Best Records and EPs of the year 2016... so far

Half of the year 2016 is about to say bye. So, it's time to honour one of the Blog's favourite traditions: gather the 25 best records and EPs of the year so far (until half June). As we did in previous years, the albums and EPs are listed in alphabetical order (because the complete, final list ranking them arrives when the year ends). Hoping you enjoy these great albums/EPs* as much as we do! Stay tuned, our favourite songs of this six months of music coming next!

Algo nos va a pasar- Espíritusanto
Breaker EP- Phosphene
Canciones Populistas EP- Nacho Vegas
Crystal Cafe- Witching Waves
Cut and Paste- Oscar
Everybody’s Dying to Meet You- Flowers
Fading Lines- Amber Arcades
Fall Forever- Fear of Men
La Puerta Giratoria- Invisible Harvey
LNZNDRF- LNZNDRF
Lost Time- Tacocat
Luck or Magic- Britta Phillips
Minor Victories- Minor Victories
Next Thing- Frankie Cosmos
Postal- Chicharrón
Psiconáutica- Linda Guilala
Psychopomp- Japanese Breakfast
Red Returns EP- Desario
Resort- Tuff Love
Séance for Something EP- Pale Lights
Some Other Places- California Snow Story
Split Milk- Pete Astor
Up to Anything- The Goon Sax
WALL EP- WALL
We. the Pigs EP- We. the Pigs

Click on the years to check our 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 selections!

* Note I: Currently listening Mitski's "Puberty 2" and Margaret Glaspy's "Emotions and Maths" which seem fated to be on the list.

** Note II: Technically speaking, 'Canciones Populares' by Nacho Vegas came out digitally on December 2015. But as the physical release arrived this past January, when I heard it for the first time, it has been included (love it too much not do it).

Primavera sound 2016 in brief, day 4

Ready for the third round? Here's the last of our Primavera Sound's quick chronicles, devoted to cover Saturday 4th, another day full of music attractions and must-sees. Come on!

The Good

Primavera a la Ciutat (part III): Yep, again the day began quite early at CCCB, but there were plenty of reasons to do so. The first one, Invisible Harvey with a short but charming full band gig. 'La Puerta Giratoria' is a blissfully beautiful debut album that deserves to be celebrated. And the second one was fated to be even more special. The great Mr. Robert Forster backed with full band too, including Karem Bauler at violin and backing vocals (sorry to insist, but the violin, the violin!)... Finally, being able to hear Go-Betweens' tunes in full...Oh, that was simply a moment to treasure deep in the heart.

Robert Forster, head full of pop. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Richard Hawley: After leaving Brian Wilson's gig (see reasons below) we went straight to Ray-Ban stage to watch Richard Hawley. What a great choice turned to be! Killer presence, masterful guitars, solid vocals and impressive tunes like the slow storm of 'Standing at the Sky's Edge', the beauty of 'Tonight the streets are ours', 'Heart of Oak' or 'Don't Stare at the Sun'. True artist.

Richard Hawley, blue is the colour. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Bad
A.R.Kane: As much as I enjoyed their show at Adidas stage on Friday, on Saturday at CCCB their volume was just insufferable.

Brian Wilson: Of course this has NOTHING TO DO with the musician, but with the organization and, mostly, with the audience. But if the living legend and his band doesn't want/can't deliver a show for such a big venue as the Heineken stage why having him there? Without enough volume for the masses gathered, and 'Pet Sounds' being a not so catchy (in terms of immediacy) record, aside from the most well-known tunes, people just wander around talking, etc, paying no attention for the show. So unconsidered & sad we decided to go for another option.

PJ Harvey: Again, this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO with Polly Jean Harvey either. She is, to keep it short, one of the most incredible artists I have ever seen live. And the show she put at Heineken, with the help of an incredible cast, was mesmerizing (that death march at the intro of 'Chain of Keys', the scary, otherworldly 'When Under Ether', the way she transformed 'Down by the Water/To Bring You My Love' into a funereal dance). Songs, attitude, performance, art, politics, all in an experience that goes beyond music. But at times, it was also one of the most annoying situations I've ever faced at a concert. I believe we weren't that far away, but the people was unbearable, zero respect for the music and/or the person right next to you trying to listen/watch (I'll be polite and leave it here...). I'm pretty sure that if festivals didn't have alcohol the amount of public attending would be appalling. For many concertgoers, music is just the excuse to get drunk. And that's depressing. Period.

PJ Harvey, let consciences and ears shake. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The Queen
The Chills: Expectations were high, of course. Even higher after enjoying them at Indietracks a few years ago. But I believe their gig at Ray-Ban stage was even better. Not just because their classics sounded hypnotically magic as expected ('Pink Frost' for sure, but particularly 'Doledrums', they played 'Doledrums'!), but also thanks to new tunes like 'Silver Bullets', 'Underwater Wasteland' and 'America Says Hello' that resist the comparisons with the old ones gracefully. All in all, a glorious 45 show, crowned by 'Heavenly Pop Hit' where this humble blogger and, guess you know by now, Antipodean music lover, "gave all he had", leaving his throat (happily) at the best show of PS 2016, in our modest opinion.

The Chills, the heavenliest pop from down under in BCN. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Here are the links of the previous chapters!

Day 1 & 2
Day 3

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.

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 87

Last weekend of January! The "warm-up" of the new year is nearly over, so music, gigs (a special one today, for example, with The New Raemon, check our winter-spring agenda of concerts!) and reads are starting to spread (don't you love when culture starts to blossom? oh! the wonders mankind can do). Many things to discover ahear. Like this weekend's TOP TEN Jukebox, full of bands that have never appeared here previously (with one exception). So please, have a listen and enjoy the weekend! Remember, all these songs are available at our Soundcloud.

Direct links to 2015 Jukebox playlists
Week 36  Week 37  Week 38   Week 39  Week 40  Week 41  Week 42 Week 43   Week 44  
Week 45  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  Week 59   Week 60 Week 61  Week 62 
Week 63  Week 64  Week 65  Week 66   Week 67   Week 68  Week 69   Week 70  Week 71  
Week 72   Week 73  Week 74   Week 75 Week 76   Week 77   Week 78  Week 79   Week 80
Week 81   Week 82   Week 83  Week 84  Week 85  Week 86