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!

Happy Birthday El Genio Equivocado!

Today, we have a very special Anniversary party. El Genio Equivocado (one of the best Spanish independent labels, featured a dozen times at the Blog, and run by my Indienauta bosses) makes five years of existence. Many of you know what does it means. The enormous merit of surviving with a small music label in this perennial crisis context, in a country where people doesn't buy records. The huge achievement of having promoted/promoting several exciting and diverse bands each year despite the regrettable lack of support to culture from institutions (outside the mainstream). And, foremost, the genuine, unique way in which Rafa & Joan have done it: building a (disfunctional, but hey! we are talking about music) a family. Happy birthday El Genio Equivocado! Here's our little tribute in the form of a playlist with all the bands that have been or are part of its roster. Raise your glasses for many many more years to come!

1. Quan tornis demà - Aias 
2. No Bailes - Algora
3. If you were my captain - Big Summer 
4. El Abrigo - Blacanova
5. Tu Lado Salvaje - Burrito Panza
6. Perdido - Cómo Vivir en el Campo
7. Piel de Naranja - Grushenka
8. Salgamos de Aquí - Hans Laguna
9. La Unión y la Fuerza - Joaquín Pascual
10. Los Líderes Africanos - El Lado Oscuro de la Broca
11. Secundarios del Mundo Uníos! - Las Ruinas
12.  Ramon - Les Sueques
13. Orange - Mequetrefe
14. Días de Radio - Montevideo
15. Mcfly - Muñeco
16. El Espejo - Murciano Total
17. Uno de Noviembre - Odio París
18. Tout Cette Lumière - The Birkins
19. La Guerra Mundial - Wiggum
20. El Parque - Cosmen Adelaida

The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox 35

The year's end is quicky arriving and, although we are working hard in our best of the year lists, here's a new round of our TOP TEN playlist series! Please enjoy with our proposals, combining exciting new acts with consacrated ones. And remember, is also available at our Blog's soundcloud page. Join Us!

Direct links to the previous Jukebox weeks
Week 1      Week 8        Week 15     Week 22   Week 29
Week 2      Week 9        Week 16     Week 23  Week 30 
Week 3      Week 10      Week 17     Week 24  Week 31 
Week 4      Week 11      Week 18     Week 25   Week 32
Week 5      Week 12      Week 19     Week 26   Week 33
Week 6      Week 13      Week 20     Week 27   Week 34
Week 7      Week 14       Week 21     Week 28

Welcome to the Jukebox!

Best Songs of the Year 2013: 100-76

And finally, after Gigs, Books, EPs and Records, we begin the 3rd edition of the Bloodbuzzed's Best Songs of the Year. Our favourite 100 tunes released this 2013*. As we did the previous years, the list has been split in fourth posts of 25 songs each. So here's the first one, with tunes from 100 to 76. We have changed to SoundCloud as we believe it's easier for everyone (if the song isn't available there's an alternative direct link). Stay tuned for the rest of the songs. Have your say and enjoy the music!

100. El Marco Incomparable- Gente Joven
99. Dyed in the Wools- Widowspeak
98. When It’ll Come- When Nalda Became Punk
97. Calm Down- The Love Language

96. In the Waves- Shady Elders
95. Waiting for the Summer- The Proper Ornaments
94. Devil We Know- Lily & Madeleine
93. She’s Gone- Upset
92. Survivor Guilt Anthem- Two Seconds to Midnight
91. Real Tears- Seabirds
90. With Her Shadow- Born Ruffians
89. Lecce, Leaving- Lee Ranaldo
88. Fin de Semana en Londres- Puzzles y Dragones

87. Mother Earth, Father God- Torres

86. Separator- Ex Cops

85. Golden Twin- Wild Ones
84. Poison Ivy- Rose Elinor Dougall
83. Beix- Les Sueques
82. Just a Pup- The Very Most

81. (Just Like) Susan George- The Blanche Hudson Weekend
80. I’ll Be Honest- The Spook School
79. December- Braids
78. Water Damage- Dick Diver
77. Alleyways- The Adelines
76. Divide and Fall- The Wolfhounds

Click here to check the SoundCloud playlist!

* Three songs per band maximum to include more groups, which has "affected" The National, Savages and Go Violets.

Spanish Indie 14: suggesting the best national acts

A new round of "made in Spain" music for your ears only, enjoy!

Pauline en la Playa. Sisters Mar and Alicia Álvarez hail from Gijón, and have quite a long story in their backs. Leaders of Undershakers, a seminal band in the middle-late 90s on the Spanish indie scene. While the band was still active, the two began to work in another direction by 1997, under the name of  “Enfants Terribles“, winning a local prize with their first demos that year. Two years later, in 1999, Pauline en la Playa was finally born, releasing six albums to date, the latest one being “El Mundo Se Va a Acabar“ out this March on Siesta. The last chapter of the exquisite, impossibly charming and warm music of the Álvarez sisters. A sweet, nostalgic and rich indiepop universe.

Les Sueques. Not the first time I write about this quartet and pretty sure it won't be the last either. Coming from Barcelona, they debuted in 2011 with Les Sueques EP on Repetidor Discos. After a replacement on drums with the arrival of Pau (ex Tokyo Sex Destruction) they recently signed with our friends from El Genio Equivocado, becoming one of its most exciting new acts. Something that their debut album, "Cremeu les Perles" out since March. Pop-punk with a twisted, dark, sardonic side, sharp guitar lines and loads of fun and promise. Carefree & homemade riot-girls with a bunch of addictive tunes and sense of humour.

Fighter Pillow. Few information on this yet unsigned act from Barcelona, discovered while searching the bands playing at Primavera als Parcs, one of the most peculiar parallel activities of the Festival. But this band, active since 2011 (at least is what their social networks says) is quite an underground supergroup: Eli Molina from the lovely Me and the Bees (new songs soon please!), Edu Chirinos from our beloved Las Ruinas, Dj Manu Rec and Eric Fuentes. They have an EP, aptly titled "EP#1", for free at their bandcamp. Four tunes that sound as vigorous as stylistically diverse, from urgent indie-rock to a sparse, folk gentle number. Solid music regardless of its form. Band to check. 

Primavera als Bars 2013: Big Summer + Les Sueques

As it happened last year, the Primavera Sound Festival warms-up the city with a series of local concerts in pubs and unusual places before the big event takes place. Here's a very quick chronicle of yesterday's double gig, courtesy of our beloved friends from El Genio Equivocado, with two exciting bands from their roster!

Big Summer. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Big Summer. C3Bar, Barcelona, May 3rd
El Genio Equivocado latest signing is by far their most international combo, sounding intensely contemporary and full of promise. With their debut EP "Bone and Arrow" just out now, the young trio (a quartet on stage) presented live a noteworthy set of songs that, unfortunately, muted into something much more rockier and noisier than what they have recorded on CD. It's understandable they wanted to sound heavier on a venue that was quickly packed and chatting was constant (for once, I can understand). But their indie-rock charms, at least to me, are in the great melody lines that tunes like "Real Thing" or the mind-blowing "Morning Sun" have, a sun-soaked affair that immediately recalls to the great Real Estate. In that sense, an excess of volume like what they choose Friday reduces the impact of their music, kills a bit the magic of their graceful tunes. Nevertheless, Big Summer is a band to follow closely.

Les Sueques. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

Les Sueques. C3Bar, Barcelona, May 3rd 
And the second gig was also my second time watching Les Sueques in two weeks, when they were the support band for Allo Darlin' at the 24th Barcelona Guitar Festival. With the venue completely full, at least at the front rows, the quartet quite an exciting show. Without the sound issues they had at the BARTS Espai Club their pop-punk sounded filthier, messy, carefree and playful. Guitars, screams, occasional and intriguing odd sounds coming from theremins and other toys, and the magnetic stage presence of lead singer and bassist's Blanca, the band had fun, and so did the public. Riot girls with a bunch of addictive tunes -"Ningú" sticks in your head like a hammer, "Beix" makes you shake you head mercilessly, "S.F." knocks you out-, and a healthy dose of humour.

A weekend full of music (part I)!

Just woke up on what it has to be a lazy Sunday after two days full of music. Here's a summary, divided on two posts, of what we have seen and done the last 48 hours.

24th Barcelona Guitar Festival
As a coincidence, we had a double date on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th with this Festival that during several weeks offers all kind of concerts. Friday was supposed to be a very special gig for me, the first chance to see personal favourites Allo Darlin' live. But unfortunately the night turned out a bit disappointing.

Les Sueques. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

The night at BARTS Espai Club, a small but quite pretty venue counted started so promisingly thanks to the good vibes transmitted by the support band Les Sueques, another emerging act of the great label El Genio Equivocado (look for them at the Spanish Indie section of this blog very soon). Songs a bit chaotic, a bit undefined, but full of intrigue, potential and challenge. Pop-punk with a dark, sardonic side (somewhat sad that half of the audience only seemed to be there for the jokes), sharp guitar lines and a quartet with a lot of promise.

Allo Darlin' at BARTS. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

With a venue so packed the space was became a bit uncomfortable, Allo Darlin' started their gig and quickly exposed the contradictions of the night. So many irresistible indiepop songs in their short career, a natural charm and the feeling they were having a good time cannot hide the fact sound was pretty average (only exception of Paul Rains' guitar lines) in particular with thevocals. But that wouldn't have been such an important factor. The problem was, that at least to me, this was one of the best examples I ever suffered of how live music is being ruined by postureo: irritating people that is just there because they think "being indie is in/cool", posers, fakers that just have the feeling they have to be there although they don't really care. I'll post on that soon.

Jane Joyd at Music Hall. Photo: Bloodbuzzed

It was a very different thing the next day at Music Hall. Jane Joyd arrived to Barcelona, amazed us, and confirmed what a great artist she is. Surrounded by a fantastic band (kudos to the drummer, a real beast, the keyboardist and the powerful trumpet) and ignited by her disarming voice, the songs were a real impact. Sure, the music proposal can be "too much", and that intensity could be a bit extreme for a full album. This is not the sort of music you are looking to listen each day, it requires some will from the listener. But if you do, you'll be greatly rewarded. Don't miss the chance to see Jane Joyd live.

You can read the second part of this post, on the Record Store Day held yesterday, coming right now here!