Discoverer 152: new indie findings

Here we are! Ready to get mesmerized with this year new music findings in our discoverer series, but while they start coming, let's make a quick stop to talk about three mind blowing acts found at the dusk of 2016. Cause it's never to late for great music!

Omni. We begin in Atlanta, Georgia, with this trio formed by guitarist Frankie Boyles (previously in Deerhunter and Balkans) and ex-Carnivores Philip Frobos on vocals/bass and Billy Mitchell on drums. After grabbing our attention with first tunes 'Afterlife', 'Wire' and 'Wednesday Wedding', past summer they delivered debut album 'Deluxe' via Trouble in Mind. Summoning Pylon and Wire's angular, powerful and oddly hypnotic postpunk, this was one the best records of the year (that I discovered too late to add to the list). Now they are back with the 7" 'Fever Bass/Thesis' single, out late February via Chunklet, and we are ready to get ourselves inmersed in the cascading, propulsive guitar riffs and ringing beats. Not to miss.

Ryley Walker. Quick move to Chicago, Illinois, to meet Mr. Walker, a young folk from Rockford who moved to windy city in 2007, joining the local noise scene with bands like Heatdeath and Wyoming before shifting slowly to his current folkie style. In 2011, being just 21, Riley's first releases appeared in the form of tapes 'Evidence of Things Unseen' and 'Of Deathly Premonitions', the latest alongside Daniel Bachman. A fingerpicking promise was born. After a bike accident in 2012 that forced Ryley to quit his day job, he became a full time musician, something evident with 2013 recordings 'In the West Wind' EP and 'All Kinds of You' LP, echoing Nick Drake. But Ryley was still adjusting to his own sound, which blossomed a couple of years later with LP 'Primrose Green', out through Dead Oceans, where he combined the talents of a full backing band with pastoral and psychedelic sounds, and his latest offer to date (if we exclude the collaborative efforts with Bill MacKay and Charles Rumback), 'Golden Sings that Have Been Sung'. Fated for greatness...

Gurr. Berliners Laura Lee Jenkins and Andreya Casablanca met in university and bonded over literature, music, movies and hanging out. Becoming a band seemed the natural next step and, around 2012 first tunes surfaced their bandcamp (please check the funny song descriptions) with a very limited cassette with these songs and many more released in late 2014 and a split EP with Burnt Palms on the same year. Official debut EP 'Furry Dream' arrived in April 2015 via Duchess Box Records. But we weren't prepared for their hyper-addictive first album 'In My Head', out in October 2016. Echoing bands of the 90s like the Breeders or Belly as well as beloved contemporary acts like Honeyblood or Chastity Belt this is stunning, carefree and overpowered collection of garagepop gems. 

Spanish Indie 30: suggesting the best national acts

A veteran combo and two of the most promising bands coming from the south of Spain today in our latest trio of national bands. Pop gems!

Kiev Cuando Nieva. Behind the freezing cold name lies one of the most idiosyncratic, unique bands of the country. Hailing from Huesca, Aragón, the band origins can be traced around the end the 90s in a college radio program at Facultad de Bellas Artes de Cuenca. From there on, Antxon Corcuera and brothers Javier and Carlos Aquilué have built an almost flawless career. A lost debut EP, aptly titled 'First EP' in 2000, followed by three albums, 'S/T' (2006), 'Todos los Ademanes' (2009, year in which they also released the EP 'Edición Artesana'), 'De Tarima' (2013), plus the covers record 'Parece Doble' (2012), including versions of Daniel Johnston, Nick Drake, Beach Boys, Big Star, Ramones...). A refreshing music path that in March of 2016 saw their latest output with 'Los Bienes', out via Repetidor Discos. Risky, brave indiepop blended with folk and slices of psychedelia, strangely warm and familiar despite their experimental instrumentation and aloof first impressions. Persevere, and you'll quickly find yourself drowning into a peculiar universe of music and experience. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Apartamentos Acapulco. Hailing from Granada, Angelina Herrera and Ismael Cámara started making music together in Spring of 2015 without many expectations, the main being having fun with the process. But as tunes the duo decided to share them, debuting with a 'S/T' EP that September, first released with Discos Imaginarios. By December arrived the follow-up 'Siete', which fostered the buzz around them, making the homemade project to expand into a quintet live, playing an increasing number of shows and music contests (Planeta Demos, Contempopránea, SOS, PulPop). Now they are back with third EP 'Justo y Necesario' out since this September, anticipated by the shimmery single 'Scarlett'. Somewhere between shoegaze and dreampop, here's the Slowdive hazy, hypnotic spirit, or the quietest moments (some urgent tunes too), noisy yet deeply melodic and affecting, of The Jesus and Mary Chain. A band to fall for...

Terry vs. Tori. Close move to Seville to meet Manuel Jiménez and Erica Pender, who began this exciting project around March of 2016, quickly recruiting José Prieto on bass and, more recently, Rosa on drums, becoming a full band while rehearsals and demos began. And the first, most promising results, can be listened now, as since June we can enjoy their 'S/T' EP (name your price at their bandcamp). Mixed and mastered by our dear Cris Romero at Cherry Studios, this is infectious guitar-driven indiepop, making their own, summery run towards surf-pop, or adding the life-affirming, eternal Southern light to that trademark "English melancholy". Dreaming with eyes wide open, hoping for more very soon!

Discoverer 98: new indie findings

First Sunday of August and many bands to introduce you to! Three special proposals you shouldn't miss!

Luluc. Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett's story is a slow-burnt one. Hailing from Melbourne but Brooklyn-based, they first met in Scotland. The music chemistry was undeniable but not the timing. Life got in their way. Back to Australia, got jobs & studies to follow and separately played in other bands. But the death of Randell's father impelled her to focus on music and, eventually, she reunited with Hassett, recording 'Dear Hamlyn' in 2008. Opening slots for Lucinda Williams, Fleet Foxes, and José Gonzàlez followed, as well as praise from Nick Drake's legendary producer Joe Boyd and No Depression co-founder Peter Blackstock. The latest put Luluc in contact with Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman, who signed them. After a 2010 failed attempt to make second record in Australia, they met The National's Aaron Dessner, who became not just the LP producer in his Brooklyn studio, but a de facto third, unofficial band member. The result of their collaboration is 'Passerby', out since July. A gorgeous, delicate, subtly arranged affair. Dreamy and melancholic indie-folk. Haunting.

Space Daze. This is the new, flamboyant and ethereal indiepop solo project of Danny Rowland, the lead guitarist & songwriter of our beloved Seattle band Seapony. Few months ago, in March 2014, he challenged himself to a songwriting experiment: to write & record a new song every day for an entire month. The process only lasted twelve days, enough to came out with a complete album, entitled 'Follow My Light Back Home' and released in June on always reliable label Beautiful Strange Records as a limited cassette edition. Quite immediate but genuinely warm, full of twangy guitars & spacious instrumentals, its jangle-pop meeting surf-rock. 'You're in love with the sun', sings our dear Jeremy Jensen's in one of his perfect tunes. That's the exact feeling Space Daze music evokes into the listener. A delicious, sunny pop collection of songs.

Teen Canteen. Indietracks' live discovery, where they opened the Festival and won me over. Split between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Carla Easton, Sita Pieracinni, Amanda Williams and Deborah Smith formed in 2012 and released their debut single 'Honey', mixed by Bill Ryder-Jones, via Edinburgh Arts Collective Neu! Reekie! at the end of 2013. The buzz began, fostered with their engaging shows at festivals and supporting established names like The Pastels, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield and Stealing Sheep. Now, after the June release of their irresistible second 7" single 'You're Still Mine / Vagabond' it's about time you'll add Teen Canteen to your "bands to fall in love with" list. Glimmering, bright indiepop tunes, high on sugar but not short of sharpness, and with huge breathtaking harmonies to stop the Planet's rotation for a while.   

These Go to 11: interviewing When Nalda Became Punk

Back with our interviews (slowly back to normal, but different life), and our next guest is one of the most exciting (imo) Spanish bands in recent years, When Nalda Became Punk, injecting joy and infectious charm to indiepop... or whatever you want to call it. These Go to 11!

When Nalda Became Punk

Whatever you call it, gorgeous music

Born in 2006 as the solo project of Galician (Vigo) Elena Sestelo, under the "lonely" name of Nalda, putting out a demo but then came into hiatus until summer of 2010. A second demo, “Time to meet your family” was followed by the arrival of Roberto Cibeira in 2011: When Nalda Became Punk was a reality. After a 7” single out on Pebble Records, their debut album "A Farewell To Youth" came out in early 2013 on the infallible Shelflife Records, With Antonio Llarena completing the actual trio formation they have played many shows (mighty Indietracks included) and they have now released their new EP "Indiepop or Whatever!" Diverse (everything fits if it's pop), straightforward and fresh, WNBP make music that can make you smile, whisper & dance, all at the same time. What's not to love? Here we go!

Speechless, I'm speechless

1. First record that you bought (be honest)
Elena: The first record I bought that I remember was a Beach Boys compilation on a double tape, I can’t remember the title but I remember that there was a TV on the cover. Of course after that I bought a lot of albums that now make me be ashamed, but fortunately that was the first.
Roberto: I think it was “Camino Soria” by Gabinete Caligari.
Antonio: Even if now I’m totally ashamed, I have to say that it probably was the one by Glenn Medeiros that included “Nothing’s gonna change my love for you”… It was pop after all, wasn’t it?

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)
E: That’s a bit worse, the first gig I remember I was by myself with my classmates and not with my parents, was… it’s so embarrassing… Heroes del Silencio, it’s clear I didn’t know what I was thinking about at the moment. The last one was Big City and Nine Stories in Vigo, a very nice one.
R: I’m not sure, but I think the first one was Duncan Dhu. The last one, Iván Ferreiro in Santiago.
A: The first one Doctor Explosion and Dover, in Murcia. The last one, Big City and Nine Stories in Vigo.

Advice: shut off you phone

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
E: I’ve got a lot of guilty pleasures that I enjoy a lot, maybe not bands, but commercial songs with catchy tunes such as “Call me maybe”, the great “Hey ya” or my favourite karaoke song, “Angels” by Robbie Williams.
R: Lady Gaga’s “Poker face”.
A: I love Abba, I think “Dancing Queen”, for example, is such an amazing song! And I also like every single by Katy Perry… tough I’ve never listened to a whole album.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
E: I have a few signed albums of favorite bands and they are really valuable for me but I think what I appreciate most are some pictures I took with the members of Belle and Sebastian in London, those pictures always bring me a lot of good memories.
R: The singles box by Los Planetas.
A: I buy lots of music but I don’t buy many rare things, so I’ll say my “T-shirt weather” single by The Lucksmiths signed in their farewell tour or “Formula One Racing Girls” signed by Helen Love, both for not only musical reasons.

Neil Hannon, our favourite gentleman

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
E: I’ve got a lot, but now I have in mind “Tonight we fly” by The Divine Comedy.
R: One of the lyrics I like most is “Northern Sky” by Nick Drake.
A: Lots and lots… Today I’ll say “¿Qué nos va a pasar?” by La Buena Vida, but I could tell you hundreds!

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
E: I’d love to meet Damon Albarn, I owe it to the teenager I once was.
R: I’d like to meet the members of Sigur Ros.
A: I’m really shy when it comes to talk with musicians I like, I just get them to sign a record or take a picture, but not much more… I’ll say Neil Hannon from The Divine Comedy, I already have some pictures with him, but it would be great to go out for a drink with him.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
E: It’s not my favorite but I love the one for “Remember that I love you” by Kimya Dawson, it’s really cute.
R: “Doolitle” by Pixies.
A: I don’t know… there are so many great artworks out there! The cover of “Kung fu” by Ash is quite cool, it was really well thought!

Pop ruined my life

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both)
E: I’m afraid I’m more of movies, I don’t think I can recommend one that you already didn’t know, for example I enjoy very much the films by Wes Anderson… Also "Once", "Wall-e", I don’t know, there’s a lot…
R: Movie: "Blade Runner". Book: “Demian” by Herman Hesse.
A: I prefer books, it entertains you longer and you can connect with the characters more than in a movie… A book: "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby, it is like a bible for the people who love pop music, isn’t it?. A movie: "Edward Scissorhands".

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of
E: Right now I’d choose “Song for Carrie Mathison”, I’m really happy with the result of the tune and how they work with the lyrics.
R: “When Nalda Became Punk”, “Modest Circus” and “Song for Carrie Mathison”.
A: "Song for Carrie Mathison", it is the first song in which I wrote half of the lyrics! Elena was amazed that I was able to fit the word “Lasagna” in it… then I remind her that Oasis did it first in “Digsy’s dinner”.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
E: That must be the question that I hate to answer the most because I never know what to say… I think that indie are the people that make music apart from the music industry, just doing what they want without thinking in success, money and that kind of things.
R: The possibility of doing things with the only aim of having fun, at your own way and doing just what we like.
A: For me it is enjoying the music you love without paying much attention to all the short of things that happen to be around the music but, in the end, don’t add anything special. For example, the feeling you get at every second at Indietracks Festival or at Madrid Popfest. That’s real indie for me! I also think that the Math and Physics Club explained it quite well in their song “We are D.I.Y.”.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
E: I don’t know, I’m such a pessimist! So I prefer not to think about it, but I just hope I’ll keep on enjoying writing songs.
R: With a lot of records released, playing everywhere they call us, meeting new places and interesting people.
A: Ah! Good question!! Who knows? Certainly not me…

Zillion thanks Nalda!

The Indie Anthology 22: essential songs

New chapter of our Anthology, that this time also aims to be a (modest) but open vindication of a group, then a solo artist, criminally neglected despite being responsible of a couple of records plus an EP that are among the most beautiful music created in the last 15 years.

Song: Coat
Artist: Angelou
Year: 2000

How uncool is admitting I wasn't impressed at all by Jeff Buckley's "Grace"? Or that I didn't know about Nick Drake? During my university years it was mainly R.E.M. and jangle-pop bands, plus a bunch of female singer-songwriters (Beth Orton on top). But thanks to mythical radio programs like "Boulevard" or "Siglo XXI" (how important was Radio3 for our musical education, sadly those days are gone) a new voice appeared. It was Holly Lerski fragile, mysterious but warm folk-rock. For me, first came "Hallellujah EP". I remember going back and forth on my Walkman to listen again & again my crappy radio recording of their haunting cover of "River Man". Angelou made me discover Nick Drake. Then came a pretty odd, Spanish only, compilation of their tunes entitled "Midnight Witcheries" that was absolutely flawless (and now a very important person in my life possess).  It wasn't enough. "Automatic Miracles" followed, and then "While You Were Sleeping". An absolute favourite of mine. Ethereal, delicate, intimate. Where instruments aren't just playing, they are shining. Where silences and space are also notes. And where simplicity equals purity and honesty. Melodies that seem suspended in the air, expected to the band to be grabbed. Abducted as a I was by the record, the tune "Little Sister" "forced" me to check Buckley again. Luckily. Holly, please come back! 

"Searching for Sugar Man", mystery, magic, music

Searching for Sugar Man
Beefeater In-Edit Festival 2012, chapter I

First of the five films of our selection at the Beefeater In-Edit 2012, and what a movie to start the Festival! Finally a film where what matters is the story that is trying to tell the spectators. And what a story! Incredible, shocking, mysterious, touching, musically very attractive... In a word, fascinating.

This is a documentary on a completely forgotten artist. Not even a side note on the page of the 70s' music history. Sixto Rodriguez, an unknown folk-rock singer/songwriter from Detroit (Mexican familiar origins) who released two albums in the early 1970s, "Cold Fact", and "Coming From Reality". Despite the quality of his music and lyrics, somewhere in between Bob Dylan and Nick Drake, he could not achieve any popularity, so he quickly vanished, retiring, unnoticed from music. We get opinions from his producers and critics, praising the artist and blaming his lack of success and being dropped by his record label.

To this point, "Searching for Sugar Man", would have been a nice music discovery, because the songs of Rodríguez deserve to be listened (so the research will be done) but not a very memorable film. But we quickly discover this is not the end of the story... On the contrary, is an unexpected beginning... Because while completely unknown in America, the guy was a phenomenon in South Africa, a massive success and a referential artist for many people in that country, the soundtrack of the fight against Apartheid by Afrikaners. For them, Rodríguez was a hero with little or zero information about. A mysterious legend who rumours said had a dramatic end.

How could that be? Why Rodríguez was never aware of his success? What about the terrible suicide? I won't spoil you the movie, so I will stop revealing the development of the film here. Just let me add that starting from these questions a search of information, an attempt to solve the mystery begins, carried by hardcore fans, who become music detectives. It will unfold a story that you will qualify as surreal, impossible, one that Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul bring to us in the most touching way, as explained by the people who did themselves, meeting and connecting with others. It's an amazing quest, that will grab you and touch you deeply. Because they will reach an unexpected goal, a goal that will reveal itself as an example, a celebration of human condition and how powerful music can be.

"Searching for Sugar Man" is not only a great and deeply absorbing entertainment. It is also an inspiring film on mankind. There's mystery, magic and wonderful music. What more can you ask for? Thanks In-Edit for such a discovery.

SCORE: 8,5/10

"A Skin Too Few", the mystery of Nick Drake

A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake

How can you make a music documentary when the subject, the band/artist you want to talk about has no "documents", aside songs, of course, on which you can support your film? You probably have only two options: one is filling the gap with hundreds of opinions/assessments from music journalists, other musicians and "cool people" in general. The other choice is just focus on the people that really knew the artist, and we the story is told, end the film (in only 48 minutes!). That's the path taken by Jeroen Berkvens on "A Skin Too Few", an impressionistic and very very intimate attempt to shed some light into the superb English folk singer/songwriter Nick Drake.

With the exception of some off-voices at the very beginning of the rockumentary, pointing out the qualities and legacy of Nick Drake's music, and the short comment from mod-father Paul Weller, "A Skin Too Few" the film develops using the chronology of the musician's short life (1948-1974). So we will begin in Burma, where the artist was born, to follow his childhood in Warwickshire, then teenage and adult years in Cambridge and London, and finally back home in Tanworth before where he sadly took his life (accidentally or not) when he was just 26. The insights are provided by his older sister's Gabrielle Drake (who is the pivotal element of the film), with the occasional comments of the recorded voices of his now defuncts parents. There are not a lot of anecdotes or trivial moments from childhood memories, and music appears quite soon on the conversation.  

As we enter the adult period on which Nick Drake becomes an incredibly gifted musician, we also get the opinions of a couple of friends, his producer, arranger, sound engineer, and the photographer of his albums sleeves. That's how we get to know about his guitar playing style, the presence of music on his family, the wonder of recording his songs (the faces on the scene with collaborators John Wood and Robert Kirby says it all, the joy of recording the music, but also the utter sadness of his finale) and also his disastrous first and last tour, the lack of commercial success and his depression and retirement from society. 

I used the word impressionistic before because the film doesn't want to speculate about the reasons of his death or lack of success, but setting a mood, a tone, an imagery. His tunes are the only soundtrack, and the director uses the landscapes of London, the Warwickshire countryside as well as his house and even the room, packed with the few pictures and memories available, as the only visual anchorage. It's quite amazing that with so little, Berkvens is able to be quite touching with his movie.

Being such an honest documentary, don't expect the film providing any revelation. If any, it confirms Nick Drake mystery: no one really knew him, so not even the closest testimonies possible are able to explain how such a talented person was so troubled with the world. Maybe it was too sensitive for it, as his sister's say? We will never know. But at least, his gorgeous music will never leave us. In that regard, a final praise of the closing scene, where the composition of images of Tanworth with "Northern Sky", suddenly reduced to just his voice is an enduring and compelling closure.

Too short (don't think some comments about his music's legacy and influence would have harmed the film) but very moving and special documentary. Highly recommendable. Please listen to Nick Drake.

SCORE: 7/10