Primavera Sound 2012 in brief, day 3

Ms Laura Marling.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

With Sharon Van Etten.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

More Primavera Sound Festival, here's Friday's June 1st quick review!

The Good

The "fan" moment: Before leaving the Fòrum, I had the chance of saying hi to Sharon Van Etten, who was very gentle and kind. Great way to end the night. Here's the pic to prove it!

The Auditorium day: In 2011's edition I didn't get into the Auditorium, so I was really looking forward to do it. As recommended by Jeremy Jensen from The Very Most, Nick Garrie was ace (except one song near the end, when the sound, literally, faded for a long while). Following him came Laura Marling, who also gave a solid show, although being a bit cold with the audience. And the best was yet to come...

The Chameleons. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Chameleons: Sure, the looks are not the same (time takes its toll in all of us) but Mark Burgess and Co. played a very solid show. Was nice to hear such epic tunes live.

The Bad

I Break Horses: Awful sound, the gig was totally ruined for me and we decided to leave cause our ears were hurting. Shame because their record is so wonderful.
Overlaps again: On this day I missed Lower Dens, The War On Drugs and and hour of The Cure. Not the worst day, but still.
The Cure: Nothing bad to say about their gig. I was among the ones that didn't watch in its entirety, but I have the feeling, judging from the area where I was sitting, that many many people got tired of such a long performance. Sure devoted fans won't say the same. Just my impression..
Ray-Ban Unplugged: It's a very nice idea, but in such a huge Festival, I doubt you can really enjoy this sort of intimate performances. I couldn't enjoy Beach Beach's show due to the amount of people and heat.

All-stars playing Big Star tunes.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Queen
Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers: One of the most haunting music experiences of my life. I admit I was going because the idea of watching a 3 hours gig from The Cure was too much for me (like them, but not such a devoted fan) and because R.E.M.'s Mike Mills was one of the guest stars playing. But from the very beginning (I arrived while they were at soundcheck/arranging things) I could feel something was going to happen. It was fun, emotional, sincere, passionate. Wilco's Jeff Tweedy enjoying himself singing "Kizza Me", Teenage's Fanclub's Norman Blake teaming with Mills for the joyous "Jesus Christ" and Hot Chip's Alexis Taylor making an irresistible rendition of "Femme Fatale", Sharon Van Etten and Django Haskins doing "Holocaust", and many many more... I was a privileged witness of an unforgettable music session, played by incredible musicians celebrating the songs of Alex Chilton and his superb band. Thank You Primavera Sound for introducing me into Big Star in such a unique way. Thank You Friends.

Saturday's report following very soon!

Primavera Sound 2012: a timetable's drama

The long awaited (and quite troubled) Primavera Sound 2012 timetables are here. Being honest, I expected some tough overlaps, but not to this extent. What a drama. Still pending on a couple of things, like the Primavera als Parcs or the Apolo bands on Wednesday night, but for the first attempt, this is what my PS 2012 looks like:

Wednesday, May 30th, Arc de Triomf
19:00 Jeremy Jay
20:00 The Wedding Present plays Seamonsters
21:20 The Walkmen
22.40 Black Lips
Pending on when will the shows at Apolo start, because I would like to see Chairlift. But very happy The Walkmen has been added to the line-up!

Thursday, May 31st, Parc del Fòrum
17:00 Doble Pletina (Vice stage)
18:20 Baxter Dury (San Miguel stage)
20:40 The Afghan Whigs (San Miguel)
21:50 Mazzy Star (Ray-Ban stage)
23:15 Beirut (Mini stage)
01:45 Franz Ferdinand (San Miguel stage)
First chapter of the "drama". Before The Afghan Whigs I don't have any "mandatory" band but then the headaches begin.Will have time to see the full show of The Afghan and be also on the first row for Mazzy Star? Wilco and Dominant Legs (maybe partially) will be sacrificed for Beirut, and I'm afraid I won't be able to watch Spiritualized because of Franz Ferdinand either...

Friday, June 1st, Parc del Fòrum
16:00 Nick Garrie (Auditori)
17:15 Laura Marling (Auditori)
18:50 The Chameleons (Ray-Ban)
20:30 I Break Horses (All Tomorrow's Parties)
21:45 Big Star's Third (Auditori)
02:00 The Rapture (San Miguel)
After Laura Marling, I won't have time for Jeff Mangum as I will go for The Chameleons, then I will have to decide between I Break Horses and Lower Dens (exactly the same hour). And then, major disaster: Christina Rosenvinge, The War on Drugs and half the show of The Cure will have to be sacrificed for Big Star's Third (can miss seeing R.E.M.'s Mike Mills again). Before The Rapture gig, I guess I will decide between M83 or Codeine.

Saturday, June 2nd, Parc del Fòrum
18.10 Sharon Van Etten (San Miguel)
20:30 Kings of Convenience (San Miguel)
22:00 Real Estate (Pitchfork)
23:15 Chromatics (Pitchfork)
00:45 Yo La Tengo (Mini)
I highly doubt I will be able to make for Jeff Mangum at 19:00 at the Auditorium, which would be the desired options, I guess I'll end watching Veronica Falls (which I was hoping to see at the Primavera al Parc). But the frustration will be nothing compared with the tragedy that follows: Real Estate or Beach House?

Sunday, June 3rd, Arc de Triomf
20:00 Nacho Vegas
21:10 Yann Tiersen
22:30 Richard Hawley
Probably be there before, but the fact I would rather die instead of hearing Joe Crepúsculo again makes me very very careful about it.

As I said, this is just a dramatic draft version. Allow me  to heal the wounds with "We Can't Be Beat", another mesmerizing tune from "Heaven", the forthcoming album of The Walkmen. Goosebumps.

Primavera Sound Festival unveils an amazing line-up

The day arrived, the Primavera Sound had its press conference... and they did it again!! Still hoping for some names (they say around 10% of the line-up still has to be revealed, so there's still time for  The Shins, Wild Flag, Electrelane or "my" indie-pop bands to be announced) but there's has been plenty to rejoice about: I Break Horses, The Chameleons, Sharon Van Etten, Real State and an amazingly long and interesting etc., plus the chance of finally seeing Beirut and Kings of Convenience live. But if that weren't enough, a very special gift for me: Big Star's Third, giving me the chance of seeing my beloved Mike Mills (R.E.M.) again. Thank you PS12!


PS: Then FIB Festival confirms David Guetta, and I can't stop laughing...

CONFIRMED ARTISTS FOR SAN MIGUEL PRIMAVERA SOUND 2012

30th May – 3rd June, Barcelona

A.A. BONDY - A$AP ROCKY - AEROPLANE - THE AFGHAN WHIGS - AFROCUBISM - ANÍMIC - ARAABMUZIK - ARCHERS OF LOAF - ATLAS SOUND - ATLETA - BAXTER DURY - BEACH BEACH - BEACH HOUSE - BEIRUT - BENGA (LIVE) - BIG STAR'S THIRD - BIGOTT - BJÖRK - BLACK LIPS - BLEACHED - BOMBINO - BUFFY SAINTE-MARIE - THE CHAMELEONS - CHAVEZ - CHRISTINA ROSENVINGE - CODEINE - THE CURE - DANNY BROWN - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE - DEATH GRIPS - DEATH IN VEGAS - DEMDIKE STARE - DIRTY BEACHES - DIRTY THREE - DOBLE PLETINA - DOMINANT LEGS - THE DRUMS - EROL ALKAN - FASENUOVA - FATHER JOHN MISTY - THE FIELD - FIELD MUSIC - FOREST SWORDS - FRANZ FERDINAND - FRIENDS - GIRLS - GIRLS NAMES - GODFLESH - GRIMES - GRUPO DE EXPERTOS SOLYNIEVE - HANNI EL KHATIB - HARVEY MILK - HYPE WILLIAMS - I BREAK HORSES - ICEAGE - JAMES FERRARO - JAPANDROIDS - JEFF MANGUM (NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL) - JEREMY JAY - JOE CREPÚSCULO - JOHN TALABOT LIVE - JOSH T. PEARSON - JUSTICE LIVE - KINGS OF CONVENIENCE - KLEENEX GIRL WONDER - LA ESTRELLA DE DAVID - LAURA MARLING - LEE RANALDO - LISABÖ - LITURGY - LOWER DENS - MAIN - MATÍAS AGUAYO - MAYHEM - MAZZY STAR - MELVINS - MICHAEL GIRA - MILAGRES - MILK MUSIC - MUDHONEY - MUJERES - NACHO VEGAS - NAPALM DEATH - NEON INDIAN - NICK GARRIE PLAYS THE NIGHTMARE OF J.B. STANISLAS - NUMBERS SHOWCASE: JACKMASTER, ONEMAN, DEADBOY, SPENCER, REDINHO - OBITS - OFF! - THE OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL - ORTHODOX - OTHER LIVES - PEGASVS - PETER WOLF CRIER - PICORE - PIONAL LIVE - THE POP GROUP - THE RAPTURE - REAL ESTATE - REBOLLEDO - REFREE - REFUSED - RICHARD HAWLEY - THE RIGHT ONS - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - RUSTIE - SANDRO PERRI - SBTRKT - SCUBA - SENIOR I EL COR BRUTAL - SHARON VAN ETTEN - SHELLAC - SISKIYOU - SLEEP - SLEEPY SUN - SPIRITUALIZED - SR. CHINARRO - ST. ETIENNE - TALL FIRS - THEE OH SEES - TRASH TALK - UNICORNIBOT - VERONICA FALLS - THE WAR ON DRUGS - WASHED OUT - WAVVES - THE WEDDING PRESENT PLAYS SEAMONSTERS - WHITE DENIM - WILCO - WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - THE XX - YANN TIERSEN - YO LA TENGO

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"

Best Songs of the Year 2011: 100-76

Inevitably, with the arrival of every December, the best-of-the-year lists start to spread. So, after making a compilation of our favourites tunes so far in middle June, here's the first Bloodbuzzed Best Songs of the Year for 2011, a total of 100 songs without any other criteria that the tunes being released during this year. 

Today I post the first of the fourth series in which I have divided the song-list, comprising from number 100 to 76, so the playlists of each one of the sections have 25 songs. For the songs that weren't available on grooveshark I included alternative direct links below its title. Expect second part of the list on Monday.
Have your say and enjoy the music! 

100. La Casa Cuartel- Disco Las Palmeras!
99. Your Love- Youngteam
98. Sad Girls- Big Troubles
97. Dreaming- Seapony
96. I Just Cleaned the Floor- Turn Off Your Television
95. I Dream of Chicago- Parlours
94. Better Days- Fonda
93. Winter Beats- I Break Horses
92. King and Lionheart- Of Monsters and Men
91. Swollen Hearts, Bitter Tongues- Young Romance
90. Safe for All Seasons- Favourite Sons
89. Spirit of Adventure- Be Like Pablo

88. Coffee & Wine- The Bright
87. Saturn Return- She Keeps Bees
86. Luv Goon- Puro Instinct
85. Still Life- The Horrors
84. She Fell Into My Arms- Wake the President

83. White Elephant- Ladytron
82. Record Shop- Help Stamp Out Loneliness
81. Dancing With a Hole in Your Heart- Art Museums
80. Lotus Flower- Radiohead
79. Pumped Up Kids- Foster the People
78. Come Closer- Miles Kane
77. Dirty Lakes- Let's Buy Happiness

76. We All Go Back to Where We Belong- R.E.M.

Discoverer 20: new indie findings

As I told you on Friday, I had wonderful music discoveries this week. Let's unveil some!

I Break Horses. Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck come from gorgeous Stockholm, and their debut album, "Hearts", out now, is making some well deserved noise at the blogosphere. Because the duo has created something, that despite aligning with the sonic landscapes of My Bloody Valentine or Slowdive, sounds strangely unique, alive, delicate. Dream-pop/shoegaze meticulously crafted (36 months of work), where Lindén subtle vocals are the needed counterpart to icy cold sounds, with a slight electronic tinge. A work of special sensitivity. An experience for the listener. A revelation.
I Break Horses- Hearts

Pocketbooks. Better late than never. This band from London has been on my radar since 2009, when their debut album "Flight Paths" saw the light, but I never had the occasion of listening them (too much music), until this week, where I got completely abducted by "Promises, Promises" the advanced single from their second LP, "Carousel", released in September. Checked everything available online, so now I can say the band has the amazing talent of offering you bright, engaging or/and delicate indie-pop gems with unforgettable melodies and boy/girl harmonies. Eagerly awaiting the "Carousel"!
Promises, Promises by pocketbooks
Footsteps by pocketbooks
Fleeting Moments by pocketbooks

Very Truly Yours. And another late indie-pop discovery, this time thanks to the beloved Eardrums Music blog, that posted their first video, the lovely "Girls Tell You Secrets" a few days ago. Shocked by the tune, I virtually ran to search more about the band, that hails from Chicago, and has been active since 2008. Their discography, a couple of EP and one album from 2010, "Things You Used to Say", is a charming collection of the sweetest twee-pop, reminiscent of bands like Camera Obscura, Heavenly or Belle and Sebastian. Addictive.