part of the lovely Brilliant Colors!) who began writing tunes together and quickly recruited Andrew Luttrell on bass and Sam Lefebvre on drums. ​The fully formed combo debuted with a self-titled EP in December 2013, out via La Vida Es Un Mus Discos. Two 7” singles, 'A Line In Wet Grass' and 'Just to Tear Me Down' followed in 2014, anticipating their first album ‘The Wild Animals In My Life’ released in 2015 on Iron Lung Records. Finally, past year they signed with Dark Entries Records, releasing sophomore album ‘Into The Shroud’ in early September. A collection of eight blasting tunes, echoing Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Birthday Party, a tone of melodic hooks, razorsharp guitars and killer immediacy sunk between dark aesthetics, droning synths and a bouncy, very dynamic rhythm section, Flesh World is a knockout.

Makthaverskan. Quick jump to beloved Gothemburg, Sweden, to meet this quintet formed in 2008 and quickly pushing the engines with a collection of demos and, a year later, their debut self-titled album, out via Luxury Records. After a couple of singles, 'Makthaverskan II' appeared in March of 2013, with the band repeating the "pattern" until the arrival of 'Makthaverskan III', out last October. Extremely powerful (honouring their curious name), with the intense, dramatic vocals of Maja Milner exploding over your head once and again. Think of Blondie on steroids, or Siouxsie (again) leading and impossibly rushed version of Cocteau Twins. Pop with a punch and an edge, listening to Makthaverskan is quite a nocturnal, sort of cinematic, utterly fascinating experience.

Drahla. And we i n Leeds (and Wakefield), UK, to meet this DIY young trio, active since late 2015. First release, single ‘Fictional Decision’ surfaced in October of 2016, with two more tunes following in the form of the 7" 'Faux Text', out via Too Pure in late April of 2017. And before the year came to an end, the band put out the 'Third Article' EP. Eight tunes so far, but enough to got us completely excited. They are in a very intriguing place, somewhere in between art-rock, noise and post-punk, a version of The Fall . But there´s something raw, even menacing and, at the same time, utterly appealing, in the way the guitars attack and hide, Mike Ainsley´s drums propels, sometimes even spits, the songs tempos, and co-vocalists Rob Riggs and Luciel Brown help building the inner tension of every piece with that coldness in their vocal delivery. Eager to hear more. Band to follow closely, believe me....  

The Indie Anthology 81: essential songs

New year, new attempt to recover the pace of the Blog posts and revitalize some of its dearest sections, like the Indie Anthology. And to do so, here's one of my favourite post-punk tunes from a short-lived but pretty amazing band. Oh, their rapture, one of these nights!!

Song: Brother 
Artist: The Organ 
Year: 2004

Agreed, the post-punk revival was, mostly, a bunch of crap. But there were amazing exceptions to the rule, like Interpol's first albums, Editors' debut and the majestic 'Grab that gun', from Vancouver's quintet The Organ. Still sounding like an album resulting from the marriage of Morrissey (the meaningful one) and Joy Division and The Cure, with hints of Siouxsie, Patti Smith and Kristin Hersh on the arresting voice of Katie Sketch. Sadly, it was just a very short ride, with the band disbanding shortly after, but a striking one. I could choose among half of the record tunes, but I'm sticking with 'Brother', its bouncy immediacy coming out of nowhere, propelled to stratosphere thanks to the simple-yet-mind blowing melody-bearing bass before Jenny's Hammond organ embraces you while guitar lines and concise drumming bring you back to the late 80s now in sepia. I hear bands like beloved Desperate Journalist or even Savages here, and I wonder where The Organ could have achieved. Well, at least their testament was a hell of a record. It was exciting then. It is still exciting now...

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 173

Another long week comes to its end and we couldn't miss the chance to bring you our latest TOP TEN Jukebox... because what a terrific one you're about to listen! A few discoveries, such as CCFX or Willows, but an incredibly charged compilation of exciting new tunes from forthcoming albums of beloved bands like the ones from Salad Boys, Sunflower Bean or The Spook School. A lot of promise for 2018 and an excellent way to start the weekend with the best of mood and energy! And remember, all songs are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2018 Jukebox playlists

Week 171  Week 172

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 172

We're back after the (much needed) holidays break! And we do it with the ‘batteries charged’ and eager to share with you new exciting music with our first TOP TEN Jukebox of 2018. Ace bands courtesy of labels like HHBTM Records and Cloudberry Records, 'old rockers' returning in full form like Superchunk, or our dose of music from the Antipodes. Lot to enjoy in this come back to reality! Have a nice day and remember, all songs are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2018 Jukebox playlists

Week 171