Half of March already and we can see Eastern holidays approaching... but before vacations arrives here's a new round of our TOP TEN Jukebox, this time full of new discoveries, from the post-punk-grunge of Molly Beaches' to the indiepop touches of Numb.er proposal or the The Sour Notes' ace cover of an Sleater-Kinney's classic. Nine novelties alongisde one of the most desired comebacks. The majestic return of one of our favourite bands, Hazte Lapón. We invite you to listen it closely, pure gems awaiting! Have fun and remember, all tunes are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)
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Showing posts with label El Genio Equivocado. Show all posts
Showing posts with label El Genio Equivocado. Show all posts
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Saturday, July 16, 2016
The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 110
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Spanish Indie 28: suggesting the best national acts
Another round of terrific national bands for your ears only. A heavy on guitars trio to shake your skeletons a bit. Go get a listen!
Terrier. Hailing from Madrid David Iñurreta (aka Dave Petrone), María Manoli, Enrique Gutiérrez (aka Don Matías) and Lili Laduquesa have been around the capital playing in bands like Fumestones, Ángel y Cristo, Call Me Idiot... finally getting together in 2011 with their first gig and EP, self-titled and self-released in early 2012 (although later re-released by Sonido Muchacho). 'Un cadáver en el mar', their debut album, arrived in November 2013, after a self-released cassette, followed by their collaboration at La Fonoteca compilation 'Nuevos Bríos' that same year and at Discos Walden Single Club's. Now they are back with 'La Plaga', sophomore LP out since this February. Hyper-addictive and vital, blending shiny pop with their garage origins, listening to Terrier tunes is the best medication against depression. Let yourself shine...
Pacífico. Sort of a "supergroup" born in Barcelona in 2014, when Miguel Rojas (former member of Los Claveles) starts penning new tunes and gathers with Pablo Garrido, Antoni Amaya, Guillem Peeters and, a bit later, Oscar Huerta, from bands like Jessica and the Fletchers, Kana Kapila, Papa Topo and Sonny and the Sunsets. The quintet recorded their first demos, releasing s/t debut 7" that same December via Terranova. With Peeters abandoning the group, being replaced by Jordi Irizar, gigs and new songs begin to blossom, as well as their signature with El Genio Equivocado. While Sonia Montoya replaces Pablo Garrido, their first album 'Muévete' sees the light of day this April. An immediate, urgent collection of indiepop tunes, full of nervous and dreamy guitars and bombastic choruses, announcing bright light days ahead and a thousand smiles.
Heather. Technically, they shouldn't be in this section yet, as they only have two tunes officially released. But I've seen them a couple of times live and, aside having a much bigger collection of tunes (new release is about to arrive), they just deserve it. Based in Barcelona and formed by local and seasoned musicians plus the magnetic vocals and stage presence of the Scottish frontwoman Heather Cameron, this five-piece act based in Barcelona became a reality around the Fall of 2014. Demos spread and so did the signature with Famèlic, who released their debut single 'Inside / Run', followed with slots at Apolo, BIS Festival and Primavera Club. Speedy noise-pop and intense shoegaze with a melodic knack, here's one of our most impressive and promising local acts.
Terrier. Hailing from Madrid David Iñurreta (aka Dave Petrone), María Manoli, Enrique Gutiérrez (aka Don Matías) and Lili Laduquesa have been around the capital playing in bands like Fumestones, Ángel y Cristo, Call Me Idiot... finally getting together in 2011 with their first gig and EP, self-titled and self-released in early 2012 (although later re-released by Sonido Muchacho). 'Un cadáver en el mar', their debut album, arrived in November 2013, after a self-released cassette, followed by their collaboration at La Fonoteca compilation 'Nuevos Bríos' that same year and at Discos Walden Single Club's. Now they are back with 'La Plaga', sophomore LP out since this February. Hyper-addictive and vital, blending shiny pop with their garage origins, listening to Terrier tunes is the best medication against depression. Let yourself shine...
Heather. Technically, they shouldn't be in this section yet, as they only have two tunes officially released. But I've seen them a couple of times live and, aside having a much bigger collection of tunes (new release is about to arrive), they just deserve it. Based in Barcelona and formed by local and seasoned musicians plus the magnetic vocals and stage presence of the Scottish frontwoman Heather Cameron, this five-piece act based in Barcelona became a reality around the Fall of 2014. Demos spread and so did the signature with Famèlic, who released their debut single 'Inside / Run', followed with slots at Apolo, BIS Festival and Primavera Club. Speedy noise-pop and intense shoegaze with a melodic knack, here's one of our most impressive and promising local acts. Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Spanish Indie 26: suggesting the best national acts
Told you this section was going to be revitalised. These are two artists and a young band responsible of my favourite national releases of the year so far. Sure you'll enjoy!
Nacho Vegas. I could summarise this brief on the artist/band in just a solemn sentence: one of our most important artists of the last 20 years. But he deserves a longer account for such a strong career. Hailing from Xixón, Asturas, Vegas began playing at Eliminator Jr. a local noise band before founding the much revered post-rock combo Manta Ray, an adventure that lasted from 1994 to 1999, when he opted to began a solo career. Since then, he has released four albums and several singles, EPs and collaborative works alongside well-known musicians like Christina Rosenvinge or Bunbury, as well as lesser popular like the EP with Irene Tremblay (Aroah), or participating in soundtracks, setting music to the poems of Ramón Lluis Bande for the project Diariu, being part of Lucas 15, band that revisits the Asturian folklore. But that wasn't enough for him, so in 2010 he founded Marxophone, his own label/a musicians cooperative for self-releasing projects. Plus he also became part of Fundación Robo, collaborative platform where political activism and popular music join forces (yes, it can happen, luckily). His latest record to date 'Resituación' was released in Spring of 2014, but this January, Vegas came out with its companion, an immense EP entitled 'Canciones populistas'. Shifting gracefully between folk and rock, between humour and dark realism, between autobiography and post-modern references, always social and politically committed. One of our wittiest commentators. Our Phil Ochs. Our Ken Loach picking a guitar. Not just a celebrated songwriter or a big artist. Also a much needed one.
Invisible Harvey. Hiding behind this curious name borrowed from the classic movie starred by James Stewart and his giant bunny lies Barcelonian Dimas Rodríguez Gallego, screenwriter, film director and guitarist in La Banda Municipal del Polo Norte. But he didn't have enough, so a few years ago started a solo music project. One that, appeared from out of the blue on late December 2015 with digital single 'La Puerta Giratoria', and now has a flamboyant debut album, of the same title, thanks to our beloved El Genio Equivocado. Recorded last year, Dimas blends charming indiepop with skilled songwriting, with a heavy presence of lush and unique instrumentation, including his inseparable string duet (Joan Gerard Torredeflot "Joange" and Núria Maynou). Surreal (check his lyrics), romantic and dreamy. A haunting record honoring the tradition of El Niño Gusano. Pop in Wonderland.
VLIVM. Hailing from Tortosa, Tarragona, the band (that you can pronounce as Valium) is the project of two brothers, Nacho and Estebi Romero, who started playing during the summer of 2014 and put a couple of demos at their bandcamp. But at the beginning of 2015 things got more serious, with bros getting into the studio to record their debut album and, once finished, recruit friends Aleix and Blai to become a real band and be able to play gigs and properly defend the songs of 'Sailing Forever', out now via the much needed Discos de Kirlian. Between jangle-pop and dreampop, there are familiar places (the Sarah Records vibe, the lo-fi spirit, the magnetic use of the twelve string guitar) but a genuine, honest essence completely of their own. One to watch closely.
Nacho Vegas. I could summarise this brief on the artist/band in just a solemn sentence: one of our most important artists of the last 20 years. But he deserves a longer account for such a strong career. Hailing from Xixón, Asturas, Vegas began playing at Eliminator Jr. a local noise band before founding the much revered post-rock combo Manta Ray, an adventure that lasted from 1994 to 1999, when he opted to began a solo career. Since then, he has released four albums and several singles, EPs and collaborative works alongside well-known musicians like Christina Rosenvinge or Bunbury, as well as lesser popular like the EP with Irene Tremblay (Aroah), or participating in soundtracks, setting music to the poems of Ramón Lluis Bande for the project Diariu, being part of Lucas 15, band that revisits the Asturian folklore. But that wasn't enough for him, so in 2010 he founded Marxophone, his own label/a musicians cooperative for self-releasing projects. Plus he also became part of Fundación Robo, collaborative platform where political activism and popular music join forces (yes, it can happen, luckily). His latest record to date 'Resituación' was released in Spring of 2014, but this January, Vegas came out with its companion, an immense EP entitled 'Canciones populistas'. Shifting gracefully between folk and rock, between humour and dark realism, between autobiography and post-modern references, always social and politically committed. One of our wittiest commentators. Our Phil Ochs. Our Ken Loach picking a guitar. Not just a celebrated songwriter or a big artist. Also a much needed one.
Invisible Harvey. Hiding behind this curious name borrowed from the classic movie starred by James Stewart and his giant bunny lies Barcelonian Dimas Rodríguez Gallego, screenwriter, film director and guitarist in La Banda Municipal del Polo Norte. But he didn't have enough, so a few years ago started a solo music project. One that, appeared from out of the blue on late December 2015 with digital single 'La Puerta Giratoria', and now has a flamboyant debut album, of the same title, thanks to our beloved El Genio Equivocado. Recorded last year, Dimas blends charming indiepop with skilled songwriting, with a heavy presence of lush and unique instrumentation, including his inseparable string duet (Joan Gerard Torredeflot "Joange" and Núria Maynou). Surreal (check his lyrics), romantic and dreamy. A haunting record honoring the tradition of El Niño Gusano. Pop in Wonderland.
VLIVM. Hailing from Tortosa, Tarragona, the band (that you can pronounce as Valium) is the project of two brothers, Nacho and Estebi Romero, who started playing during the summer of 2014 and put a couple of demos at their bandcamp. But at the beginning of 2015 things got more serious, with bros getting into the studio to record their debut album and, once finished, recruit friends Aleix and Blai to become a real band and be able to play gigs and properly defend the songs of 'Sailing Forever', out now via the much needed Discos de Kirlian. Between jangle-pop and dreampop, there are familiar places (the Sarah Records vibe, the lo-fi spirit, the magnetic use of the twelve string guitar) but a genuine, honest essence completely of their own. One to watch closely. Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Spanish Indie 25: suggesting the best national acts
This section has been hibernating for too long. Not anymore. Many exciting national discoveries are ready to blow your mind. Here are the first three!
Hazte Lapón. Born in Madrid en 2009, the band leaded by Manuel González Molinier and Saray Botella (that expands to a quintet-sextet live) started rolling a year later with first gigs and the recording of self-released debut EP 'Las fatigas del querer'. Single 'Romance en la oficina' and the song 'Bucles' appears in 2011, showing the initial noise sound was evolving into a much poppier sound, with another single, 'El baile de la medusa' and second EP 'Gentil colapso (broma privada)' arriving in 2012 anticipating their first album. 'Bromas privadas en lugares públicos' surfaced in late 2013, out via Discos del rollo, making a cult band of the combo, but the best was yet to come, with the magnificent EP 'El traje del emperador' released by our friends Discos de Kirlian a year later and, finally, with sophomore LP 'No son tu marido' via our beloved label El Genio Equivocado. The best national record of 2015 by far, they deliver pluperfect indiepop (noise, traditional Spanish music, electropop, post-punk, jangle), very diverse and with, arguably, the best lyrics out here in Spain, a mix between intimate confession, sardonic humour and witty social comment. Think Luke Haines meeting Manos de Topo, Raymond Carver partying with The Magnetic Fields, or Talking Heads discovering El Niño Gusano... Thinking on changing your nationality (we all know Trump, Cameron, Rajoy, long etc. embarrasses you to death)? Welcome to Laponia, the land of pop!
Los Bonsáis. Hailing from Asturias (Gijón and Llanes) Helena Toraño and Nel González joined forces, at first a very casual affair, on April of 2010, recording homemade demo 'La Mecedora', in just a matter of months that circulated among friends. A year later they doubled the bet with the demos EP ' Ultramar' and single 'Es Mejor/ Un instante', recorded with our friends Linda Guilala and impressing the wise people at Elefant Records who quickly signed them and released the proper debut EP 'Ultramarinos' in January 2012, collecting four of their best initial tunes and following in at the start of 2013 first LP 'Martin Pescador'. A delightful punk-pop reality, the lovely duo appeared in Family and Los Planetas' tribute records during 2014, warming-up for 2015, on which they came out wit sophomore album 'Nordeste' in February and '¡Fanzine! EP in November, on which they cover The Pastels, Black Tambourine, Television Personalities and The Vaselines. Echoing the aforementioned bands as well as Marine Girls, Talulah Gosh or Shop Assistants, Los Bonsáis are one of our best kept secrets... revealed. Instant, shaky, irresistible love.
Selvática. Manu y Paula (formerly of the band Indómitos) migrated from Galizia to Río de Janeiro, Brasil, in 2012, coming out with the idea of a new music project a couple of years later. They quickly recorded the demos of what was going to be their debut album, channelling the vibes and energy of their new home with their music indierock tastes. They returned to Spain on early 2015 to assemble a proper band (they are a cohesive quintet live) and record LP 'Un Mundo Extraño', out since November through Discos de Kirlian and Mama Vynila. A stunning collection of fuzzy indiepop tunes, with post-punk, garage rock, surf and psych-pop vibes melting with vital tribal rhythms. Welcome to their rocking jungle!
Hazte Lapón. Born in Madrid en 2009, the band leaded by Manuel González Molinier and Saray Botella (that expands to a quintet-sextet live) started rolling a year later with first gigs and the recording of self-released debut EP 'Las fatigas del querer'. Single 'Romance en la oficina' and the song 'Bucles' appears in 2011, showing the initial noise sound was evolving into a much poppier sound, with another single, 'El baile de la medusa' and second EP 'Gentil colapso (broma privada)' arriving in 2012 anticipating their first album. 'Bromas privadas en lugares públicos' surfaced in late 2013, out via Discos del rollo, making a cult band of the combo, but the best was yet to come, with the magnificent EP 'El traje del emperador' released by our friends Discos de Kirlian a year later and, finally, with sophomore LP 'No son tu marido' via our beloved label El Genio Equivocado. The best national record of 2015 by far, they deliver pluperfect indiepop (noise, traditional Spanish music, electropop, post-punk, jangle), very diverse and with, arguably, the best lyrics out here in Spain, a mix between intimate confession, sardonic humour and witty social comment. Think Luke Haines meeting Manos de Topo, Raymond Carver partying with The Magnetic Fields, or Talking Heads discovering El Niño Gusano... Thinking on changing your nationality (we all know Trump, Cameron, Rajoy, long etc. embarrasses you to death)? Welcome to Laponia, the land of pop!
Selvática. Manu y Paula (formerly of the band Indómitos) migrated from Galizia to Río de Janeiro, Brasil, in 2012, coming out with the idea of a new music project a couple of years later. They quickly recorded the demos of what was going to be their debut album, channelling the vibes and energy of their new home with their music indierock tastes. They returned to Spain on early 2015 to assemble a proper band (they are a cohesive quintet live) and record LP 'Un Mundo Extraño', out since November through Discos de Kirlian and Mama Vynila. A stunning collection of fuzzy indiepop tunes, with post-punk, garage rock, surf and psych-pop vibes melting with vital tribal rhythms. Welcome to their rocking jungle!Thursday, January 7, 2016
Agenda of Concerts Winter-Spring 2016
Keeping with the Blog traditions, here it's our Agenda of Concerts for Winter and Spring seasons (check the list of Fall 2013 and Winter 2015) of 2016. Aside of the possible ones, there are some mandatory gigs, with bands that we have been waiting to see for a long time, like Tinderstick or Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, indispensable yearly festivals like the Minifestival de Música Independent de Barcelona and special concerts like Robert Forster or the El Genio Equivocado Fest. Obviously, this isn't a closed agenda, and we hope to add more proposals soon. Have a look and see you there!
Friday, November 27, 2015
These Go to 11: interviewing The Birkins
This week we are extremely happy at the Blog, because we recover the interview series after another hiatus and, to do the comeback in a proper way, we have one of our favourite national bands answering the questionnaire (can't deny we have a soft spot with them). We are referring to The Birkins! One of the funniest and sincerest interviews we have had, something logical considering how charming and good-natured are this folks, as nicer as their music. Thanks for your time and honesty, we laughed a lot! These Go to 11!
The Birkins
Daniel Machín, Sergio Miró, Alby Ramírez and Cristina Santana formed The Birkins in 2008 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. They quickly started to make some noise, as a year later they won the nationwide Heineken Greenspace contest, signing with our beloved label El Genio Equivocado in 2011. Then came their self titled debut album and instantly, we fell in love with their mix of British pop, French chanson, Americana and an intriguing experimental side. Two years later, in February 2013, they released 'Châteaux en Espagne' a new example of classy, diverse and colourful indie pop. Finally, this last September they have launched 'Souvenirs', another gem on a flawless career so far, one where each song shows their care, taste and scope of their idiosincratic way of understanding pop, something you can also see if you have the wisdom of watching them live. Here we go!
1. First record that you bought (be honest)
Alby: The first one I got with my own money (I saved for weeks!) was a vinyl of 'The Final Countdown', by Europe, I was 7. You asked me to be honest! (laughs).
Daniel: I was more or less the same age as Alby when I bought my first tapes (yes, I am that old). I bought 6 tapes by The Beatles looking for ‘Yesterday’ because I didn’t know its name at the time.
Cris: I believe I was eleven years old and my mother gave me some money… and I bought a copy of 'Nevermind' by Nirvana. I was in love with Kurt Cobain.
Sergio: My first recollection of a proofed purchase with my own Money is for a VHS, 'The synchronicity concert' by The Police. My player had a poor quality copy of it at home that had already made me decide that I wanted to play drums.
2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
Alby: The first concert I recall attending to was Miguel Rios (big Spanish act back in the 80s) during his Rock ‘n’ Rios Tour, although I may have attended way more before that time and I just don’t remember them. My parents used to take me to concerts from a very early age. The last ones were U2 in Barcelona and Dave Matthews Band in Madrid, both during the same weekend.
Daniel: The first concert I attended to was Suede. The concert started at midnight but we were there by seven p.m. And the last one was Patti Smith, it was a great concert.
Cris: Dani is lying because I know that his first concert was Emilio Aragón, near his house (laughs). I don’t remember my first concert… maybe a concert by Los Sabandeños at Teatro Pérez Galdos’, here in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The last was one was a week ago: Japoneses Dos here in Las Palmas too.
Sergio: The first one was Luz Casal, and the last one was Asian Dub Foundation at WOMAD Fuerteventura.
3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
Alby: I guess I have quite a few guilty pleasures, such as Abba, The Bee Gees or ELO. Or maybe I shouldn’t feel that guilty about it, should I? (laughs).
Daniel: I’ve always wanted to make a tribute in one of my songs to the opening credits of “Deep throat”
Cris: I really couldn’t tell.
Sergio: Like Alby, I have plenty of time for Abba and the ELO; I´m also willing to defend a couple of songs by Lady Gaga, but only if you force me to.
4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
Alby: I’m really proud -being a record collector- to have our last album 'Souvenirs' on vinyl as a part of my collection. But collector mode on it could be a copy of Queen’s 'A Night at the Opera' dedicated by Brian May or the box set reissue of Peter Gabriel’s 'So' also by the man himself.
Daniel: A 1966 Lp by The Beatles.
Sergio: I grew up as a proud member of the CD generation, so I don´t think that any of the ítems from my Collection has an Amazing value other than the music that it contains. The whole mono recordings by the Beatles are something to hold on tight to, and also the beautiful editions of 'The complete Motown Singles', of which I own seven volumes (now, if I were to find the long out of print Volume six, that would certainly be a valuable item)
5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
Alby: 'Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see'. You just can’t fail with The Beatles, right?
Daniel: 'La cobardía es asunto de los hombres no de los amantes' by Silvio Rodriguez, which means 'Being coward is a matter of men, not lovers'. And another one is 'who wants to live forever, when love must die?', by Queen.
Cris: ‘True love will find you in the end, you'll find out just who was your friend, don’t be sad, I know you will, but don’t give up until, true love finds you in the end’ by Daniel Johnston. Easy and clear.
Sergio: 'Everybody knows that you've been faithful / give or take a night or two / Everybody knows you've been discreet / But there were so many people you just had to meet / Without your clothes / And everybody knows', by Leonard Cohen; in Spanish I could pick this one by Josele Santiago, from Los Enemigos: 'He debido llegar ya, he debido de llegar. Sí, porque al abrir la puerta allí estaba yo viendo la tele con mi mujer, conmigo y con mi mujer'.
6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Alby: I’d love to have the chance to speak to Nels Cline, guitarist of Wilco, because I’m a great fan of his playing and his approach to the instrument. But I’d love to have a nice conversation with Dave Grohl too. I think that guy has one of the most brilliant minds in music nowadays and he has such wide knowledge of music that it has to be awesome to share a coffee or something with him while chatting.
Daniel: I would like to have met Serge Gainsbourg and Lucio Battisti. I think they were very good song writers and I think we are like-minded.
Cris: I’d like to know Serge Gainsbourg, drink some whisky and smoke some Gitanes with him.
Sergio: I can´t think of anyone more huggable and interesting than Leonard Cohen.
7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
Alby: Spinal Tap’s 'Smell The Glove' (laughs) Nah, just kidding. I really loved Blur’s artwork for their last record. So cool! I don’t have a favorite though.
Daniel: 'Between the Buttons' by The Rolling Stones.
Cris: I really like the artworks of Javier Aramburu, especially the ones for Los Planetas: ‘Unidad de desplazamiento’ and ‘Encuentro con entidades’.
Sergio: I wouldn´t be able to pick a single favourite one. The one I´ve appreciated the most this year is 'Why make sense', by Hot Chip, and for some reason, while I was writing this I thought of 'Abbatoir blues/The lyre of Orpheus', by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both)
Alby: If books, the Game of Thrones saga (so much fun in those pages), if movies, Star Wars (the original one, aka Episode IV). I saw that movie on VHS when I was 5 and I’m still shocked!
Daniel: 'One hundred years of solitude', 'Cien años de soledad' by Gabriel García Márquez. It’s a book you should read at least eight times.
Cris: Books and movies!!! It’s very difficult to choose! A book: ‘Ensayo sobre la ceguera’ by José Saramago. A film: ‘Les 400 coups’ by François Truffaut.
9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of
Alby: Probably 'Toute cette lumière', from our second album. To me that’s the best example of co-writing we’ve had in the band so far.
Daniel: 'De profundis Clamavi'. I wrote it in 30 seconds.
Cris: 'Chloè'. A sound impact with three chords.
Sergio: In terms of how they ended up being arranged and recorded, all of the above, plus 'Chloè' and 'Arabian nights'.
11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Alby: I’d love to be touring the world with The Birkins, still making records and hopefully reaching a wider audience with our music.
| Canarias' finest: The Birkins, islanders of pop |
![]() |
| Scarier than Nostradamus's profecies |
Alby: The first one I got with my own money (I saved for weeks!) was a vinyl of 'The Final Countdown', by Europe, I was 7. You asked me to be honest! (laughs).
Cris: I believe I was eleven years old and my mother gave me some money… and I bought a copy of 'Nevermind' by Nirvana. I was in love with Kurt Cobain.
Sergio: My first recollection of a proofed purchase with my own Money is for a VHS, 'The synchronicity concert' by The Police. My player had a poor quality copy of it at home that had already made me decide that I wanted to play drums.
![]() |
| We had to choose the pic, but we'll keep the secret... |
Alby: The first concert I recall attending to was Miguel Rios (big Spanish act back in the 80s) during his Rock ‘n’ Rios Tour, although I may have attended way more before that time and I just don’t remember them. My parents used to take me to concerts from a very early age. The last ones were U2 in Barcelona and Dave Matthews Band in Madrid, both during the same weekend.
Daniel: The first concert I attended to was Suede. The concert started at midnight but we were there by seven p.m. And the last one was Patti Smith, it was a great concert.
Cris: Dani is lying because I know that his first concert was Emilio Aragón, near his house (laughs). I don’t remember my first concert… maybe a concert by Los Sabandeños at Teatro Pérez Galdos’, here in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The last was one was a week ago: Japoneses Dos here in Las Palmas too.
Sergio: The first one was Luz Casal, and the last one was Asian Dub Foundation at WOMAD Fuerteventura.
![]() |
| Ejem, ejem better not to comment! |
Alby: I guess I have quite a few guilty pleasures, such as Abba, The Bee Gees or ELO. Or maybe I shouldn’t feel that guilty about it, should I? (laughs).
Daniel: I’ve always wanted to make a tribute in one of my songs to the opening credits of “Deep throat”
Cris: I really couldn’t tell.
Sergio: Like Alby, I have plenty of time for Abba and the ELO; I´m also willing to defend a couple of songs by Lady Gaga, but only if you force me to.
Alby: I’m really proud -being a record collector- to have our last album 'Souvenirs' on vinyl as a part of my collection. But collector mode on it could be a copy of Queen’s 'A Night at the Opera' dedicated by Brian May or the box set reissue of Peter Gabriel’s 'So' also by the man himself.
Daniel: A 1966 Lp by The Beatles.
Sergio: I grew up as a proud member of the CD generation, so I don´t think that any of the ítems from my Collection has an Amazing value other than the music that it contains. The whole mono recordings by the Beatles are something to hold on tight to, and also the beautiful editions of 'The complete Motown Singles', of which I own seven volumes (now, if I were to find the long out of print Volume six, that would certainly be a valuable item)
5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
Alby: 'Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see'. You just can’t fail with The Beatles, right?
Daniel: 'La cobardía es asunto de los hombres no de los amantes' by Silvio Rodriguez, which means 'Being coward is a matter of men, not lovers'. And another one is 'who wants to live forever, when love must die?', by Queen.
![]() |
| Yes indeed, everybody knows... |
Sergio: 'Everybody knows that you've been faithful / give or take a night or two / Everybody knows you've been discreet / But there were so many people you just had to meet / Without your clothes / And everybody knows', by Leonard Cohen; in Spanish I could pick this one by Josele Santiago, from Los Enemigos: 'He debido llegar ya, he debido de llegar. Sí, porque al abrir la puerta allí estaba yo viendo la tele con mi mujer, conmigo y con mi mujer'.
Alby: I’d love to have the chance to speak to Nels Cline, guitarist of Wilco, because I’m a great fan of his playing and his approach to the instrument. But I’d love to have a nice conversation with Dave Grohl too. I think that guy has one of the most brilliant minds in music nowadays and he has such wide knowledge of music that it has to be awesome to share a coffee or something with him while chatting.
Daniel: I would like to have met Serge Gainsbourg and Lucio Battisti. I think they were very good song writers and I think we are like-minded.
Cris: I’d like to know Serge Gainsbourg, drink some whisky and smoke some Gitanes with him.
Sergio: I can´t think of anyone more huggable and interesting than Leonard Cohen.
![]() |
| Saints the great Aramburu painted |
Alby: Spinal Tap’s 'Smell The Glove' (laughs) Nah, just kidding. I really loved Blur’s artwork for their last record. So cool! I don’t have a favorite though.
Daniel: 'Between the Buttons' by The Rolling Stones.
Cris: I really like the artworks of Javier Aramburu, especially the ones for Los Planetas: ‘Unidad de desplazamiento’ and ‘Encuentro con entidades’.
Sergio: I wouldn´t be able to pick a single favourite one. The one I´ve appreciated the most this year is 'Why make sense', by Hot Chip, and for some reason, while I was writing this I thought of 'Abbatoir blues/The lyre of Orpheus', by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.
![]() |
| May the 'original' force be with you |
Alby: If books, the Game of Thrones saga (so much fun in those pages), if movies, Star Wars (the original one, aka Episode IV). I saw that movie on VHS when I was 5 and I’m still shocked!
Daniel: 'One hundred years of solitude', 'Cien años de soledad' by Gabriel García Márquez. It’s a book you should read at least eight times.
Cris: Books and movies!!! It’s very difficult to choose! A book: ‘Ensayo sobre la ceguera’ by José Saramago. A film: ‘Les 400 coups’ by François Truffaut.
Alby: Probably 'Toute cette lumière', from our second album. To me that’s the best example of co-writing we’ve had in the band so far.
Daniel: 'De profundis Clamavi'. I wrote it in 30 seconds.
Cris: 'Chloè'. A sound impact with three chords.
Sergio: In terms of how they ended up being arranged and recorded, all of the above, plus 'Chloè' and 'Arabian nights'.
10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
Alby: This is not mine, I am copying from Sergio here, but to me it means “asking for favours”.
Daniel: It means creative freedom whichever the style is.
Cris: We do what we want, when we want, where we want… without conditions.
Sergio: There you go, Alby said it for me. To quote the great Kermit the frog, it´s not easy being green, and being indie is not much easier. It´s also good fun, though.
Alby: This is not mine, I am copying from Sergio here, but to me it means “asking for favours”.
Daniel: It means creative freedom whichever the style is.
Cris: We do what we want, when we want, where we want… without conditions.
Sergio: There you go, Alby said it for me. To quote the great Kermit the frog, it´s not easy being green, and being indie is not much easier. It´s also good fun, though.
11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Alby: I’d love to be touring the world with The Birkins, still making records and hopefully reaching a wider audience with our music.
Daniel: if I knew it, I’d become a fortune teller and make millions. But I hope we will get better and better, time will tell.
Cris: Touring with The Birkins!!!!
Zillion thanks The Birkins!
Cris: Touring with The Birkins!!!!
Zillion thanks The Birkins!
Friday, June 19, 2015
The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 59
We keep the music wheel turning. Here's our next TOP TEN playlist with ten exciting more songs. Friends embarking in new adventures, The Birkins and Seapony, great bands returning to form, Ducktails and Mercury Rev (let's have hope) and, as usual, our new, always promising, finds. Remember, this is also available at our Soundcloud blog page, please join us!Direct links to 2015 Jukebox playlists
Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40
Week 46 Week 47 Week 48 Week 49 Week 50
Week 51 Week 52 Week 53 Week 54 Week 55
Week 56 Week 57 Week 58
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Primavera Sound 2015 in brief, day 1
The Good
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| Edu Chirinos, heavy-pop champ. Photo: Bloodbuzzed |
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| Cristina Rosenvinge, lady Dolores. Photo: Bloodbuzzed |
Cinerama: Can't be impartial if we talk about David Gedge: we like him so much. But it was the first time seeing Cinerama, after the show at Apolo at the line-up presentation was ruined because of people too worried about grabbing another free beer and chat, showing no respect for the band playing. Questions arised before the gig: Would the Fòrum be the right place for such a delicate and rich proposal, chamber pop with half a orchestra live? Would people behave (the entrance on Wednesday was free for everyone interested)? Luckily, the answer to both questions was yes, a categorical yes. David crooning, flute and trumpet embellishing instantly attractive tunes... Haunting 45 minutes of great pop. Did we say we love David Gedge?
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| Dress up to pop with Cinerama. Photo: Bloodbuzzed |
Brief of the first "big day" of the PS15, Thursday 28th, coming very soon here!
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Spanish Indie 24: suggesting the best national acts
Not the first time, and with the amazing taste and ear of Rafa and Joan to sign exciting bands I'm pretty sure it won't be the last, this next round of national discoveries is devoted to one of our dearest labels, El Genio Equivocado. Three more mind-blowing bands to add to their immaculate roster. Sonic gold!

Ghost Transmission. Hailing from Xàtiva, Valencia, the band started in 2012, initially as a trio but now as a quartet, self-releasing their own material and playing several concerts. Despite first demos were completely homemade, they got the opportunity to play in festivals and gigs like Make Noise in Barcelona. A year later they repeated the process, but with a more defined sound and clearer ideas, self-recording three more songs under the title of 'Mirror' EP. After some more gigs, during the summer of 2014 they locked into Estudios Tigruss to record their debut album, entitled 'Apparitions', out now via El Genio Equivocado. An LP fated to be among the best national records of the year, thanks to a thunderous combination of melody and shoegaze, The Raveonettes and The Jesus and Mary Chain's spirit channeled in hyper-addictive tunes and a fierce, no-boundaries attitude live. I believe in ghosts from now on.
Cómo Vivir en el Campo. After this very curious name hides a trio formed in Madrid that, after some self-recorded albums, released their first proper LP 'CVEEC' in 2012 on Discos Calabaza, with their music traveling somewhere between the Californian sounds of the 60’s and 90’s noise pop, giving shape to a bright, radiant, dark and ambiguous pop sung in Spanish. After getting enlisted by El Genio Equivocado, last summer they recorded second album 'CVEEC 2', out that September, which opened the doors of festivals like Primavera Club. Understandable considering they have even widened their palette of sounds, everything seems to fit naturally with them: from krautrock to indie pop, from instrumental sounds and Latin touches, experimentation and melody. One hell of a proposal, catchy & exciting as well as adventurous, powerfully performed live. Let's move out from the city!
El Lago Oscuro de la Broca. And we end the proposals in Zamora, with a quintet born in mid-2008. Been around from a little while they built a reputation of "one of the best kept secret of the Spanish scene" and "band to watch" thanks to performances at Sonorama Festival, Microsonidos and gigs around the country until, at the end of 2014, El Genio Equivocado signed them. The label immediately released advance single 'Los Líderes Africanos'. anticipating their flawless debut album, 'Beta', out since this March. A stormy, frighteningly solid, relentless and shocking treaty of shoegaze, noise-rock and post-punk, atmospheric yet at the same time straightforward. A very special, knockout band.

Ghost Transmission. Hailing from Xàtiva, Valencia, the band started in 2012, initially as a trio but now as a quartet, self-releasing their own material and playing several concerts. Despite first demos were completely homemade, they got the opportunity to play in festivals and gigs like Make Noise in Barcelona. A year later they repeated the process, but with a more defined sound and clearer ideas, self-recording three more songs under the title of 'Mirror' EP. After some more gigs, during the summer of 2014 they locked into Estudios Tigruss to record their debut album, entitled 'Apparitions', out now via El Genio Equivocado. An LP fated to be among the best national records of the year, thanks to a thunderous combination of melody and shoegaze, The Raveonettes and The Jesus and Mary Chain's spirit channeled in hyper-addictive tunes and a fierce, no-boundaries attitude live. I believe in ghosts from now on.
Cómo Vivir en el Campo. After this very curious name hides a trio formed in Madrid that, after some self-recorded albums, released their first proper LP 'CVEEC' in 2012 on Discos Calabaza, with their music traveling somewhere between the Californian sounds of the 60’s and 90’s noise pop, giving shape to a bright, radiant, dark and ambiguous pop sung in Spanish. After getting enlisted by El Genio Equivocado, last summer they recorded second album 'CVEEC 2', out that September, which opened the doors of festivals like Primavera Club. Understandable considering they have even widened their palette of sounds, everything seems to fit naturally with them: from krautrock to indie pop, from instrumental sounds and Latin touches, experimentation and melody. One hell of a proposal, catchy & exciting as well as adventurous, powerfully performed live. Let's move out from the city!
El Lago Oscuro de la Broca. And we end the proposals in Zamora, with a quintet born in mid-2008. Been around from a little while they built a reputation of "one of the best kept secret of the Spanish scene" and "band to watch" thanks to performances at Sonorama Festival, Microsonidos and gigs around the country until, at the end of 2014, El Genio Equivocado signed them. The label immediately released advance single 'Los Líderes Africanos'. anticipating their flawless debut album, 'Beta', out since this March. A stormy, frighteningly solid, relentless and shocking treaty of shoegaze, noise-rock and post-punk, atmospheric yet at the same time straightforward. A very special, knockout band.
Friday, May 15, 2015
The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 55
The worst of summer appeared this week: unhealthy air, excruciating heat and tension-bound situations. So what we propose now you is to take a refreshing break with a new round of our TOP TEN playlist, with the tunes we have been enjoying the most lately. Several beloved bands of this blog are included, like the amazing new signature from our dear friends El Genio Equivocado, Ghost Transmission (if you fancy the song, go watch them live, stunning!), or new tunes from our beloved Young Romance and Neleonard. But, as usual, there's no forgetting exciting new discoveries like Froth or Num Bats. Take care, have fun and don't forget to join us at our Soundcloud blog page!Direct links to 2015 Jukebox playlists
Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40
Week 46 Week 47 Week 48 Week 49 Week 50
Week 51 Week 52 Week 53 Week 54
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