The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 277

Happy 2021 everyone! We know it's a bit late, but hey, the craziness of 2020 won't vanish that easily. It's going to be a special one for the Blog, one that will dress us up for a humble celebration that we will reveal it at the time. And one we have begun with the aim (New Year's resolution) of recovering some dear sections, and maybe a couple of new ideas to develop. But for now, let's kick out 2021 with our traditional TOP TEN JUKEBOX. The first ten exciting songs, with an intriguing mix of Blog's most-beloved names, a couple of obscure classics (who would be better to celebrate the surreal Wednesday's "change of guards" than Mark E. Smith?) and newbies. Have a nice Sunday, be safe and smart out there. And remember to join us at our Soundcloud page!

BloodBuzzed · Bloodbuzzed Jukebox 277

Direct links to 2021 Jukebox playlists

Week 272  Week 273 Week 274  Week 275

Best Songs of the Year 2019: 50-26

As the world keeps its quest towards total madness & extinction (thanks again, orange monkey), we don't have time to waste so, here's the third chapter of our Favorite Songs of 2019! Today we "enter" the last rounds of our list, with tunes comprised between positions 50 to 26. Getting closer to the end of the road, you can imagine difficulty increases, so we hope you like our choices as much as we do. Have a nice Friday, and stay tunned. The final post it's already in the pipeline!

50. Bad Blood- Working Men’s Club
49. Texas Instruments- Priests
48. Blankenship- DIIV
47. Human- Molly Sarlé
46. Enemies- Egoism
45. Tumult Around the World- Titus Andronicus
44. Nothing at All- The Stroppies
43. A Bird a Bee the Humanity- The Leisure Society
41. Don’t Know How to Keep Loving You- Julia Jacklin
42. You’re Not Always On My Mind- Quivers
40. Walking on a String- Matt Berninger & Phoebe Bridgers
39. Hero- Michael Kiwanuka
38. Anhedonia- Ducks Unlimited

37. There Flies a Seagull- Grace Cummings
36. Marketing- The Black Fever
35. Olympic Girls- Tiny Ruins
34. Shitty Ballet- Bleached
33. The Lotts- Fontaines D.C.
32. We’re All Fucking Morons- Comet Gain
31. Morning in America- Durand Jones & The Indications
30. Mother- Tallies
29. Father Mountain- Calexico and Iron & Wine
28. Cotton & Cane- Olden Yolk
27. Not- Big Thief
26. Rylan- The National

Best Records of the Year 2019: 1-20

As we said yesterday, we now have 40 records for our best of the year list. So, after the first round of LPs, comprising positions between 40 and 21, it’s time to show & rank our Top 20 albums of 2019. Those that we haven't been able to get out of our heads and deserve a standing ovation and, most importantly, constant spins. We’ll have a little break next week for recharging batteries, but we promise that we’ll be back before the year ends… ready to unveil our favorite songs of 2019. So, in the meantime, enjoy the records... and happy Holidays!

20.  Eraserland - Strand of Oaks
19.  In Search of the Miraculous - Desperate Journalist
18.  Better Oblivion Community Center- Better Oblivion Community Center
17. Anxiety Art - The reds, pinks and purples
16. Grass Stains and Novocaine - Seablite
15. Largos Agotadores - El Palacio de Linares
14. Whoosh! - The Stroppies
13. Useless Coordinates - Drahla
12. Time Again - Dumb Things
11. Tallies- Tallies

10. On the Line - Jenny Lewis
9.  Purple Mountains- Purple Mountains
8.  Designer - Aldous Harding
7.  Jeanines- Jeanines
6.  I Am Easy to Find - The National
5.  Quiet Signs - Jessica Pratt
4.  Dead Calm - The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness

3. Olympic Girls - Tiny Ruins 

2. Dogrel - Fontaines D.C. 

1. Crushing - Julia Jacklin

Want to check the best recors of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011?

Best Songs of the Year 2019...so far

It took us a little while (it has been a really thoughtful decision) but, as promised, here's the second of our "best of the year so far" lists, with our 40 favourite songs halfway through 2019! As in the previous list of records & EPs, the tunes are not ranked, just listed in alphabetical order (only one per group is allowed). The result is, in our humble opinion, an amazing collection of music that needs to be vindicated and celebrated, so we encourage you to hurry up and enjoy the playlist below.

4AM- The Maureens
A Bird a Bee the Humanity- The Leisure Society
Alexandra- RVG
Bad Blood- Working Men’s Club
Booksmart- Holiday Ghosts
Cattails- Big Thief
Cotton & Cane- Olden Yolk
Diary of a Rose- Mega Bog
Dylan Thomas- Better Oblivion Community Center
Either Way- Jeanines
Father Mountain- Calexico and Iron & Wine
For Maurice- Hobby Club
Forever Half Mast- Lucy Dacus
Head Alone- Julia Jacklin
Holograms- Tiny Ruins
Honey- Drugdealer
Kamane Tarhanin- Mdou Moctar
Kennedy Hair- Martha Ffion
Light Years- The National
Love Keeps Kicking- Martha
Marketing- The Black Fever
Nothing at All- The Stroppies
Old Man- Stella Donnelly
Olympians- Andrew Bird
One Bird in the Sky- Robert Forster
Red Bull & Hennesy- Jenny Lewis
Seventeen- Sharon Van Etten
Shitty Ballet- Bleached
Sicilian Crest- The Mountain Goats
Television Screens- Fontaines D.C.
Texas Instruments- Priests
That’s Where the Trouble Started- Rose Elinor Dougall
The Barrel- Aldous Harding
Tumult Around the World- Titus Andronicus
Turtleneck- Elenin
Twelve Divisions of the Day- Drahla
Un Bosque- Pauline en la Playa
Under Your Spell- Annie Taylor

Weird Ways- Strand of Oaks
You’re Not Always On My Mind- Quivers

And if you want to check the previous years, click on 2011,2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 selections!

Best Records and EPs of the year 2019... so far

Last day of June, meaning half of 2019 is about to pass. To be honest, it's been a pretty shitty year so far for us and, among other, much bigger and personal letdowns, it has been a period of time in which we have clearly struggled to keep with our regular frequency of posts. But that doesn't mean we aren't listening to music. By no means. And to prove it, today we are unveiling our traditional 25 best records and EPs of the year so far! Albums are listed in alphabetical order (in December we will rank the final list) as, for now, we are just enumerating the records (don't care about the length either) that we have enjoyed the most during this six months. Endlessly open and ready for suggestions, as it always should be, we hope you like it, encouraging you to listen carefully. And stay tuned, our favourite songs from the fist half of 2019 are just around the corner!

Aldous Harding- Designer
Arista Fiera- Mi Defensa Personal
Bedouine- Birds Songs of a Killjoy
Better Oblivion Community Center- Better Oblivion Community Center
Business of Dreams- Ripe for Anarchy
Butcher the Bar- III
Desperate Journalist- In Search of the Miraculous
El Palacio de Linares- Largos Agotadores
Ex Hex- It’s Real
Fontaines D.C.- Dogrel
Holiday Ghosts- West Bay Playroom
I Was a King- Slow Century
Jeanines- Jeanines
Jenny Lewis- On the Line
Jessica Pratt- Quiet Signs
Julia Jacklin- Crushing
Seablite- Grass Stains and Novocaine
She Keeps Bees- Kinship
Stella Donelly- Beware of Dogs
Strand of Oaks- Eraserland
Swimming Tapes- Morningside
The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness- Dead Calm
The National- I Am Easy to Find
The Stroppies- Whoosh!
Tiny Ruins- Olympic Girls

More lists? Click on the years to check our 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 selections!

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 219

Build a wall to stop migration! Make a demonstration against a rapporteur (yet to be appointed)! Vote extreme right or/and millionaires (professional cheaters) to solve the (major, essential, pivotal) problems of inequality and distribution of wealth! Utter nonsense, bigotry and fascism, and we're afraid we, as citizens, have embraced this despicable era. The temptation to talk about politics is huge, but this weekend we're calling for a time out. Because we're about to take (momentary) shelter thanks to the Minifestival (Night Flowers, Free Cake for Every Creature and the mighty Kristin Hersh) tonight, plus we have prepared a terrific new TOP TEN JUKEBOX with several Blog beloved acts such as The Stroppies, the great Julia Jacklin covering The Strokes, I Was a King or one of the last gifts of the already missed Zach Denton alongside a bunch of exciting discoveries. Music as refuge, or as the medicine in order not to explode! Take a break and remember, all the songs are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2019 Jukebox playlists

Week 214  Week 215 Week 216  Week 217 Week 218

Primavera Sound 2017 in brief, day 1

Just having some rest after the end of the main days of Primavera Sound Festival (PS) 2017, what an intense weekend this has been! (our advice is not to mix daily work with Festivals, if you can). So, pretty exhausted but with the memories still fresh from the gigs enjoyed, here's the first of our traditional quick chronicles with our experience at this Festival's edition. What follows is our take of Thursday 1st, with a couple of notes on Tuesday's showcase at Apolo. Let's go!

The Good

Heaven is far from Mordor: We swear it. There's "another" Primavera Sound happening at the smaller stages (referring here to Pitchfork and Adidas). On Thursday, most of our to-see list of bands was, by pure chance, playing on both stages, and it just offered us a great, comfortable, smooth afternoon-night of music.

Alexandra Savior, bewitching mystery girl. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Julia Jacklin, let the Aussie win, you'll thank me.
Photo: Bloodbuzzed 

Women should run the world: Les Sueques, Let's Eat Grandma, Kokoshca, Nots, Alexandra Savior, Julia Jacklin (and we missed Kate Tempest)... Tuesday and Thursday were full of interesting female artists/bands, proving the point the most exciting music is coming from women these days (been a while now)... a tendency that was going to repeat during the whole Festival. Ms. Jacklin in particular delivered a near-perfect show, quietly captivating, self-assured, naturally warm & charming, proving she's fated for great things. Keep and eye on her...

Fun with the Molochs: Nuggets garage, early Stones-styled R&B, hints of that "Mancunian grit"... What a contagious and straightforward show The Molochs put. Give me that beat!

The Bad

Let's Eat Grandma: It might had to do with the massification at Apolo, making the air unbreathable, but just let's say we didn´t get it, what an amorphous collection of tunes...
Primavera music fair: It is just me or it's getting worse each year? Where are the records? The amount of hipster s**t to be sold is just depressing. And what the hell is FNAC doing there, by the way?

The Queen
The Afghan Whigs: Eager to see Greg Dulli and Co. live for the first time, the band was instantly ready to take Ray-Ban stage by assault. The show was furious and passionate, all muscle and intensity, with not a single dull moment or less remarkable. Something that speaks wonders about their "resurrection", considering the gig was heavy on tunes from their latest two albums ('Demon in profile' is a killer live). Add the unstoppable force of well-known high-caliber pieces as 'Gentlemen', the stormy 'Debonair', or the highlight of the night imo, the majestic take of 'John the Baptist', the fierce performance of Dulli, and the instrumental flawless, and there's only one possible conclusion. A lot of black love to end the first day of PS on a very high note.

The Afghan Whigs, high-blooded souls. Photo: Bloodbuzzed  

Brief of the second "big day" of the PS17, Friday 2nd, coming next in a hurry, so stay tuned!

Primavera Sound 2017: my draft schedule

Time to honour another Blog tradition! As the timetables of the Primavera Sound Festival 2017 have been unveiled, here's our personal schedule on a first, draft, impression (we are still working on it, and some additional bands could/should be added. Being honest, this isn't the best edition for us, on the contrary. Plus, some overlaps (as usual), are also eroding the choices on a year with some gaps with 'really nothing mandatory to listen'. Time to do some 'research' to complete the routes... but hey, discovering interesting bands is one of the most attractive things of Festivals. Anyway, this is what our PS 2017 looks like right now (we are open to suggestions)!

Tuesday, May 30th, Sala Apolo
20:00 Les Sueques (Sala Apolo)
21:00 Let's Eat Grandma (Sala Apolo)
22:00 Cigarettes After Sex (Sala Apolo)
As we are pretty unsure about Wednesday, why not starting the Festival on Tuesday?

Wednesday,  May 31st, Parc del Fòrum
20:30 Local Natives*
22:00 Saint Etienne*

Still under serious consideration, worth going to the Fòrum for just two gigs that are not exactly our 'cup of tea'?

Thursday, June 1st, Parc del Fòrum
17:00 Kokoshca (Adidas)
18:00 Kevin Morby (Heineken) or Jens Lenkman (Hidden Stage)
19:15 Alexandra Savoir (Pitchfork)
20:05 Julia Jacklin (Adidas)
21:45 The Molochs (Adidas)
22:40 The Afghan Whigs (Ray-Ban)
Pretty comfortable and reasonable day with only two choices to make. We have doubts between see Kevin Morby or Jens Lekman (not an enthusiast of Lekman's last record, but never seen him live, going to be a close call). And maybe The Zombies for The Molochs as last minute change. Also, if we have the day off at work the next day or we really want more music we would stay for Kate Tempest and The Damned.

Friday, June 2nd, Parc del Fòrum
17:00 Lawrence Arabia (Hidden Stage)
19:15 Mitski (Pitchfork)
20:15 The Magnetic Fields* (Auditori)
20:50 Mac Demarco (Heineken)
22:35 Grandaddy (Ray-Ban)
22:50 Swans (Pitchfork)
00:40 Sleaford Mods (Ray-Ban)
Just plain 'meh' day for us. It's a pity we have to decide between Mitski and Whitney on a day with not a lot to see (for our tastes, of course). We have to choose which day are we going to see The Magnetic Fields, as our main concert of Friday or as the earliest gig of the day on Saturday.

Saturday, June 3rd, Parc del Fòrum
16:00 The Magnetic Fields* (Auditori)
17:40 Weyes Blood (Primavera)
19:45 Van Morrison (Heineken)*
21:30 Teenage Fanclub (Primavera Sound)
22:35 Hamilton Leithauser (Pitchfork)
23:30 LVL UP (Adidas)
02:30 Preoccupations (Pitchfork)
Probably our 'biggest' day, but painfully affected with the cruel clash between our beloved Angel Olsen and Van Morrison (really? same time? makes no sense at all). The rest of choices should combine well... Teeenage Fanclub, finally!!!

Sunday, June 4th, 
Huge questions marks also for the closing day. Need to listen!

Music to look forward in 2017

A bit later than last year, but a tradition is a tradition. Here are our new year's music wishes! A quick top ten of summary of the music releases/events we're looking forward the most in this 2017.

Stellular's about to land,
the voice is back

1. The year begins with Rose Elinor Dougall’s new album ‘Stellular’, arriving next week. What can we say? It’s been too long without her and I’m pretty anxious to hear it. Please tour Spain, please tour Spain, please tour Spain… Exactly the same can be said with masters The Bats, who will release ‘The Deep Set’ in January 27th. A terrific way to start 2017, musically speaking (no politics in this post or we’ll all get depressed).

2. Two sophomore albums from two mesmerizing bands that you SHOULD see live if you have the chance. After the mighty ‘Land’, Novella returns to action with ‘Change of State’, scheduled for mid-February, with the first tunes setting the bar as high as expected. And Desperate Journalist will follow with ‘Grow Up’, arriving in late March, a record that should confirm them as one of the bands to follow devotedly.

3. Two of the Blog’s most anticipated and awaited albums of 2017 doesn’t have a release date yet, which make us even more impatient to get some update on them. We’re referring, of course to "our" music genius from Boise and most beloved sure-fire, Jeremy Jensen, aka The Very Most. He announced a few days ago details on new music are about to come, yay! The other is a debuting name that has all the numbers to release one of this blogger’s record of the year; Filthy Friends, or the supergroup (usually not my cup of tea) lead by Corin Tucker and Peter Buck, alongside plus Scott McCaughey, Kurt Bloch and Bill Rieflin. Judging from the first glimpses you can hear at the Internet (Todos los Santos’ Festival and first tune ‘Despierta’) expectations couldn’t be higher...

Filthy Friends, let's talk (again) about the passion...

4. Not enough? There’s not a lot of announcements right now, but you can always trust labels like Flying Nun, Shelflife, Jigsaw Records, Slumberland, Matinée, Test Pattern, WWNBB, February Records, Kanine, Fishrider, Merge, Sub Pop, HHBTM, to just name a few. Sure they have prepared a wonderful year of music for us.

Delightful pop stings granted...  

5. In what regards to national releases, 2017 is the year of several personal favourites returning to action. First take, a trio of infallible bands: Me and the Bees, When Nalda Became Punk and Los Punsetes.

6. Want more? Here’s a second take, courtesy of the great label El Genio Equivocado: Cosmen Adelaida, Ghost Transmission and Grushenka. Add the usual wise ears of the folks running labels like Discos de Kirlian, Pretty Olivia or La Castanya (Beach Beach is also back right?) and the year couldn’t look brighter. And yes, I know there’s some band from Granada set to return too...

7. Time for live music now. Our first VIDA! And with my beloved Real Estate presenting new album? All we have heard about the Festival’s vibes are excellent, so we are really excited about going down to Vilanova i la Geltrú!

8. And another Primavera Sound Festival ahead, this time with all the line-up unveiled and several mandatory gigs, as usual: Angel Olsen, Mitski, Julia Jacklin, Hamilton Leithauser, Magnetic Fields (new album)… and, finally (space for the drums rattling, it’s a “big finally") Teenage Fanclub! The wait is over...

22 years after, new waves of sound await us... 

9. What else? Here’s a potpourri of names (concerts, albums, wishes) that come to our minds at the moment of writing this lines. For sure, another Minifestival is scheduled for March, with Cristina Quesada & Andreas Johnson playing in Barcelona (another "big finally"!), plus our dear Linda Guilala, Luke Haines and Neleonard. Will Lisa Hannigan and beloved Beth Orton tour here? Albums from The Luxembourg Signal, Hospitality, The Feelies, Alvvays, Tim Darcy, The Shins, and... Slowdive (is that for real?) should/could arrive. And let us dream about Michael Stipe taking back the mic...

The end of the world is coming soon (and we know it),
so please come back before it's too late <3

10. And, of course (yes, saved for the very last, to keep “the tension”) this is the year of The National’s comeback... Just in time to strike back at the "fake empire" about to arise in Washington D.C...

Granted, many more records, songs, gigs and amazing moments related with music are awaiting us, so let’s 2017 officially (musically speaking) begin!

Best Songs of the Year 2016: 75-51

We told you, the second chapter of our Best Songs of the Year it was going to follow very, very soon. So, without further delay, here are the tunes comprised between 75 to 51. As with the first round, you can enjoy all these songs at our Spotify playlist below. And don't go very far, there are still fifty amazing songs to discover!

75. Full Moon, Hungry Sun- Kane Strang
74. Out of Control- Lush
73. Johnny- Basement Revolver
72. Power- Eskimeaux
71. It’s Alright, I’m Probably Dreaming- De Montevert
70. Évoli- Terrier
69. Hit Town (A.T.H.E.N.S.)- The Perfect English Weather
68. Walnuss- Gurr
67. Experto en Mirar Techos- Invisible Harvey
66. Second Skin- Zen Mantra
65. Twister- Witching Waves
64. Bambú- Juvenilia
63. Everybody Wants to Love You- Japanese Breakfast
62. Coming of Age- Julia Jacklin
61. Face the Moon- Springtime Carnivore
60. Sane- Fear of Men
59. Follow You Around- Purling Hiss
58. Babes Never Die- Honeyblood
57. The Wheel- PJ Harvey
56. Pull My Arm- Flowers
55. La Progresión Exponencial- Doble Pletina
54. New Song- Warpaint
53. Under the Sun- DIIV
52. Shut Up Kiss Me- Angel Olsen
51. Metropolis- Kate Jackson

Discoverer 151: new indie findings

Inexplicably (and indefensibly), America chose the 'orange monster' instead of a highly qualified woman, not as progressive as one would like (by no means), but compared with the Republican abomination, a wonder. To start compensating the outrageous mistake, in our discoverer series we propose three mind blowing female artists that really deserve your loyal adhesion!A trio fated for the best of the year lists!

Springtime Carnivore. Born in Oak Brook, Illinois, but based in Los Angeles, California, to me Greta Morgan was immediately associated with the great Katy Goodman, as she is La Sera's guitar player and her music partner in that promising (but forgotten?, 'Space Love' was a delight) duo Books of Love and, more recently, the excellent punk-rock-meets-60's-pop covers album 'Take It, It's Yours', out this August. But that's just the tip of the "music iceberg", 'cause Ms. Morgan is a talented multi-instrumentalist with a heart melting voice that began her career when she was a teenager, first as a member of the Chicago-based groups the Hush Sound, with whom she released three LPs between 2004 and 2008 (plus a later EP and a reunion tour last year), then with Gold Motel, releasing two albums between between 2009 and 2012 (loving them at the moment). Afterwards, Morgan moved to L.A. California and, while she joined forces with Goodman, launched her solo project under the intriguing "seasonal predator" moniker. Springtime Carnivore's eponymous debut appeared in November 2014 via Autumn Tone Records, with follow-up 'Midnight Room', just came out past month. Instantly melodic but moody & evocative, this nocturnal dreampop with hazy textures, yet at the same time an incredible warm feel, should be part of your lifetime soundtrack to face the moon (even a supermoon). Pop in orbit.

Julia Jacklin. Born in 1991 in the Blue Mountains, Australia, but now based in Sydney, Ms Jacklin took all the worst influences to make something wonderful, and completely of her own (needless to say, and most luckily, diametrically opposed musically). Inspired by Britney Spears, at the age of 10 she took classical singing lessons. Later on, she joined a high school covers band, which made versions of Avril Lavigne and Evanescence (sic). She performed locally, forming the band Salta alongside Liz Hughes in 2012. But after moving to Sydney for her university studies, her career rocketed this year due to the phenomenal reception of first two singles 'Pool Party' and 'Coming of Age', embarking herself in a world tour (still no dates confirmed in Spain, damn it) and several Festivals, playing in support of artists such as Whitney or Okkervil River. Now her debut album 'Don't Let the Kids Win' out since October 2016 on Transgressive Records / Polyvinyl, confirms all the promise. Indie-folk-rock recalling the mind-blowing Angel Olsen, the also recently discovered Nadia Reid, but with some of the witty humour of Father John Misty, Jacklin's debut is astonishing. Confident, bright, clever, powerful, charismatic. A MUST of this 2016.  

Hazel English. And another Australian talent to finish our discoveries series today, although 25-year-old Hazel is now based in Oakland, CA. Taking the blogosphere under her spell since the first tunes (demos) surfaced the net last year, the Sydneyan musician has been carefully preparing her official debut while touring the west coast (Europe anytime soon?). A first release that now appears in the form of 12" EP 'Never Going Home', out since October (sold-out at the moment of writing this lines) via  House Anxiety / Marathon Artists, and it's an indiepop gem. Cinematic, lush, adventurous, wistful, breezy, this small collection of stunning, sun-soaked dreampop pieces are easily among the strongest EPs of the year, certifying here's a musician to follow closely.  

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 115

Here we are, ready to unveil the second TOP TEN Jukebox of the month, full of "familiar suspects" of the Blog like Pale Spectres, Night Flowers or The Ocean Party, helping us to make the "adjustment" (don't laugh) to our regular schedules & routines, aside of not letting us succumb to boredom. As Nietzsche said "without music, life would be a mistake". And remember, all songs are listed at our Soundcloud page (Join Us!).

Direct links to 2016 Jukebox playlists

Week 84  Week 85  Week 86   Week 87   Week 88  Week 89 Week 90   Week 91   Week 92  
Week 93  Week 94  Week 95  Week 96   Week 97  Week 98  Week 99   Week 100 Week 101 
Week 102   Week 103  Week 104  Week 105   Week 106  Week 107    Week 108  Week 109
Week 110  Week 111   Week 112   Week 113  Week 114